“My house is hitting the real estate market very soon.  I know we have a great house on the inside but right now in this early spring weather, it’s not looking great.  What can we do to increase our curb appeal when our gardens aren’t in bloom?”

You are so right!

Depending on where you live this time of year isn’t the prettiest.  The good news is there are simple things that you can do to show off your great outdoor space. But your home is on the market now and you don’t want to wait until the gardens are in full bloom.

The gardens aren’t quite in bloom yet and the garden centers are gearing up for the season but in some areas it is still a bit early for planting.  But the grass is green, so use what you have and make the best of it.  So start with giving your yards (front and back) a good raking.  There is always some dead leaves and branches on the ground – just getting those off the grass will give the exterior a clean look.  Depending on your area you grass might be a bit on the long side.  So give it a mow and you will notice how much neater everything looks.

Flowers are a great way to add a splash of colour but because you are selling you might not want to make a huge investment in flowers this spring season plus it is still a bit early for planting.  A great alternative is planters at the front of the house and if you have a great deck space, some planters at the back are a nice touch too. So in these early spring days which flowers can handle this fresher weather? Potted Pansies are a great option – they are sturdy and colourful and if you take care of them, they will last all summer.  A bit of height is a good idea when creating your planters – in the spring we love forsythia – the pop of yellow draws the eye in!

Remember these 3 words when creating a planter:

Spill, Fill and Thrill

– in other works, have some greenery or flowers that hang over the edge of the planter, have some plants and flowers that fill the majority of the pot (of medium height) and some height – the image below is a great example of a spring planter.

Create a welcoming vignette at the front door – this is the buyers first impression of the home so make it count! If you have a porch put out a bench with a pillow for a pop of colour.  Try a wreath on the front door.

Just because it isn’t summer yet doesn’t mean you can’t set the scene for buyers.  So pull out and dust off that patio furniture – maybe this is a bit early than usual but remember you are show casing your home for buyers so you want them to see how they would enjoy summer BBQs and get togethers outside.  So place the furniture like you would if you were entertaining so have a dining area and a seating area. Roll out the BBQ and take off the cover.  Now that the furniture is set up and clean, make it pretty with some outdoor pillows and maybe even an outdoor rug – it creates a welcoming scene for buyers.

Want to take it to the next level?

For the photos you can set the dining table or at the seating area, set up a tray with a pitcher  – this will help make that emotional connection with the potential buyers who are looking online.

If you have a pool, make sure to have it open and running.  A pool always looks better (and photographs better) when it is blue and beautiful!

If you have incredible gardens or a beautiful flowering tree look through your photos and see if you have some beautiful ‘full bloom’ summer photos to share with your agent – these would be great to show buyers as well.

Other curb appeal factors to look into:

– check all exterior lighting are the bulbs in working order ?
– brush away any cobwebs or other debris that may have collected over the winter
– check the mailbox, is it rusted or loosely affixed to the house?
– does your doorbell work?
– how is the paint on the front door?
– how is the roof?
– sweep the walkways, driveway, porch and decks

Buyers are looking to buy their new home not your old one – so take the time to set the scene and get it sold quickly!