Curb-appeal: 17 tips to prepare your home and sell it faster

Last weekend I was reading the paper and stumbled upon an article that talked about keywords in real estate listings and which words related to houses that sold faster and which words related to houses that took a longer time to sell.  Here are those words:

Words That Resulted in a Faster Sale

• Curb Appeal
• Move-in Condition
• Landscaping
• Granite
• Gourmet
• Golf
• Must See

Words that Slow Down a Sale

• Motivated Seller
• Good Value
• As-is

While 

This was my ugly house in Portland without curb appeal

many of these words do relate to the interior of the home, curb appeal and landscaping are all about the exterior of the home. Your home may be a showplace on the inside, but how will your potential buyers feel if they drive up to your home and see an overgrown or tired landscape.  Your yard is an extension of your home.  Think of the exterior of your home as bonus square footage, especially if you live in a location where the weather is mild and outdoor spaces can be used for much of the year.  

If you are thinking about selling your home I recommend you take the following steps to assess the exterior condition and landscape and make it more appealing to potential buyers.

Front Exterior Assessment

Much better after the reno, don't you think?

1. Drive up to your house just like a potential buyer would drive up.  This may mean you park on the street and approach from this location.
2. Walk up to your front door.  Is the walk in good condition?  Is your front porch tidy? Look up. Are there any cobwebs that need to be cleared away?    
3. Are there any trees or shrubs that are blocking the view to your front entry?  If so you need to start trimming.  The buyer needs to be able to have a clear view of the front door as it makes the home look more approachable. 
4. How does your lawn look?  Make sure you keep it properly mowed and edged as long as that for sale sign is in your yard.  If you have bare spots, fill them.  If you have weeds, call in a lawn service to treat the yard.  This usually costs less that $50 and is well worth it.  
5. Are those windows clean?  We all hate to wash windows, but the home will sparkle from the outside and be brighter on the inside if you wash the windows. 
6. When is the last time you mulched your planting beds?  Mulch cleans up planting beds making them look fresh and they keep weeds out which saves you from having to pull them.
7. Is the paint in good condition on your home?  Is the trim around your door freshly painted and clean? If not, break out the paintbrush.  
8. When was the last time you selected the color palette for your home's exterior?  If it has been more than ten years the colors may be dating your home and this could turn off potential buyers.  A quick update to trim and shutters could be all that is needed to make you home appealing to today's buyer.
9. Does you front porch light work?  I know you think buyers only look during the day, but they drive by at night too.  Make sure your porch light is in good working order and turn it on so your home glows at night.  (Bonus tip: Clean the glass on your porch light too).  
10. Finally, go inside your home and look out the windows.  Do you like what you see?  If you don't, do what you can to make it acceptable.  This may mean trimming limbs from trees, adding some screening plants to hide the view of your neighbor's garbage cans or adding a few more plants to add visual interest. 

Back Yard Assessment

In front of our sold sign.  

1. Take a look at your lawn furniture.  Is it clean and fresh looking?  Does it fit well in the space or does it make the space look cluttered or too small?  If your outdoor furniture isn't in good shape or makes your patio/deck look small or cluttered place it in your garage or remove extra furniture; after all the furniture does not come with the home.
2. How many pots do you have on your patio? You want to make sure that any garden containers are in the right scale to your deck/patio and that they are full of healthy vegetation.  If you have too many pots or pots with dead material, you need to move these into the garage as well.  Clutter does not sell a house.
3. Do you have dogs?  If so make sure you are cleaning up after them.  Nothing turns a potential buyer off faster than a shoe full of poo.  
4. Is the patio/deck area free of debris.  We all know that trees lose leaves and branches, but while your home is on the market you need to go outside every day or two and sweep off the area.
5. Is your deck or patio in good condition?  You may need to consider repairs or re-staining.
6. Do you have a pool or any other water feature?  Make sure both are clean and in working order.  Also, remove and put away any pool toys.  It just adds clutter.
7. Do you have kids that have a million outdoor toys?  I do too.  Try to contain these toys as best as possible to one area. And if you have a old swing-set or trampoline that is no longer in good use, place an ad on Craigslist and get it out of your yard.  

