Landscaping - Good Looking Lawns = Sold!

By David Israel, Business Manager

This past week Chattanooga received beneficial rains thanks to the tail end of Tropical Storm Fay.  Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been negatively affected by her rain and winds, but in Chattanooga we needed the four inches of rain to help our lawns - especially homes that are on the market.  It's not easy maintaining a beautiful lawn during the summer while it's extremely hot.  We don't want to be out on our weekends mowing the grass, weeding beds and trimming bushes, but as a Seller in today's market, this is a must!

In past articles I frequently talk about the first impression, you only get one!  Lawn Maintenance is a very important tool in working to get your home on the top of a Buyer's short list.  If the yard does not look like it is well maintained, then it's a bad first impression and the Buyer will likely think that the inside is not maintained causing them to move on to the next house before they even see the incredible inside of your home.

If you don't have time to properly maintain your landscaping, there are plenty of qualified companies that can do the work in less than an hour.  Large lawn companies usually do about 6-8 houses a day with a crew of two to three individuals and could easily go through your property, make it look great, and move on.  The cost to have your lawn maintained professionally is not always cheap, but if you are on a regular schedule, your yard will always look welcoming to Buyers and it will move from the "for sale" column to the "sold" column quickly.

Should you want to tackle this work on your own, here are 6 tips: 

1.  Make sure you have the time to regularly keep your lawn looking its best.

2.  If you have kids, make it a fun project every week to pick up the toys and pull weeds.

3.  Invest in having your lawn mower blade sharpened.  A sharp blade will cut nicely and not leave the grass brown.

4.  Avoid cutting wet grass.  This causes brown spots because clippings clump together and smother your lawn.

5.  Keep your flowers and planting beds well watered, the last thing a buyer needs to see are wilted plants.

6.  Water your lawn as frequently as possible.

These tips will help as long as you keep to a schedule.  It is all about maintenance.  We don't like to do it but if we keep to a schedule the workload will be much easier every week.  You can even break it up during the week.  Whatever works for you just as long as you keep your landscaping looking top notch.  This will certainly enhance your curb appeal, which attracts buyers and finally gets you a contract on your home.

Keep coming back for more tips and advice.  If you have any comments, please feel free to send them to us.  Our goal is to help our clients and give valuable information to a wide variety of readers.