Lawn-Maintenance
Creates Curb Appeal...
Keys to
Selling Your Home!
Lawn-Maintenance create first impressions that are
lasting ones when it comes to selling your home. Maintenance performed,
or not performed have an immediate strong impression on a prospective
home buyer.
From the moment a prospective buyer pulls into
your driveway, the curb
appeal (or lack of it) creates that first impression that
sets the stage, or expectations if you will, for the rest of the house.
Lawn-Maintenance... or should I say, Curb Appeal
can mean the difference between a
buyer eager to see the
rest of your home and one who won't even bother to go inside. Before
putting your home up for sale carefully inspect your homes grounds and
exterior and perform any needed lawn-maintenance.
Look for rot or mildew on wood or vinyl siding. Is
your lawn overgrown and unkempt? Are your flower beds full of weeds?
Follow the check list below to help identify easy-to-overlook damage
that a buyer will be on the lookout for and make the needed repair.
Grounds and
Exterior Lawn-Maintenance Checklist
Begin with your yard, keep the
lawn watered and mowed. In the fall keep the leaves raked at least once
a week so they don't get too overwhelming to clean up. If your lawn's
edges are growing onto the flowerbeds, sidewalk or driveway, use an
edger (or weed-eater) to cut a nice clean edge where your lawn meets
these areas. Trim or prune unruly branches from shrubs and trees. Pull
weeds from your garden, flowerbeds or from cracks in the driveway and
sidewalks. Round Up is a good product for dealing with weeds... be sure
to read the instructions before applying. Lay a 4-6 inch bed of mulch
to help spruce-up the beds and prevent new weeds from popping up. Check
your fencing for cosmetic and structural soundness. Replace any damaged
fence boards and reinforce any leaning fence posts or sagging gates.
Inspect masonry
surfaces like your driveway, sidewalk, patio, or walkways. Rent a
pressure washer to clean dirt or stains from these surfaces. Repair
cracks, chips, or crumbled edges on concrete surfaces. Depending on the
season keep your driveway and walkways free from debris or snow and ice.
Your homes exterior
must be included in the lawn-maintenance phase since it all ties
together. If your homes walls are dirty or dingy clean it with a
pressure washer. By planning ahead you can probably rent the pressure
washer for the day and make the most of it. If your home needs
painting, you can reduce the overwhelming chore by renting an airless
paint sprayer... however, I must warn you that the prep work alone is
an overwhelming task. If your exterior needs painting, get at least 3
quotes from different painting professionals.
Ask your friends and neighbors for references if they've had their
homes painted recently. I know these are some time consuming and costly
jobs but they will make your home look like new.
Pay close attention to wood surfaces
like siding and trim, as well as deck and porch floors, stairs, and
railings. If the wood is dirty see my deck-cleaning
page for diy advice on how to safely clean them. Be sure to look for
signs of rot or insect damage in the wood and repair any damage you
find. Minor damage see the deck-repair
section for tips on how to deal with rot. Once it's been cleaned and
repaired, you're ready to apply a finish if you desire.
Gutters and downspouts
can cause some serious problems so give them a thorough inspection. If
they have become clogged with leaves or debris and drain poorly, clean
them. Clogged gutters can cause rain water to rise so high causing the
water to seep under the shingles compromising the roofs water-tight
integrity. Make sure that any sagging downspouts are re secured to the
home's exterior. While your up there take a look at the roof itself.
Check the condition of the asphalt shingles and flashing. Seal open
flashing joints and patch holes in the flashing. Replace torn or lifted
asphalt shingles
Lawn-Maintenance to
your grounds and exterior can be handled with your basic gardening or
handyman-tools
such as a hammer, screwdriver, putty knife or caulking gun. Other tools
can be rented like a pressure washer or airless paint sprayer from your
local tool rental center.
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