I hope this helps any of you who are thinking about selling your home or have a home that has been on the market for a while.  If you do not feel comfortable about doing an assessment on your own, talk to your realtor and/or call a landscape architect for a consultation.  Most residential designers, like myself, would be happy to help you get your house ready to sell.  

The Landscape Show

Minion topiary! 

The FNGLA Landscape Show was in town this past week and Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the expo.  There was a ton to see, but I guess I was so busy looking that I didn't bother to take very many photos.  Once I decided that taking photos would be a good idea, my feet were too tired to walk all the way back to the beginning.  Anyway, here are a few photos of some of the beautiful plants I saw:

Medinilla Magnifica

The plant above appeared to be the star of the show.  Everyone was taking photos of this thing.  This is when I got the idea I too should be taking photos.  This photo doesn't really do this plant justice, but it is so exotic and the blooms were just gorgeous.  Now if I can just find a spot in my garden.....

Pretty display using old windows and tropical plants

So you think your tree may be dying; what you should know

Branch has broken away at the trunk

Yesterday morning I looked outside and noticed something strange over at my neighbor's house.  Apparently a large branch from his Laurel Oak had decided to break away from the rest of the tree. As of today the large branch is still hanging there as I am assuming that they will need to hire someone to remove the branch and perhaps the tree.  So this got me thinking; is it time for this tree to go or can they simply remove the branch and move on?   

So how do you know when it is time to remove a tree?    Sometimes it is hard to say goodbye to an old tree.  Some of us see a big tree as part of the family.  We value these trees for their beauty and appreciate them for shading our homes during the hot summer months.  But like all living things, trees die. Here are a few ways you can tell if the time has come:

• Your tree has lost a large percentage of its canopy.  If you have a storm and your tree loses a bunch of limbs, it may be stressed beyond repair
• If it has lost all of its leaves (and it is not the time of year for the tree to be without leaves) or if the leaves are all brown when they should be green, then your tree has died.  It is time for you to have it removed
• Large limbs are falling off for no apparent reason.  This usually indicates there is something wrong from the inside and the tree is no longer strong enough to hold on to these branches. 
• There has been a storm and now your tree is leaning towards your home.  This can mean that some of the roots have been damaged and if so the tree could die and fall on your home.  Better the tree go than you.
• Consult an arborist.  Most tree companies have arborists on staff and they can help you determine if the tree can be saved, and if so, what treatment is necessary.  If the tree cannot be saved they will let you know that as well. 

Four Quick and Easy Landscape Projects for Fall

Halloween-Disney Style

Last week I went with my family to Disney World to attend Mickey's Not-So-Spooky Halloween Party.  When we got there I noticed that the park had been enhanced with Halloween themed elements such as Mickey pumpkins and displays of autumnal foliage.

Now most of us do not have access to the manpower or money that Disney has to change out our homes seasonally, but there are small changes that we can all make to keep our landscapes looking fresh and seasonally appropriate.  Here are a few suggestions for fall that should take about an hour to complete.

So simple and just right for fall

                                                    





1-Pumpkins: Head to the grocery store and pick up some of those pumpkins they have on sale in the big bins. Place a grouping of pumpkins out next to your front door.  Uncarved pumpkins can last for weeks, and if you like, you can use the same pumpkins for your Halloween Jack-o-lanterns.

Elegant look that cannot be any easier.  

2-Mums:  Here's another no-planting-required upgrade. While you are at the grocery store pick up a couple of mums.  You can use these to place in a planter next to your door or just place them wherever you like.  Keep in mind that mums don't re-bloom (or they never have for me) so buy one that is about to bloom and toss them when the blooms are spent.  If I buy mums I typically buy a set a few days before Halloween and another set right before Thanksgiving (but only if I'm hosting).

Purple fountain grass and pansies

Camellias: Beautiful blooms for fall and winter

Camellia covered path

While I was playing with my daughter in our backyard yesterday evening, I noticed something; a single bloom on my camellia.  It seems a bit early in the season, but it looks like the blooming has begun.

First bloom of the season

My camellias are very large and for all I know may have been planted when the house was built back in the 1950's.  Before we moved in they were the focal point of the backyard, but then my husband had to build a garage and that pretty much blocked the plants.   Growing up in Memphis you didn't see too many camellias as the climate is a bit too cool, so I am thrilled to have my own camellias, even if they are hidden behind the garage.

