Landscaping to Sell

The first impression potential buyers have of your home is of its exterior. If you are trying to impress your potential buyers, you have to do it from the moment they set their eyes on the exterior of your property, so it would be wise that you spend time improving the landscaping. Having a great looking exterior can significantly improve your chances of selling and usually returns 100% the investment you put in.

Here is a quick list of basic landscaping projects that will help you sell your property:

• Mow the lawn, fertilize the soil, and water any plants that already exist in your yard
• Keep large trees and shrubs free of dead branches and leaves. Leaving these unchecked shows uncleanliness and detracts from the home's look.
• Plant a bed of flowers in your front yard (and backyard if possible) that match the colors of the house. If your house is a very neutral tone, pick flowers within one color family (warm: reds/oranges, cool: purples/blues). This gives your house a warm and inviting feel, and helps potential buyers to envision showing off this property to their friends.
• Weed out unwanted plants and add mulch to all the planting beds to create a tidy look. This is a small detail that works wonders in giving your landscaping a polished look.
• Finally, the focal point should be the actual house, so make sure that your home has fresh coat of paint if needed, there is no chipped paint on porches and trim, and that the roof is in good condition. Not only will these elements of a home deter potential buyers because of the shoddy look, they'll see it as an added expense they'd have to take on, which is not desirable for any home buyer.

If you want to even further ensure that potential buyers have the best first impression possible, and if your budget allows you to, hire a professional landscaper. Not only will they help you with ideas, they will also help you plan out a timeline, project list, and physically assist you in the landscaping process (if not completely take care of it themselves). If you can't afford a professional, magazines like Architectural Digest or Fine Gardening can bring you new ideas, and teach you how to do approach the problem yourself.

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