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Inexpensive Landscaping Ideas that Improve Curb Appeal

April 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Improving the curb appeal of your home doesn’t have to cost a fortune. In fact, simple landscaping tricks and techniques can increase the value of your home dramatically, and for very little cost. The only requirements are some basic design planning and a little bit of imagination.

The easiest way to spruce up the look of your home is with some simple cleaning. Borrow a power washer to clean every nook and cranny of porches and sidewalks, or take a simple bucket of warm water and soap to scrub dirt and mold from siding, trim, railings, and light fixtures. De-clutter the garage and yard and park vehicles out of sight if possible. Address any paint peeling issues and touch up obvious areas in need.

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Consider the layout of your yard and the areas which offer the most shade. Think about the types of plants and flowers you like and draw a diagram of the yard, sectioning off areas in which you wish to plant. If those areas are in shade, note which time of the day. This information can come in handy when shopping for plants, since some require ample shading or direct sunlight.

Grass is the highest maintenance part of your lawn, so minimize grassy area by maximizing shrubs, trees, and other plants. Also incorporate mulch into the landscape design. Since your only splurge is on plant life, make sure you select vivid colors and varying heights to draw the eye into your landscaping design.

What you end up with is a colorful, eye-catching home with very little money involved. All it takes is some creativity and sweat equity.

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How to Create a Desert Landscape

March 6, 2011 by Leave a Comment

A desert landscape is one of the easiest types of yard to maintain – especially since the majority of plants that originate from arid regions do not require a frequent, large watering schedule. While a back yard full of lush, green grass may sound appealing now, it definitely will not when you realize you can’t leave for long vacations because of the maintenance it requires. Here are a few tips to remember if you decide on going with an easier to maintain desert landscape.

The best desert landscape is the one that only uses plants from the same region. For instance, a yard that has a mix of Saguaros and palm trees just does not look natural. If you choose to have a large Saguaro as the center piece of your yard you should look at other types of cacti to complement it – Prickly Pears and Cholla are just a couple that you can choose from.

Since the idea behind creating a desert landscape is to keep things as simple as possible you will not be using grass to cover large areas of your yard – think river rock and small gravel instead. However, choosing the type of rock to use can get complicated if you are not familiar with landscaping. For instance, a yard that uses a mix of too many different colors of gravel will not look right – it will appear very busy to the eye and difficult to focus on. Try to keep it at a maximum of three colors.

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Top 3 Landscaping Additions That Will Boost Your Home Value

February 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Buying a stick-built house is almost always a good idea if you have the opportunity – unlike mobile homes, a site built one will appreciate in value. However, the amount that it appreciates over the years will be in direct correlation to the amount of improvements that you do on it. Here are a few of the top landscaping additions that you can make that will ensure your house sells for a higher price tag.

  1. Build a pond. You don’t even have to keep fish in it – a simple garden pond with some water lilies will do perfectly. Adding a pond is one of the top ways to add more value to your home. However, before you set out to have one built make sure you keep in mind that a pond will require some hands-on maintenance.
  2. Grow a garden. With the trend of going organic on the rise lately you can add some serious value to your house if you add a garden to it. Most people love the idea of growing their own food, but very few have the perseverance to actually grow the vegetables from seeds – a mature vegetable garden can attract more buyers to your listing.
  3. Add a few mature trees to your yard. Everyone loves a large tree – especially since one that has mature leaves and branches can add a lot of privacy to a house in a highly-trafficked neighborhood. Mature trees take a lot of time to grow, and this only makes them worth more in the end.

The above ideas are only a few ways that you can add value to your home – there are all kinds of ways that a well-thought out landscape can take you. Just be creative and do what looks best with your house.

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Home Inspections You Can’t Afford to Skip

February 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Some home inspections are a waste of the money that you could be spending on the actual repairs for your new home. However, there are a few types of home inspections that you simply cannot afford to skimp on, regardless of the type of home you are buying. Here are the top ones that you should always set aside some money for ahead of time.

  1. Always have the plumbing inspected. While most people skip this one, having the plumbing inspected on your house is a very important thing. Older pipes can quickly go wrong and completely replacing the plumbing get very, very expensive.
  2. Don’t forget to check for termites. These pesky little bugs can really eat you out of house and money – quite literally. They will destroy your walls and the foundation of your house if it is constructed out of wood. A termite inspection generally does not cost very much in the grand scheme of things and definitely should not be overlooked.
  3. An inspection of the roof is vital. This is one of those common sense inspections – you obviously do not want to buy a house that has a saggy or poorly constructed roof. However, there are many little things that an inexperienced eye will miss when inspecting a roof – for this reason it is almost always worth it to hire a licensed contractor.
  4. Never skimp on having the electrical system checked out. A brand new house means nothing if it is burned to the ground! Always have a licensed electrician check all the wiring out before you pay.

For the most part, home inspections are very common sense – you obviously don’t want to purchase a house that has no windows or an AC unit if you live in a state that has summertime highs in the three-digits! However, there are just some that you cannot perform yourself.

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Low Maintenance Landscaping Ideas

December 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Today’s busy lifestyles can make it really hard to keep up with a yard. However, your yard is the first impression people have of you and your home, so it pays to keep it looking nice. If time is in short supply, here are a few things you can do to enjoy low maintenance landscaping.

Low Maintenance Grass

Plant the grass that is most low maintenance for your area. If watering is a problem, then the drought resistance Zoysia grass might be your best bet. Cooler areas of the country might pick something else. Ask your local nursery what requires the least amount of maintenance in your yard.

Try Container Plants

Flower beds require work. If you aren’t into weeding, seasonal planting, and upkeep, then put your flowers and decorative plants in containers. Get creative! Try old wash tubs, wheel barrows, decorative pots, or painted cinder blocks. Have a little fun with it. Just make sure that whatever you pick has good drainage. When you water, the excess needs a place to go, so if the container is water tight, poke some holes in the bottom.

Mulching

Even if you’ve created container beds, it will look much neater if your create mulched beds underneath them. Make sure to lay down weed resistant barrier before distributing the mulch. Commercial products can be found at any home improvement store. For the budget or environmentally conscious home owner, cardboard and newspaper work just as well!

Just Forget About It

OK. You’re not going to mess with flowers, but you want something in front of your house. Try some low maintenance shrubs. Boxwoods are fairly popular, but you will need to find out which variety works in your area. Junipers are another popular choice. They’ll help keep the weeds near the house at bay. Shrubs may require an occasional trim, but they are easy to maintain and easy on the eyes.

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