Curb appeal is one of the most important factors when it comes to your home’s resale value. The first impression that someone has of a home is key to making sure that you get a fair evaluation of your home’s worth. By fixing up your yard and garden, you’re helping improve the return on investment of your home. According to the American Time Use Survey and The Chicago Tribune, a typical homeowner will spend 70 hours caring for their yard and garden every year. Spend that time wisely.
Learn some of the most effective tips and tricks to improve these areas, make them more comfortable for relaxing and socializing, and boost the curb appeal of your home.
Fix Any Patchy Spots on Your Lawn
Unfortunately, the cold winter months can leave your yard looking worse for wear. Specifically, some find that snowfall, frost, and a lack of regular mowing during the winter leave their lawn with dark brown patches. If this describes your lawn, do what you can to fix it. To fill in and repair brown patches:
- Invest in hydroseeding. What is hydroseeding? “Hydroseeding is a process of laying grass seed where you spray a mixture of mulch, seeds, fertilizer, and water over a barren patch of the lawn,” Better Homes and Gardens reports. The process is markedly more efficient than dry seeding or laying sod. With hydroseeding, growth begins in just seven days, and you can expect fully lush, green grass in just three to four weeks. Hydroseeding is extremely cost-effective as well.
- Water your lawn. Do it the right way. After hydroseeding, wait about one day to begin watering your lawn or until the seeding mixture is completely dry. From there, water your lawn regularly — as much as twice per day to keep the grass moist. Do not water the grass in extremely humid conditions or when the air temperature reaches 85 degrees or more.
- Mow as necessary. Once grass reaches three inches tall, feel free to mow your lawn as often as necessary.
Make Time for Tedious Tasks
Not all 70 hours spent maintaining your lawn and garden will be especially entertaining. There are some tasks that constitute grunt work. For example, grinding a tree stump may take just 15 minutes, or it can take well over two hours.
In other words, there are some things you just need to get done. Set aside specific times for these tasks. Set a goal to complete a few tedious tasks per week or, if you are really struggling to fit them in, brainstorm ways to break these chores down into smaller steps.
Remove Trees That Can Cause Damage
While many homeowners endeavor to keep as many trees intact in their backyard as possible, sometimes it is just not practical. Some trees may threaten the integrity of your home or its systems. Old trees, dying trees, or trees with especially large branches or root systems may fall onto your home, causing damage to your roof or windows. Others may have extensive root systems that grow and grow until they infiltrate pipes buried underground and possibly even cause these pipes to crack, fissure, or burst.
Remember, the vast majority of insurance claims are property damages (98%). Protect your home by removing problematic trees from your yard.
Prioritize Fun
After making plenty of time for some of the more tedious aspects of gardening and lawn care, don’t forget to set aside some time to enjoy it, too! Look into fun, new backyard trends, and find some that appeal to you and your family. For example, just in time for spring and summer 2021, a growing number of homeowners are making room to play oversized games, like Jenga and Connect Four, right in their backyard. Others are installing outdoor kitchens with pizza ovens or creating a garden nook or garden retreat with comfy chairs to relax with a book, glass of wine, or cup of tea.
Now is the perfect time of year to make your lawn look new. Invest in hydroseeding and necessary tree removal. Set aside time for chores that need to get done, and set aside time to make your backyard and garden a truly relaxing and restorative place to be.