CHARLOTTE – It just makes sense that when a potential home buyer arrives at a home for sale the very first impression they will get before they even walk through the door is noticing the beauty of a well-maintained lawn and landscape. This is known as curb appeal and with the recent sag in the housing market due to a weakening economy, curb appeal is more important than ever.  It is estimated that an attractive and well-maintained landscape can add as much as 10 percent to the value of your home.

Give yourself enough time to address landscape improvements prior to putting your home on the market. It’s important for your outside improvements to look established and not done at the last minute. Here are some suggestions before planting that For Sale sign that could play a major part in helping you sell your home.

• Add medium to large container plants to patios and doorways where potential buyers enter and exit the house.
• Apply a fresh layer of decorative mulch in all of your garden beds to provide that contrast to the surrounding plants.
• Plant seasonal, colorful annual flowers whether they are several different colors or the same color with different hues. Flats of these annuals are relatively inexpensive and you can go with whatever matches the look of your home.
• Shape or remove unsightly or overgrown trees and shrubs. Neglected pruning can be a subliminal message that the inside of the home has also been neglected.
• Clean up annuals and perennials that don’t look as good as they should. Plants may be in such bad shape that they may need to be removed or replaced.
• For water features get rid of any visible algae, remove leaves and clean filters so that the water is crystal clear. A water feature that doesn’t look good or function properly can be a turn off.
• For patios, walkways and driveways power washing can make surfaces look new. Power washing also does a great job cleaning fences, brick and vinyl siding.