3 Spring Tips to Boost Curb Appeal

Curb appeal can be the most important aspect when trying to attract buyers. As temperatures rise and spring begins to waltz in, take advantage of the warmth and set yourself and your family to work in the yard to improve your home's curb appeal. Some ideas:

1. Create an immaculate space – During the winter, things can get out of hand in your yard. Plants and trees can look overgrown or decrepit, so cut them back and prune them to perfection. This will allow your plants and trees to grow beautifully during the warm spring season. Rake up or blow away dead leaves throughout your lawn and flowerbeds, since they can create a cluttered look. Be diligent about general upkeep in your yard. Mow the lawn and put down some fresh pine straw or mulch to clearly mark spaces in your yard, creating a clean and manicured look.

2. Introduce some color – Visit your local nursery to purchase some colorful, healthy-looking flowers, trees, or shrubs. This is where you get to have fun and be creative with the color palette you want to present to your buyers. Some good choices to consider are roses, tulips, daffodils, peonies, hostas, or crepe myrtles. Get several different colors of the same kind of flower to keep it simple, yet vibrant. Overall, you want buyers to drive through your neighborhood and stop in front of your home to ooh and ahh at the beauty of your yard. They will only want to see more of your home.

3. Don't neglect your backyard – The state of your backyard can be an important selling point of your home. You want to create an illusion of privacy, comfort, and fun all at once. You want your buyers to imagine relaxing in the backyard, or hosting a barbecue for friends. At the same time, you want the backyard to bring your buyers a sense of being at one with nature. Introduce some lush greenery to this space, to really create an atmosphere of health and serenity. Place some lawn or deck furniture in the backyard as well to allow buyers to imagine sitting outside on a warm summer evening with their family and friends. You may even want to designate areas in your backyard for different kinds of gardening. Create a space for a vegetable or herb garden to give it more character and allow buyers to imagine themselves getting creative in the backyard gardening as well.

Overall, you want your yard to help sell your home by creating a healthy and colorful look during the spring and summer seasons.

Rhonda Duffy is a real estate expert and consumer advocate who has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and other major news channels.

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2015. All rights reserved.