As we head into March and the warmer months ahead, one topic is perennially top-of-mind for eager home sellers — the spring selling season. And although 2020 ended with an unseasonably high amount of real estate transactions, a trend that has continued to spill over into early 2021, many homeowners are still wondering what they can do to make the most of what promises to be a very active spring selling market.

Our advice? A little curb appeal landscaping always makes a sizable difference in the sale price of a home. Even in this incredibly hot market, first impressions are critical, and having strong curb appeal will make the difference between money to be made, and money left behind when selling your home.

It often doesn’t take much, but a little springtime yard work can go a long way to helping your home look and feel truly impressive.

So if you’re thinking about selling your home this spring, make sure you keep these four essential curb appeal landscaping tips in mind as you prepare for your home sale.

Doing the Dirty Work

When Utah’s blanket of sparkling white snow turns into the muddy snowmelt of March, we all know it’s time to do some yard work. Start by removing any dead plants, leftover fall leaves, dried up grasses, and any other general yard debris. You should also clean off sidewalks and walkways, wash your front door and porch, and get your windows professionally cleaned.

Having a clean front yard is a top priority before your home gets listed, and is something we can help with. The Coldwell Banker RealVitalize program is designed to cover upfront costs for home improvements before your home sale, including burdensome yard work like this. With no added-on fees or extra charges involved, it’s a way to quickly and efficiently hire the work that needs to be done.

If you’ve got confidence in your own ability to tackle the yard work, then grab a pair of gloves, sharp clippers and a rake. To really go the extra mile, power wash the entire exterior of your home. You’ll be surprised at how drastically better your home will look. And more importantly, how much ROI you’ll get on your selling price.

Making Your Bed

After your old plants are out of the way, our next curb appeal landscaping tip is to lay a new bed of soil, mulch, or bark. Spread it around the whole yard to clean up dead spots and help the house look fresh. If you have a garden, definitely clean that up too — do not leave last summer’s old dead tomato plants there!

It’s important to give interested home buyers the impression your whole yard is already neat, tidy, and low-maintenance. In terms of curb appeal landscaping, a layer of mulch or bark around beds, walkways, or any dead spots keeps weeds down and looks sharp and welcoming to your buyer.

In warmer, dryer climates like ours in Utah, some plants blossom better with gravel-based soils or mulch, which can prevent the top-level soil from drying out while keeping your plants at a lower temperature. Mulch is best applied a few inches deep into your plant beds to encourage root growth and is preferably done in spring before the hot, dry weather begins.

Practice Xeriscaping

Considering Utah is currently experiencing one of the worst droughts in the last 20 years, the importance of xeriscaping your front yard is of the utmost importance. What is xeriscaping? Essentially, it’s the practice of water-wise landscaping that reduces or completely eliminates the need for irrigation.

When it comes to real estate, having a xeriscaped front yard is also a big selling point. Xeriscaped yards require lower maintenance and reduce water consumption, meaning monthly water bills will be lower while homeowners do less yard work.

Some common xeriscaping practices include selecting drought-tolerate native plants, laying down mulch, and adjusting watering and irrigation systems. Additionally, you can also plan out your yard to avoid unnecessary water run-off by layer flatter beds further away from sidewalks and street curbs.

Time to Plant!

Now that you’ve removed all of your older, unsightly plants, laid down a fresh new bed of soil or mulch, and have taken steps towards reducing water usage, it’s time to really have some fun with your curb appeal landscaping project.

Use your design eye — or get some professional design advice from one of our preferred vendors — to plan out a new look for your yard this spring. Consider the color and foliage of your plants and flowers — do they clash with each other or the color of your home’s exterior? Generally, warm colors like red, orange, and yellow are said to excite viewers, which could be a very intuitive tactic to attract eager home buyers ahead of your spring sale. Bold shades attract the eye.

Are you looking for more sage advice on how to prepare your home for sale this spring? Our team of experienced real estate professionals can guide you through every step of the home selling process from start to finish. To learn more about how to sell your home this spring, contact us here.