Whether you are planning to move soon or not, you can give your home a facelift, improve your curb appeal and increase your home’s worth by sprucing up your landscaping.

Here are some ideas that can boost your curb appeal and add value to your home.

· Refresh your landscaping. For little to no money, you can spruce up your yard with a small budget and a little sweat equity. You can add pops of color with annuals, perennials or flowering seasonal shrubs. Add fresh mulch to your flower beds and make sure your grass is green and full, edged and free of weeds. Trim your trees and shrubs and make sure you can always see your house! If you can’t get out to do this work yourself, you can hire a high school or college student to do a full yard cleanup and plant some flowering annuals.

· Don’t go overboard. While your prize rosebush may be the envy of fellow gardeners, it might be viewed as a hassle by those who don’t share your passion for gardening. Stick to plantings that are native to the area and easy to maintain. Also, don’t plant an overwhelming amount of plants or too large of a variety – that can make your lawn look cramped or busy. Keep landscaping simple and inviting. And as I always say, “ If you can’t see it (the house), you can’t sell it!”.

· Invest in an outdoor irrigation system. If you have more money to devote to home improvement and want a bigger return on investment, consider installing an underground lawn sprinkler system. With hot, parched summers, this is a sure way to keep your lawn, plants and trees looking healthy and vibrant throughout the summer selling season.

· Call a professional landscaper – If your selling horizon is greater than a year and your budget is flexible, you may want to contact a professional landscaper who can turn your vision into a reality and make recommendations for which plants and landscaping elements would accentuate your home’s best features and camouflage any flaws, gaps or tough growing areas.

· Enhance your landscaping with pavers or bricks. A paved area can add value to your home and doesn’t require a green thumb. You can save money on pavers or bricks by purchasing leftovers online or by searching for the next holiday sale at your local home improvement store. This is a fairly simple DIY project, or you can keep your hands clean and hire a professional to install them.

· Add a shade sail. Make your new paved area more functional and attractive by adding a shade sail. This is another simple DIY project that requires installing 3 timber posts and a shade sail kit. Easy and doable!

· Add solar landscape lighting. – Buyers want to know how their future home will look at night and during the daytime. Consider energy efficient landscape lighting from a home improvement store to add the ambiance you need to set the stage for evening visitors. This is another DIY project that is well worth the time and money spent to sell your home now or later!

· Add potted plants. Save yourself the headache of weeding large areas by adding potted plants and flowers to your front entrance. You can incorporate welcoming bursts of color to your landscape for a relatively low cost.

· Plant trees. Trees can add value to your home for years to come. People enjoy the shade and beauty trees add to the property. They also help with erosion by sucking up storm water. Do your research about the right type of tree for your property based on the sun’s orientation and how close to the house you should plant it. You don’t want to plant too close, as the tree could pose a danger with broken or falling limbs.

We know that landscaping requires investing time, money and effort. The return homeowners get from simple landscaping, though, makes the investment well worth it. If you have questions about your home’s worth or curb appeal, contact Jacobson Realty and Home Staging. We’d be happy to get the answers you need to make good decisions and provide referrals to make you feel confident in your decision.

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