These are my favorite ways to use landscaping to make your home beautiful.
Landscaping is kind of like a frame on a picture. It should add to and define, but not draw attention away from the home itself. When addressing curb appeal and landscaping of any home, start by standing across the street and making a finger frame with your home in the middle. All of the elements surrounding the home (typically landscaping) should serve to enhance the home. From the street or "curb" the focal point of any home should be the front entrance and all of the landscaping, walkways, and decor should guide the eye to that point.
Where trees and shrubs are encroaching on the front entry, they can be trimmed back for a clear view of the front door from the street. Edging can be added to define landscaped areas or pathways. And plantings can be added along the foundation to frame the home. Now that you've got the big picture in perspective, consider these five easy beautification tips:
Define Areas
Just as the interior of a home has defined areas designated for specific uses, so does the out door space. While the back yard may be used for a fire pit and outdoor dining, a front yard could host a bench or pair of lounge chairs for a casual park-like viewing area. Children's activities, vegetable gardens, and landscape features such as ponds or orchards can be designated to a specific area defined by arbors, fencing, and plantings.
If your hope to sell your home, take a look at the outdoor spaces and consider which activities a prospective buyer would enjoy when owning your home. Does your back patio easily accommodate a small BBQ party? Stage the patio with a large patio table, seating, and a fire pit to show buyers how your home can be used for entertaining. If your lawn overlooks a stream or water or hosts views of beautiful scenery, place a pair of chairs to draw buyers attention to that specific spot.
Mailbox highlight
Adding landscaping around a mailbox is a small project that adds charming curb appeal. Create an area surrounding the mailbox outlined with bricks, stones, or pavers and fill in below the mailbox with plantings. **If you'll be selling your home, place large planters filled with colorful plantings by the mailbox, so that you can take them along with you when your home sells.
Create a Frame
Adding landscaping around the foundation of the home not only keeps water and weeds away it also creates an appealing frame. Edging can be added and filled with stone or mulch and shrubs or plants can be placed within the defined area to enhance the look of your home. This is another great location for potted plants that you wish to bring along when you move instead of investing in landscaping that must stay with the property.
Container Garden
For small spaces and those wanting an easy-to-relocate landscape, opt for container gardens. Whether plantings include herbs and produce or vibrant flowers, when placed in pots, they can add beauty to any area.
Think in 3's
This final tip is a design principal used in any and all design. Think in 3's! The human eye is naturally attracted to odd numbered groupings. When you're displaying anything, whether it's on the interior or exterior of your home, think about this design rule so that your creation has maximum appeal.
**Bang for your Buck: Bonus Tip!**
If you don't have the funds to go all out, but still want an HGTV worthy landscape, look no further than bark chips. It is by far the least expensive landscaping addition that gives you serious bang for your buck.
This backyard landscape was done by a homeowner I advised who wanted a makeover for less. Look at how adding black mulch gave her a patio area that would have other wise cost hundreds of dollars. Not a fan of black? Or, live in a very hot climate? Try natural colored bark chips instead.
Get Bark Chips and all of the things to make your home BEAUTIFUL delivered to your front door from Amazon here ----- >
Not sure what's necessary to sell your home fast?
Get my 1-on-1 Staging advice by video call or in-person
Subscribe to my newsletter and you'll get the two tools I made just for sellers: a Seller's Staging Cheat Sheet and the 5 Things Every Home Needs to Attract a Buyer.
Follow me on Facebook for Staging tips you can easily apply in the home you're selling - @StageMyListings