April 19, 2011

Springtime Curb Appeal in Vancouver

Spring is a great time to get the outside of your home looking spectacular. The weather is not too hot to put in a few hours of work outdoors, and a little elbow grease now will ensure that your home looks fantastic in the upcoming weeks as yards green up and flowers start to bloom. Springtime is also typically the busy season for real estate, so if you are looking to move into a new Wallmark Home, we have some easy tips for things you can do to get your home in shape from the outside in!

1. Ready, Set, Rake! Gather all of those extra leaves from the fall that have collected in flowerbeds, gutters and around the yard and you'll notice an immediate improvement in how clean your home and yard suddenly looks. All of those perennials in the flower beds will thank you as they emerge from the dirt in upcoming weeks.

2. Pretty Plants & Flowers. Add visual interest by planting colorful annuals and greenery along walkways and flowerbeds. Include a hanging basket or colorful planter near the entrance to visually welcome guests. Having flowers in neat and clean flowerbeds gives the impression that a home is well cared for from the moment it is seen.

3.  Weeds Begone! Look at your home and yard with fresh eyes and get rid of those weeds and overgrowth in flowerbeds, along fence lines, and near outbuildings. If you are freshening flowerbeds, consider putting down a weed preventing fabric and mulch or decorative river rock to help keep weed control maintenance to a minimum.

4. Give Shrubs a Haircut If you have hedges or overgrown shrubs or bushes in your hard, give them a trim and make them look nice and neat.  Just a simple trim to keep things manicured will add big curb appeal.

5. TLC for your Grass Yardwork can be a pain if you don't do a little maintenance and upkeep during the right times of year.  Treat your yard to some power raking to get old thatch up and room for new grass to breathe and grow.  Consider aerating your yard and treating with a springtime fertilizer with weed control to keep summertime crabgrass and dandelions under control.