If you’re getting ready to stick a “for sale” sign in your yard, you may want to take a look around outside to make sure you’re showing off a yard you can be proud of. Your home’s exterior features are the first thing potential homebuyers see when they arrive. Whatever curb appeal you are presenting may either draw buyers in or push them away before they have ever entered your home. First impressions are key!
When you see a home with an impeccable yard, you would expect the inside to be equally pristine, right?
So in the same sense, you may expect a house with a shabby, unkempt yard to be rundown and filled with problems. People feel much more at ease buying a home that they believe has been loved and well cared for, and the best place to start is with your curb appeal.
So before you officially place your “for sale” sign, here are some simple lawn care tips to help you sell your home.
1. Continue Routine Maintenance
Amidst all the craziness that comes with selling a home and moving, it can be hard to find the time to mow the lawn or make sure the grass is properly watered. However, skipping lawn care while trying to sell a home is a big mistake. It is remarkable how quickly a lawn’s overall health and appearance can go downhill when it’s ignored. The first step to getting your yard in shape for potential buyers is to keep your yard in shape.
To achieve positive curb appeal, maintaining your regular lawn routine is an absolute necessity. Keep your watering and sprinkler system on schedule. Brown grass definitely makes the “turn-offs” list for home shoppers. Buyers may think there is a bigger problem than just dehydrated grass, and some people may not want to take on a home with grass issues.
Although it’s hard to find the time, you should try to continue mowing your grass regularly. If you skip mowing even for a couple weeks, the messy lawn could end up looking more like weeds than grass. The first impression of potential buyers sticks, and you don’t want them pulling up thinking, “this place looks sloppy and uncared for.”
2. Inspect Your Grass for Flaws
While it may seem like an unnecessary task, it is important to conduct a visual sweep of your yard. Potential home buyers will likely want to walk around the property and explore the yard a bit. If your grass is suffering from any brown patches or bare spots, it would be to your advantage if you spot it first. Many buyers are looking for an easy move. No one wants to move in and have to start repairing the yard right away.
The idea is as simple as it sounds: look for any problems, and fix them! If you notice any bald areas, seed the area or add sod. If you find any brown spots of grass, water or treat the grass. Brown patches can be tricky, so check out this guide to brown patch for more information. Doing a visual check of your grass won’t take you much time, and your healthy, problem-free lawn may just sway a potential home buyer to buy your home.
3. “Treat” Your Yard
Once you have decided to sell your home, it may be tempting to think, “It won’t be my yard for much longer, so let’s cancel the yard service!” Although this thought may feel like you’re going to save money, the truth is you may end up paying more later on if your yard starts to go to ruin. Grass thrives under a seasonal routine of treatment, and interrupting this routine can leave your lawn looking dull, dried out, or dead.
Curb appeal is critical when it comes time to sell your home, and thick, luscious grass is the best way to achieve a good impression. For grass to thrive, it requires the essential nutrients that come with routinely scheduled fertilizer treatments.
If your lawn is damaged or just looking lackluster, it may be time to treat your yard with aeration. Aeration is the process of opening tiny holes throughout your yard to help the soil make room to air out. The holes and soil plugs will be noticeable, so don’t schedule your aeration for the day before an open house, but the improvements to your grass’s overall health begin almost immediately. Healthy grass will eventually begin to grow thicker faster, so give your yard an aeration boost early when you decide to sell.
If you’re not sure how to do lawn aeration or even want to do this task yourself, call your local lawn care service experts for a free quote on lawn aeration service.
4. Neat and Tidy
The first impression is a crucial moment for home buyers. What they first think when they pull up to your home is going to stick in their head as they contemplate buying. To put your best foot forward, you should treat all aspects of the lawn to a good manicuring. Clear the grass of any leaves or debris, and remove any unsightly weeds. Keep your trees and shrubs neatly trimmed and tidy up all your grass borders with your edger. Make home shoppers want to own your yard!
5. Boost Your Landscape
When people are shopping for homes, they’re trying to see if they can picture themselves living in that house. Paint the loveliest picture you possibly can to draw them in. Don’t worry – we’re not suggesting you call in the lawn care troops to do a complete rehaul.
A simple color boost is one way to make your landscape more appealing. This can be easily accomplished by adding some colorful seasonal flowers. You should also add a new layer of mulch to all of your flower beds to achieve a clean, fresh look. Another great option is to add some low maintenance trees and shrubs around your property. They won’t require much care from you, and they’ll make your yard appear more charming and cozy. Bare landscapes can come off as cold and harsh, so the best thing you can do is a little yard boosting to pull the buyers in!
6. Fix Up the Features
When getting your lawn show ready, don’t forget to give some attention to your yard’s extra features. Get your hands on a pressure washer, and clean off any exterior areas that show dirt. Start with all the pavements, tiles, and pavers that touch your lawn. Having your sidewalks, walking paths, deck, and driveway shining like new will definitely leave a good impression on buyers. You can also pressure wash any dirty areas on the exterior walls of your home, but be sure to start with a low setting, so you don’t damage your paint.
Have a fountain, pond, or pool? Polish them up so they look their best! Any items in your yard will look exponentially better with a quick pressure wash; that includes sheds, jungle gyms, benches, or any toys. When your yard features are clean and polished, they look like bonuses rather than dirty burdens. Showing off a polished and clean exterior is bound to get buyers through the door to check out your home.
