The real estate market has seen rapid growth in both home sales and demand in 2020. As the market has evolved, many homeowners are looking to add curb appeal to their home. Curb appeal is one of the most important aspects in determining the value of a house.

If you are planning to sell your home and want to do all you can to help it sell, then now is the time to think about curb appeal. Having a beautiful yard helps. But you will want your home to stand out. Now is a great time to take your landscape in a new direction. By working with experienced landscape designers, your landscape can be designed to boost curb appeal.

There are ways to design your landscape to boost curb appeal. Why is boosting the curb appeal of your home important? According to the National Association of Realtors, 63% of home buyers will visit a home based on the online listing image. This makes how your home looks even more important. The yard, sidewalk, and driveway play an important role in the buying process. By designing these elements to increase the street view, it will encourage potential buyers. So, what type of curb appeal factors should you consider before putting your house on the market?

Adding Curb Appeal to Your Yard 

Utilize the Right Colors

Spruce up your yard with colorful flowers, window boxes, and front yard flower beds. Just a few inches of rich mulch and healthy flowers will brighten up a space. However, when planting close to your home’s exterior, keep the home’s exterior color in mind. For example, a home with blue siding is best showcased with purple, pink, yellow, and white flowers. Meanwhile, a home with red trim will look great with flowers that are orange, yellow, or red. Be sure to think about what season your home will be on the market, and plant flowers that will be in bloom at that time.

Create Borders

For classic curb appeal, consider adding a picket fence or low wall. Pair with some roses, vining plants, ornamental trees, or shrubbery for a classic landscape. Borders give a clean and polished look to the landscape. Additionally, borders can create more privacy and create a nice living space for the dog or kids to play in.

Add or Maintain Walkways

Walkways are an important part of curb appeal. Not only do they look great, but they serve a functional purpose. Having an appealing walkway to the home is very important. Choose a simple yet attractive hardscape element such as stone pavers for your walkway. After all, no one wants to think about cleaning up dirt that has been tracked into the house!

Consider A Water Feature

From fountains, waterfalls, or a peaceful koi pond, there are many ways to add a water element to your landscape. These elements can be an eye-catching element that separates your home from others. Sprucing up a water feature or pond isn't complicated. Consider some decorative rocks around the pond to make it the perfect backyard retreat. Make sure to properly maintain all water features as well.

Make Sure Your Grass Looks Great

No matter how beautiful your plants, trees, or home may be, it is vital that your lawn looks great. Be sure that your lawn is a healthy, though manageable, height. Proper grass maintenance is one of the best ways to boost curb appeal for your home. A healthy, green lawn stands out and is generally one of the first things buyers notice. If you are concerned about your lawn, have our grass experts take a look!

Pay Attention to Shapes and Structures

Think about the shape and style of your home as it compares to your property. Then design a landscape that complements it. Great ways to add interest are garden swings, fire pits, patios, arbors, and pergolas. Outdoor structures are attractive living spaces that buyers will be looking for.

Don't Forget Drainage!

Nobody wants to buy a home with flooding issues. Without proper drainage, your yard can experience erosion and damage. Even worse, water can flood your home. Many times, water damage is obvious. It can damage the lawn or can leave visible signs of erosion. For many buyers, this is one of the first things they look at. By paying attention to the importance of proper drainage, you can make your home even more attractive.

By paying attention to these components of landscape design, you can add value to your home. If you want to learn more about how to add curb appeal to your home, contact our experts today. Outdoor Makeover & Living Spaces has been designing beautiful landscapes around Atlanta since 2001.

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If you looked back over your fun for the year, and realized that many home entertainment opportunities were either avoided or had room for improvement due to a landscape that needed work, then now is the time to start thinking about and planning your perfect outdoor space. It might be that you simply need to re-structure things or may be time to start from scratch how to create the perfect outdoor entertainment area for your kids and family.

