Royal Creations Blog

Increasing Your Home’s Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is how good your house looks from the sidewalk.  A 2010 study showed curb appeal accounts for 7% of a home’s value.  in a soft market, that amount goes up to as much as 14% of a home’s value.  Increase your home’s curb appeal by following these tips. 

Replace Overgrown Shrubs 

Shrubs that have grown too big for the space they are in can make your home seem smaller than it is.  Replace such shrubs with native and adapted shrubs that will be the correct size for the spot they are in when grown. Other than trimming out dead or diseased branches, you should not have to prune a plant to fit in a space.   Native plants tend to require less water and other care than nonnative plants.  Check out our favorite shrubs here. 

Add Annual Color 

Annual color can really make your landscape beds pop.  Now is the time to add all those amazing colorful  annual flowers to your yard.  Adding some now means they will look nice for Mother’s Day.  Keep in mind that it is a couple weeks early to be sure of a late night frost, so if they are summer heat loving annuals, there could be a chance to have to cover them but by Mother’s Day we are usually in the clear from any threats of overnight frost. 

Plant Now 

If you need to replace plants that are too big or just aren’t doing well, you need to do that now.  In a month or so, it will begin to get hot.  Transplanting a plant is hard on it.  While fall is the ideal time to transplant perennials and shrubs, spring is the second-best time to do that.  Roots can get established before the full heat of summer arrives, and your watering commitments will be less with the spring rains. 

Refresh Mulch 

Adding an inch or two of mulch around trees and shrubs and in landscape beds can make them look much neater.  The mulch replaces the amount that decayed over the year and works to prevent weeds from invading your landscape beds.  It also keeps the soil cooler and moist, so your plants don’t have to work so hard to survive. 

Lighting 

Lighting can be used to accent the positive parts of your outdoor space while hiding the less favorable features.  A house that has appropriate lighting looks warm and inviting.  In addition, the extra light helps with home security. 

Clearing Clutter 

A neat yard increases curb appeal the same way a neat inside increases how nice a home looks.  Make sure hoses are neatly rolled up, mowers are in sheds, and other tools are put up.  Nobody wants to dodge tools when walking around the yard. 

Garden Care Your Way 

Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping can help you increase your home’s curb appeal.  Enroll in our garden care program and we will replace bad looking shrubs, spread pre-emergent on the landscape beds, and add mulch where it is needed.  We make sure the landscape beds look their best.  We can also test your lights and make suggestions for the best way to light your landscape.  Just call the office at (816) 825-2524 to enroll.