Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Life

Category: Curb Appeal

  • Ask a Pro Q&A – Copy Thy Neighbor: Learn how to take inspiration from the Joneses for an ideal yard

    Neighbors can inspire exteriors and landscaping. They may also help decipher growing conditions that will make your yard thrive. Outdoor pro Carson Arthur shares how to seamlessly change outdoor plants with help from the Joneses.

    Question: We are about to change some of the plants in the front of our home. Fifteen were planted about 28 years ago, but are now dying. We have nine plants left that are grouped in threes.  We are planning an 8′ x 15′ stone patio in front of a bay window for morning coffee with neighbors. We currently have a mini-Japanese maple in the front corner and various bushes scattered around the yard.  We plan to take drawings to our local nursery for advice on filler pieces. Do you have any suggestions?

    Bringing drawings of your garden to a local garden center is an excellent plan. In addition, present pictures of plants you like that are growing in your neighbor’s yard. This will give workers an idea of growing conditions. Ideally, if the plants you like thrive in their yard, they should do the same in yours. Happy growing!

    -Carson Arthur

  • Ask a Pro Q&A – Plant a Stunning Yard: Explore options to halt soil erosion

    Soil erosion increases work for homeowners. Good ground cover helps your yard thrive.  Outdoor pro Carson Arthur shares how to preserve the integrity of your soil, in and out of shade.

    Question: What can I do with a hill that has a tree but zero grass? It’s too expensive to cut the tree, and the dirt is eroding.

    It sounds like you need to get a good ground cover in place that will survive living under a tree AND hold soil in place. I would check out a sweet woodruff or a periwinkle. Both thrive in dry shade and solve erosion with their roots.

    -Carson Arthur

  • Home Exterior Design Ideas for Transforming an Outdoor Space

    Curb appeal is important for many homeowners who want to feel good about where they live or attract a new buyer. Whether you want to freshen up a home you’ve owned for years or plan on selling, here are some exterior makeovers you can give without spending a fortune. Focus on designs that make a big impact.

    A fresh coat of paint

    Outdated brick and worn concrete rejuvenate with lighter paint selections. For shutters, window casings, eaves and the front door, consider khaki in a shade just a bit darker than the house.

     

     

     

     

     

    A makeover for focal points

    Thoughtful improvements like an updated roof, glass front door or new windows can make a vast difference. Consider also revamping your pathways and planters. Create a focal point with landscaping for one of the easiest and most effective ways to transform a house from blah to beautiful.

     

     

     

    Accentuate the positives

    If you have a charmer hidden under overgrown shrubs, bushes and trees, clear away the clutter to allow the home’s frame to speak volumes. Reveal a stunner simply by getting rid of anything in the way of the authentic style of your home. Doing a bit of research into your home’s beginnings may offer some ideas for enhancing its character.

     

     

     

  • Boost Your Home’s Curb Appeal with Breathtaking Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

    Ready to give your front yard a makeover, yet don’t know where to start? It’s easy to get a little intimidated when it comes to yard design. Many of us are convinced that landscaping is something only professionals can do because it will be too time consuming to maintain. However, anyone can have a swoon worthy front yard without a ton of effort.

    Whether you’re looking to sell your house or simply want to try something different, there are countless ways to enhance your curb appeal. Read on for some front yard landscaping ideas and planning suggestions.

    Charming pots and beautiful boxes

    Flower pots provide an instant front yard upgrade that can be updated easily and often. Southern Living recommends choosing pots that complement the colors of your home and keeping it simple with regard to the planters.

    Similarly, carefully tended window boxes can elevate your front yard design from basic to beautiful, especially when they include varied sizes and colors.

     

    Stylish stones

    Does the thought of plant-heavy landscaping make you nervous? There are other ways to make your front yard stand out that don’t involve plants or flowers. Pros call the use of pebbles and stones hardscaping, which can vary your yard with texture and color.

    Whether you’re using them as an accent or making them more of a focus, stones add a sophisticated textural element to your yard, with minimal maintenance.

  • Boost Curb Appeal with an Entryway Garden

    Eye-catching entryway plantings packed with color help your home extend a friendly welcome.

    First impressions count, and when you preface a front door with floral and foliage fireworks, you create an atmosphere of gracious warmth. A colorful entry also adds curb appeal, which enhances home value. The trick is to arrange plantings that blend fuss-free style with traffic-stopping beauty. Add a trickling fountain to mute traffic noise, or, if you don’t have the space, embrace a container garden that features a variety of different blooms and buds to appeal to guests and potential home buyers alike.

     

    Boost curb appeal with color

    Using seasonal color in a front yard works well for several reasons. It provides a loom on which you can weave different planting patterns year to year, so for a gardener who enjoys designing plantings, an entry garden furnishes endless opportunities to satisfy the craving for staging something new. In areas with rugged winters and ample snowfall, quick color that disappears with the frost means no worries about plant damage from road salt or piles of snow. And whenever you trade turf for plantings, you reduce lawn-mowing duties—a cause to cheer.