Bring inside and enjoy!

Camellias are an old-fashioned plant, but they are so beautiful and I wish they were used more.  Camellias bloom in white, pink and red and are often the only thing blooming in the winter.  How nice would it be to go out on a crisp morning, cut a few blooms and place them in a vase for your home or just float a few blooms in a shallow bowl.

Camellia espalier

For those interested in growing your own camellias there are two types of  camellias that are commonly used in the landscape: Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua.  Did you know that tea comes from a camellia?  It comes from the Camellia sinensis (which you don't want to grow).  Camellias can be used in various ways: as an accent shrub, in a mass planting, in a container, as a hedge or espaliered on a wall.  Camellias prefer light shade, but sasanquas can tolerate sun as well.  Camellias are evergreen and have beautiful, glossy leaves which are attractive even when it is not the blooming season.

If you are in the Orlando area you should visit Leu Gardens as they have one of the largest collections of camellias in the US on display with over 200 cultivars. Leu Gardens 

Singapore's Botanic Gardens; Worthy of a royal visit

This week the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge aka Will and Kate traveled to Singapore as part of their tour of Southeast Asia.  One stop on their trip was to the Singapore Botanic Gardens to view an orchid that was named for William's mother, Diana.  An orchid was also named for Will and Kate.

Three years ago I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work in Singapore and I too visited the botanic gardens.  Despite my profession, I have not been to very many botanic gardens, but I will say that it will be hard to top the gardens in Singapore.  With Singapore being so close to the equator the vegetation is lush and exotic. If I recall correctly entrance into the gardens is free, but you must pay a small fee to visit the National Orchid Garden. It is worth your five dollars (which is really more like $3.50 USD) to go see this outstanding exhibit.  

 The gardens were founded in 1859 as a place where the residents of Singapore could go to relax.  In the 1920's the director of the gardens started a program that bred and hybridized orchids.  This research, along with all of the new varieties of orchids produced, became the basis for the orchid industry we know today.  The botanic gardens have also led the way in the greening of Singapore by providing a variety of plant materials to be used in roadside plantings and in Singapore's parks.  In my personal opinion these efforts were successful as every road and Singapore is absolutely beautiful.  

To see more about Will and Kate's trip : William and Kate in Singapore  To read more about Singapore's Botanic Gardens: Singapore Botanic Gardens

In LA they'll trade you 400 trees for a space shuttle

Discovery-April 2010

If you never saw a space shuttle launch then you missed out on a truly unique experience.  The first time I saw the space shuttle hurling towards space was early morning the day after Easter 2010.  I was reluctant to wake up early to see Atlantis take off as I had a new baby and I really needed all the sleep I could get,  yet I mustered up the energy to walk out of my house before the dawn broke to see shuttle take off carrying astronauts into space.  

 

Sleeping through history 

Several months later we went to Cape Canaveral to watch another launch in person.  As the shuttle program was coming to a close, the atmosphere was both festive and a bit depressed.  I was happy that we were able to take our then three month old daughter with us to witness such an event even if she would never remember the experience (but that is why we take photos).  

Atlantis takes off

Today the space shuttle program has ended and the space shuttles have gone to find homes at museums all over the country.  Endeavour, will be going to the California Science Center in Los Angeles.  While I am sure the people of LA will be happy to have the Endeavor on exhibit, it comes with a price.  In order to get Endeavour to the museum, 400 trees along the route to the museum must be cut down so that this oversized load can pass.   You can read more about it here: Tree removal for space shuttle arrival tempers excitement.  

While I commend the city for their plans to replace the removed trees 2:1, the negative effects of removing these large trees will be felt for years, even decades to come as the newer, much smaller trees grow.  I have a feeling that the trees that must be removed provide some of the nicer scenery along the 12 miles of road where the space shuttle must pass.  These same trees shade homes and lower energy bills where money may be limited.  The space shuttle is certainly part of history, but so too are the trees.  As the article states "Taking the massive shuttle apart would have damaged the delicate tiles that acted as heat sensors".  That may be true, but seeing as the Endeavour is retired and will never fly again, I don't see why the integrity of the heat sensors is so important.  It appears to me that the removal of 400 trees that are still thriving and people who live and work along this route should have been given a higher priority.