Curb appeal! As a home stager for clients wanting to sell their home, the first impression is crucial. Why? The way your home looks as a buyer pulls up in your driveway could be a deal breaker or a deal maker. Putting in the effort to make your home breathtaking verses having an eyesore goes a long way when it’s time for an offer.
Curb Appeal: Shrub Overload
To begin with, walk outside and study your home. Do you have nasty furniture on your porch? Is it being overrun by shrubs? Do you see more plants than the house? Does it appear you are trying to hide your home? If you live in a neighborhood, there’s a good chance you have the builder’s version of landscaping. This basic landscape package would include various green shrubs in one contained area. There typically is little color and undoubtedly slight variation from the houses around you. This scenario was my house. In fact, the previous owner also added large shrubs to the side of the house too.
When we first moved in, there were bushes so tall that they were blocking both windows to our front room. For the last two years, we’ve been so busy with indoor projects that our outdoor has been neglected, until recently.
Curb Appeal: Simplify
The first step was to start trimming. By trimming, I mean I took the large shrubs down to their minimum. I took a step back and realized it was still too much. I had Colby use his truck to pull out nine bushes! It was beautiful because I could see my home for the first time and I liked it! Scaling the remaining plants down completed this step.
Next, I bought anything but green plants to fill the bare space. I planted flowers of all colors and height. I added a flowering tree to replace the bushes that engulfed my window and small flowers next to the tree. My house went from looking semi-abandoned to colorful and inviting.
Not all buyers can see a home’s potential, inside or out. It took me a couple of days of intense sweating and $75 worth of plants, but it adds so much more to the overall look of my exterior. No green thumb is needed! Just daily watering. If my exterior isn’t inviting, why would anyone bother to see what is on the inside?
Take the time to give your landscaping some TLC. Whether you are staging to live or sell, your garden may need attention. I recommend going simple. Don’t go overboard with planting, so you aren’t spending hours on upkeep or overwhelming a potential buyer. Also, don’t be afraid to give the builder landscaping a makeover. Set your home apart from your neighbors and make your curb appeal breathtaking.
About Balance & Harmony 360², Inc.
Owned and operated by Melinda Smith, CPO®, we offer Business Training & Consulting with a Twist! Our sweet spot is working with Entrepreneur’s and their companies to create a productive work environment, happy home, and prosperous you! Our passion is listening to clients goals, thinking through solutions and coming up with creative 360² action plans that address work, home, and you! Love Going to Work Again! Increase Time with Your Family! Get Things Done! Our process is simple and geared toward the professional. You CAN get your LIFE back in BALANCE!
Audrey Whiteley, CSE®
Audrey works for Balance & Harmony 360², as a Certified Staging Expert in the HOME Division. The home environment affects your health, productivity, and happiness. She works with individuals who need to freshen-up outdated décor, “show” a room’s potential or help homeowners create a lifestyle. Audrey makes the most of your surroundings whether you are staging for a quick sale, building a home, or want to elicit a more vibrant and peaceful setting in which to live.
Audrey Can Help Create
- Ideas or Design Boards
- Room Layouts and Arrangements
- Organization Solutions
- Home Staging DIY Reports
- Pre-Move Prep Strategies and Moving Plans
- Purchasing and Hands-On Staging and Decorating
- Project Management from Start to Finish
Check out more about Balance & Harmony 360² at
Website: www.balanceharmony.com
Website Store: www.balanceharmony.com/store
Twitter: https://twitter.com/balancehrmy360
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BalanceAndHarmonyInc
Google+: https://plus.google.com/117432847278066142434
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/balanceharmony360
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/balanceharmony/boards/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balanceharmonyinc