Q. I am planning on selling my home this year. Can landscaping increase the sale price of my home?
A. Landscaping can improve the resale price of your home by thousands of dollars. Even small improvements in your landscaping can create excellent curb appeal. It pays to invest in landscaping to draw more buyers to your home. Whether you are planning to sell your home or just increase its value, landscaping can be the answer. Your landscape professionals can help you get the most out of your home.
The first thing that buyers to your home see is the entrance. A neat and appealing landscape will create a good first impression, possibly enticing more prospective buyers to look at the inside. It should be open, warm, and welcoming to guests. Plants should be neatly trimmed and small enough to accent the home, not hide it. An easy to maintain landscape is appealing to many homeowners. Mulch can be added to the landscape beds for weed control and color. Planting colorful flowers can also add an inviting touch to the entrance of the home. During the winter months the landscape can look quite bare. Color from a few evergreens can help add life to a dreary landscape. Arborvitae, yew, holly, pine and spruce all offer winter color. An evergreen can also hide a unsightly view that may be lowering the value of your home.
In addition to the psychological and aesthetic impact, landscaping adds economic value to the home. Just think how quickly a $20 shrub turns into a $100 plant simply by growing larger. Trees will give your home protection from the elements and provide privacy and noise control. You can brag of lower central air conditioning bills when trees shade your home during the summer.
This spring fertilize when the ground thaws and over seed the lawn in bare spots. Spring seeding requires less watering maintenance. A thick green lawn will add curb appeal. Some colorful annuals around the home is an inexpensive way to improve the landscape.