Hidden Gems . . . Can't See the Forest For The Weeds
For many Buyers, they overlook the hidden gems found in property. They look at the obvious, and in so doing, tend to overlook the diamonds in the rough.
Speaking of rough, landscaping is one of those hidden gems. And, it is one of the least expensive ways to get the home to sparkle.
Since being a home owner at the young age of 19, I have been doing yard work for a number of years. It's easy for me to see the overgrowth as a fun project. With a supply of loppers, pruning shears, pole saw -- the garden hair cut begins.
My methods:
For bushes and shrubs -- just start at the level you want to cut back to. Then just cut the thing back. Easy. Takes less than 10 minutes to trim an overgrown shrub.
For trees -- take the pole saw, and lop off the low hanging limbs and branches and anything that looks like a dead branch/limb. The tree is much healthier that way too.
For lawns -- take the garden hose and lay it out where you want to create . . . anything. A path, a curve, whatever. Take a hoe, or shovel and dig the old grass out. I do not use chemicals in my yard anymore. I dislike poison of any kind going in to me, my pets or the earth. After the sod you don't want is removed, put a grass barrier in place. This will help the grass and/or weeds from growing back, naturally. HINT: Newspaper. Just put newspaper down if you don't want to buy a barrier. Moisten it so it won't fly away. This will naturally retard and prevent unwanted growth just as well. Cover it all up with bark dust, pea gravel, whatever you like.
Once the new design is made with the lawn, the trees, bushes and shrubs have had a nice hair cut . . . you can brighten up with spalshes of colored flowers, ornamental grass, etc.
Landscaping the yard yourself can be a fun weekend project. It can be inexpensive (borrow tools if you need to) and gives you a nice out of doors workout!
Buying a home that's not landscaped is a easy fix!
This article submitted to Hidden Gems - Finding Additional Value in a Home
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