Designing the Perfect Outdoor Space

But, just because you know the current arrangement for your yard isn’t working, it doesn’t mean that you know what type of outdoor space is needed. To help you start planning here are some fun ideas:

• Sit a Spell: There’s nothing like having a quiet spot in the shade where you can sit back and relax with a book or visit with friends after a long day at work. Place some comfortable chairs, perhaps some soft lighting, and a table or stool beneath the trees and make time to just unwind.
• Indoors Out: From kitchens to living rooms, many people are opting move the indoors outside with custom entertainment areas. Make it special by adding an herb garden or fragrant flowers/greenery to add to the atmosphere.
• Add a Splash of Color: From painted furniture and a boardwalk–style path to butterfly-attracting flowers, rock gardens and healthy ornamental trees and shrubs, there is nothing like enhancing the outdoors with more fun and color.
• Privacy is a Must:  Your backyard should be an oasis, designed for your comfort. Don’t forget to set up areas where you can block out the world around you. Consider using a retaining wall, natural hedge, a decorative wall, or even something fun like a privacy screen made from old doors.
• Sounds of Nature: Have a small fishpond added to your yard. It not only will benefit the environment but will provide hours of enjoyment as you watch the fish, as well as the frogs, birds and other animals that will want to spend time in your yard.
• Be Creative: Don’t forget elements such as an assortment of lighting styles, a shaded garden swing, pergolas, or even a daybed where you can sit back and read a book, play a game or simply bask in the beauty of nature.
• Enjoy the Warmth: A fire pit is the perfect addition to any yard, but is especially perfect for those times when you want to entertain. Just pull up a few chairs, grab some roasting wires and you are ready for s’mores, hotdogs, and other campfire-like fun. While the warm rays of summer sun have now passed, it doesn’t mean that the time for outdoor pleasure should be forgotten. In fact, now is the time to start thinking about what type of outdoor makeovers will result in the space perfect for entertaining next year. After all, trying to do a yard renovation project when you want to be enjoying your yard is no fun! Now is the time to start planning your space...and the Outdoor Makeover team is happy to help you chose a design and personality. Don’t put off creating that perfect outdoor area, give us a call today!

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What is your favorite time of the year? Is it spring when all the flowers are starting to poke their heads through the earth and the trees are beginning to wear their new coats? Perhaps it is summer when the weather is perfect for outdoor entertainment, long sunny days, warm sultry nights and yard parties. Or, maybe it is fall when the trees are filled with yellow, orange and red hues and the temperatures are crisp and cool – just perfect for relaxing around a fire pit. Then, of course, there’s winter with its cold though sunny days and a plethora of holidays to bring family together. Yes, no matter what time of year it is, there’s always time to enjoy the outdoors with a group of friends and family. But to make those opportunities for visiting and enjoying the outdoors even better, you need to have a landscape designed for entertainment and pleasure.  So, what should that look like? Here are a few ideas for creating the perfect outdoor entertainment area:

1. Outdoor lighting: Lights are a great way to make your yard more interesting. From spotlights or to hidden up lighting in a pond area, to twinkling lights draped in the trees and shrubbery, a string of lanterns along the edge of a patio, torch lights around the edges of an outdoor kitchen or even sconces on the walls of an outdoor bar area – there is no end to how lights can be used outdoors.
2. Custom built tables: Who says that traditional picnic tables are your only choice? Design tables that show off your style and compliment your landscape. Consider alternative materials such as stonework, pottery, recycled materials and other products for a piece that is both functional and fun.
3. Stay warm – Be it a fire pit only large enough for toasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories, a large double fireplace for grilling or more simple fireplace where sharing a glass of your favorite beverage is the norm, having a contained fire element is a great way to add life to your backyard entertaining.
4. Stroll along: If you are a fan of gardening, and have multiple garden areas, why not connect the various space with a meandering garden path lined with delightful pavers, small stones or whimsical edges? When combined with lights, you can create a fun place to escape the stresses of the day.
5. Keep it green: Be sure to include plenty of greenery in your backyard – and not just in the form of your grass. Choose an assortment of flowering plants and trees that can be easily maintained yet showcase your home and outdoor features in style. Designing an outdoor landscape perfect for entertaining can be done with a bit of planning and by talking to one of the Outdoor Makeover experts. After all, there is no reason for you to stress over creating the perfect yard. Let us look over your yard and help you decide what elements will be best for your needs. Give us a call today.

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