If you listed your home for sale this winter or are thinking about listing it yet this spring, consider the impact of a thorough outdoor cleaning on your marketing photos, open house presentation and overall curb appeal. After nearly three feet of total snow, not to mention several inches of ice, this winter has taken its toll on Indianapolis' landscape. There are some effective ways homeowners can revive their home's exterior from the dead of winter and warm-up potential buyers during this spring season!
According to Aaron Padgett owner of Ground Affects Landscaping of central Indiana, The first thing to ask yourself is, "Are my shrubs overgrown?" Do the shrubs accent the house or do they completely obscure the view of the home from the street? Are there far too many shrubs? Many well intentioned homeowners buy a plethora of cute, little bushes from one of the big box stores that have turned into an overgrown mass of shrubbery in a few years. So, start in early Spring by trimming back the overgrown shrubs and thinning out the masses to give prospective buyers a peek at the house that's been hiding behind the foliage.
After such a harsh winter, often times you'll find dead or sickly looking plants. Since you are wanting to sell as quickly as possible, this is not the time to try to nurse a plant back to health. It's best to simply remove any unsightly greens, by digging up the plant altogether or trimming out the dead branches. Many flowers, both perennials and annuals, will have died back, leaving last year's foliage and flower stalks. Simply rake out this plant debris and throw into the compost heap.
Next you'll need to define the border where your lawn starts and your landscape beds stop. You'll want to imagine connecting your beds with soft curves that a riding lawn mower could easily navigate and re-edge these bed lines with a straight spade. Dig straight down on the lawn side and at a 60 degree angle from the bed-side so that these cuts meet about six inches deep and create a V-shaped trough.
Lastly, apply premium hardwood bark mulch, 3-4″ thick over all the landscape beds, being sure to keep the same thickness into the V-shaped edging trough you created in the step above. The lawn side of the "V" should keep the mulch from spilling into the grass. Spend a little extra time feathering the mulch smooth and you'll get a much better overall look and feel. We recently found this local business named The Mulch Monkey that makes the ordering and delivery of Mulch around the Indianapolis area fast and easy! Check it out! And you'll just love the video!
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