     

     

    Profusion Series Zinnia

    This mounding grower is blanketed with daisy-like blooms.

     

     

     

  • Holiday Outdoor Décor Ideas for a Beautiful and Cozy Winter

    Spruce up your outdoor space to bring the merriment of the holidays to your home.

    There are plenty of décor ideas you can adapt to turn the exterior of your house into a festive destination. Even if you live where it snows and don’t spend much time on a porch or patio, decking the outside of your halls is fun and satisfying.

    Create a warm welcome for friends’ arrival and a beautiful scene to admire from the cozy indoors with these ideas for holiday outdoor décor.

    Hang a simple wreath

    Hanging just one wreath on your front door creates a beautifully minimalistic look. Depending on your wreath’s adornments, you can pull off a chic aesthetic or something gorgeously traditional.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Go all out with double wreaths

    Have double doors? Hang two wreaths for twice the joy. Magnolia wreaths look stunning in a pair.

     

     

  • How to Boost Curb Appeal in the Winter

    Winter elements present a challenge for curb appeal. Unless it’s within the first hours after a fresh blanket of twinkling snow has fallen, cold weather can leave properties barren and debris-ridden. While you won’t be able to get blooms growing in your garden, there are some things you can do to boost your curb appeal this season.

     

    Keep pathways clear

    From the driveway to the front door, the sidewalk to the garage, and areas surrounding the back yard, all pathways should be clear of snow, ice and debris. Cleared pathways also make a home appear cleaner and more well-kept than properties that haven’t seen a shovel. Picking up snow will ensure prospective homebuyers can safely navigate the home and back yard. Always have a shovel on hand and use it before any showing.

    Keep the winter equipment hidden

    Leaving a shovel on the front porch allows homeowners to easily clear a pathway. No matter how practical it is to keep the winter equipment and tools handy, keep these items hidden when trying to increase curb appeal. This is especially true if the items are taking up space on the front porch or can be seen from the road.

    Forbid the snow fort

    If you have little ones in the home, it can be hard to keep them from building a snow fort. While most people will smile at the idea of a child’s creativity, it could prevent interested parties from seeing the home as a blank canvas for their family. Keep the front lawn clear of snow forts and snowmen. The same rule should also be applied to holiday decorations. While an inflatable Santa Claus may seem like a great way to bring attention to your home, it can be more of a distraction than anything else.

     Keep the exterior lights bright

    Potential homebuyers often drive past homes for sale to check them out prior to investing their time at a showing. If the exterior lights aren’t on, they will drive right by without thinking twice. It is important that the outdoor lighting shines brightly and is in working condition at all times. One flickering bulb or dimmed light can make a home appear unkempt.

     

    Make your home appealing this winter with these tips for stellar curb appeal.

     

  • Curb Appeal Mistakes to Avoid

    From neighbors to guests to buyers, people are noticing your home’s curb appeal! Be sure your home exterior is making the right impression by avoiding these common curb appeal mistakes.

    Curb Appeal Mistakes to Avoid - Bhgrelife.com

    Completely Forgetting About Curb Appeal

    When selling your home, it is vital to captivate potential homebuyers as soon as they pull up to your property, and an untended or messy lawn could send the wrong message about the quality of your home. Lack of lawn care may suggest to homebuyers that the house also isn’t properly cared for, which could mean a costly investment for them. Even if you don’t have the means to lay new sod, take the time to clean up your yard to reinforce the impression that everything has been well cared for in and outside of the home. Removing brown leaves, dead branches, and weeds can make a big difference when selling your home or impressing guests.

  • 10 Tips to Improve Your Landscaping in the Spring

    The curb appeal of your home is incredibly important when trying to sell. A beautiful landscape instantly welcomes potential buyers and emits a comforting appeal that people desire when looking to purchase a home. With spring finally here, you can now get to work in your yard. Here are 10 tips to create beautiful landscaping that will enhance your home’s curb appeal.

    10 Tips to Improve Your Landscaping in the Spring - bhgrelife.com1. Understand the climate of your region and yard

    Your geographic location plays a vital part in the landscaping options for your home, so choose plants accordingly. The climate of your yard is also crucial, as some plants need more sun than shade and vice versa. So monitor the areas on your property, and find the perfect location for each individual plant you choose.

  • Curb Appeal: Easy Tips for Making the Best First Impression

    The biggest mistake someone selling his or her home can make is spending the entire renovation budget on the inside of the house. Do they think that potential buyers will ignore the front of the house and not make an opinion until they get inside? Curb appeal has never meant so much in a housing market as it does today! Buyers begin to assess a home as soon as they notice the initial listing photo. Want to make the most for your home? Here are some simple tips to make the best first impression!

    By Carson Arthur

    Planters - BHGRELife.com1. Choose containers over plant beds to add color to the front yard

    Having plants is not necessarily a bad idea. In fact, homes with healthy plants and flowers are considered more welcoming to a homebuyer. The key, however, is for the front yard not to appear high maintenance. Plant sparingly because not everyone has a green thumb. Instead, use containers to bring plants that are in bloom to the front door, maximizing the visual interest in the space.