Looking for great tips on improving the curb appeal of your home for sale?

For advice, I turned to Peter Mezitt, President of Weston Nurseries of Hopkinton, MA—and proud partner in our Sell by Design Contest. Many thanks to Peter for sharing his top ten tips on improving your home’s curb appeal:

1. Take advantage of the architectural elements of the home. Be sure plants are positioned to augment, but not block attractive exterior features.

2. Small architectural elements such as a fence corner or privacy screen are an inexpensive way to add a sense of enjoyment and privacy to your lot.

3. Use a pretty walkway or stepping stones to lead the way to your door. Broad leaf evergreens such as boxwoods or carpet cypress are ideal for accentuating a walkway. These low-lying plants add interest to the path, without overtaking the area.

4. Arbors can be a lovely addition to your garden. They tend to pique peoples’ interest, making them want to see what’s beyond it.

5. Choose an array of plants to bring interest to your yard as the seasons change. This way there’s always something in bloom. For winter, deciduous trees and shrubs are a good choice, as many have interesting branches and bark. Bring in a mix of broadleaf and evergreen shrubs, which keep their foliage throughout the cold New England winter.

6. While there are still some people who want a perfect lawn, there’s a trend toward more shrubs and perennial gardens for lower maintenance and less water consumption. This is particularly beneficial for shaded areas where it’s tougher for lawns to thrive.

7. Place attractive plant containers on either side of the steps to welcome visitors. Switch plants as the season changes, annuals and perennials in spring and summer; mums and asters in the fall; cut evergreen branches and winterberry in the winter. Do the same with window boxes for added curb appeal.

8. Use island plantings by the driveway entrance to bring an added splash of color.

9. Choose plantings based on the soil type and the amount of sun/shade.

10. Curb appeal is about permanency, choosing the right trees and shrubs that will thrive at your home for the long-term. Choose plants careful to ensure they don’t become too large or crowded for the space. If you aren’t sure which plants will work best for your yard, talk with a garden designer to help you make the most of the space.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 at 5:38 pm and is filed under home improvement, real estate. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.