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Living Curb Appeal
Living Curb Appeal
| Curb Appeal |
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| Prime Woman Magazine | |||
| Written by Mariagrace Welsh, ASP | |||
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When driving or strolling around the neighborhood, there is always that one house that stands out and shines amongst the rest. It nearly looks as if it were a painting instead of real life. It has the perfect harmony of color, architectural interest and lush landscaping. It is pristine, it is stunning and it is a home with excellent curb appeal. Wouldn’t you love for your house to be picture perfect too? It is always great to be the owner of the house that shines above all others, the one that is noticed and appreciated by neighbors and visitors. Spring is the perfect season to focus your energy on creating that perfect exterior oasis. It is the season of growth and rebirth, and prime weather for working on new outdoor projects.  While spring is an ideal time of the year to focus on curb appeal, it is particularly important if you are thinking of selling your home or presently have your home on the market. A buyer’s first impression is crucial. That first impression is cast from the moment they lay eyes on your property. It can occur when they see a photo of the home for the first time on the internet or upon the drive up to your home. Often buyers will not even give a house a second thought if they think the exterior is unattractive. Investing some time, energy and money into staging your home’s exterior will definitely yield a high return when selling and help to deliver a faster home sale in today’s market. Prior to getting your paintbrush out and your gardening tools sharpened, you must first devote some time to an honest critique of your home’s present curb appeal. This step is typically the most challenging for a homeowner since you have become accustomed to the way your home looks on the exterior. To perform the assessment yourself, take a few giant steps back and view your home from across the street. This is a great angle since you will be able to observe the house, front yard, side yards and driveway. Are you able to see the entire exterior façade of your home? What are the most beautiful features of your home’s exterior? To study the details you may want to take a photo of your home from this angle in black and white so it is easier to see the problem areas. What grabs your attention when you first see the home? Is it something positive that warrants further highlighting, or is it something less than positive that you would like to try to de-emphasize? If you have trouble, ask a friend for help in discerning which areas are crying out for help. Make a list of things you notice and want to improve or change. Once you have diagnosed which parts of your home need attention you can develop a plan to create that picture perfect home that you have etched in your mind. Sometimes a solution can be as simple as some basic painting, a thorough power washing of your home’s exterior and trimming existing landscaping. Other times, a home may be in need of a more complex makeover featuring architectural enhancements to the structure or a complete new landscape design. If your home only requires fine-tuning, you can probably accomplish it all without the help of a professional. If you need a more extreme exterior makeover, it is best to seek assistance from an architect, builder and a landscape designer.  If your focus is landscaping remember that designing a capturing landscape for your home takes time, planning and experimenting with different types of plants, bushes and materials. When planning a landscaped area it should complement the style and size of your home. Scale is important for the overall effect. Sometimes, it is not what needs to be added but what needs to be taken away. Landscaping should always enhance the exterior of the home and not overpower it. Formerly fantastic shrubs grow very large and windows and important features end up being swallowed by a mammoth size bush. You may want to boost your home’s curb appeal by taking out overgrown shrubs and creating a more simplified and streamlined look to highlight the exterior of your home. When shopping for new plants, selecting a variety of specimens in different colors, sizes, shapes and textures will help to build an interesting landscape. One popular trend today is the use of ornamental grasses in landscaping. The grasses add a wonderful softness and grace to your garden, and with a gentle breeze, they come to life. To add more distinguishing details to your present landscape, consider an artful arrangement of stone and other hardscape components installed amongst the natural elements of your yard. Hardscapes are created with use of different types of stone and other hard materials and are ideal for walkways, patios, walls and driveways. Try accenting your driveway with pavers on either side, or creating a medallion effect in the center area of your driveway. These details can create a stunning entryway to your home. If you are yearning for some exterior enhancements and are short on time a great place to start is somewhere that you pass through every day, your front door area. Some simple and inexpensive spruce- ups can lead to a high style makeover. Five Front Door Spruce- ups 1. A splash of color. Try something new. Paint your door a new color. The color should contrast your exterior siding of your home, yet go well with shutters or any other colors on the front façade. Add elegance by painting the door a silky satin black, or try a welcoming rich red. Do not be afraid to go bold. It is only paint. 2. New shine. Spice up the look with new hardware on your door. Replace the doorknob, kick plate and do not forget the doorbell cover. Choose a finish that compliments well with other features of your home. A myriad of choices exist including brushed nickel, oiled rubbed bronze, copper, antique brass and black. 3. Light up your world. A few new light fixtures will go a long way to add style to your door. Select a finish that goes well with your hardware on your door. You may also want to add lighting that leads up to your front door area. Solar powered lights may be a nice quick solution. 4. Anchor the doorway. Flank your front door with two substantially sized pots or urns. They should be large enough to be seen well from the curb. Choose conical shaped small arbor vitae or create a bold arrangement of your own with greenery and colorful flowers. 5. Wreathly welcome. The symbol of the circle of life. A perfect shape and symbol to have at the door to welcome family and friends and loved ones into our home. Colorful spring wreaths are made from forsythia, hydrangea, mixed daisies. Fresh and dried wreaths can easily be purchased online or perhaps try your hand at making one. Whether your home requires a little or a lot of sprucing, take your time and reward yourself upon the completion of each step. It will take awhile to create that ultimate masterpiece, but it will certainly yield a pride of ownership for as long as you live in the home and provide a warm welcome to new owners when you decide to sell.
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