Easy Outdoor Improvements
When is comes to selling your house, first impressions count. Below is a list of several low cost ways you can improve the exterior of your home and increase its value while also making it easier to sale. Not everything will apply to your particular house so you will need to use your own judgment to decide where your time will be best spent. To appeal to the most buyers possible you will want to stay away from extremes.
1. Trim heavy shrubs and remove any dead plants or branches
2. Clean up your yard, remove any debris or stuff that you’ve stack up against the garage or back walls, thinking you will use it someday. Haul off any old tires, firewood, lawn clippings, worn out and dated playground equipment, old bicycles and toys, etc. If your garage doors are already worn out and need garage door repair services, make sure to consider hiring professional garage door service to do the necessary fixes.
3. On this same subject, get rid of any junk cars, boats, motorcycles, RV’s, etc.
4. Clean up and beautify any pet areas or remove them all together if you no longer have pets.
5. Mow and edge the lawn regularly
6. Repair any broken boards in decks, porches, railings, etc. Oil, seal or repaint any exposed wood. If you have a deck you may want to wash and re-stain it to give it that brand new look.
7. Clean out and organize any storage sheds. Touch up the paint if necessary and oil the hinges. You can use a little steel wool to shine up the hardware.
8. If you have a hot tub or spa, make sure to clean it and treat the water so that it looks and smells clean.
9. Get a tube of concrete filler at the hardware store and fill in any small cracks in your driveway and sidewalks. Larger breaks will need to be removed and replaced with new concrete. For asphalt driveways, it would be better to look for an asphalt contractor if you need asphalt services.
10. Remove weeds from flower beds or any other areas and spread a little mulch over the dirt.
11. Mend and straighten any existing fences.
12. Replace shrubs that date the house (such as Junipers)
13. Plant a few bright colored flowers (in season) in front of your house. Check with your local nursery to find out which flowers grow well in your area and will stay in bloom for a long time.
14. Green up your lawn in season by watering deeper and giving it some fertilizer. If there are areas where the grass is thin, spread a little grass seed over the area and keep it wet for a few weeks.
15. Get rid of any graffiti in your neighborhood. Enlist the help of neighbors if necessary.
Remember that first impressions make a big difference to prospective buyers and your landscape frames your house and will create much of this first impression, so try to look at your house from a buyers perspective so that you can identify the trouble spots and solve them before a buyer ever sees them.
