Simple Spring Lawn Care Tips

After this year’s chilly winter temperatures and dormant growth, spring lawns need some extra care. If you take care of your lawn the right way during spring, you will be rewarded with a beautiful, healthy summer lawn.

Whether you want to spruce up your new home or add curb appeal in order to sell your home, now is the time to give your lawn some well-deserved TLC! Here are some simple lawn care tips will convert your lawn into something you will be proud of and add value to your home:

Mow your lawn

The most important thing you need to do focus on to make your lawn look fantastic is regular and correct mowing. Cut the grass whenever it grows, which will likely be a weekly task or even more frequent as the weather keeps warming up in spring. Try to keep grass at the same height throughout spring. 2.3-4 cm high would be ideal for most lawns, but if your lawn takes lots of wear and tear, then you can raise the height to 5cm. If the area is extremely shaded then 7.5 cm would be the right height. Be careful while mowing, because if you mow too short you will weaken the grass and increase chances of moss and weed development.

Feed your lawn

The next important thing you need to do during spring is to feed the grass. If you feed your lawn with a good fertilizer, it obviously will make your grass green, but more importantly, it will help your grass grow thicker. Fertilizing your lawn also increases its health and strength, and makes it better prepared to compete with moss, weeds, and any stress from weather conditions. During spring you should opt for a granular feed that will offer your lawn with regular amount of nutrients through several weeks. Make sure you apply your granular lawn feed evenly over the entire lawn, and the best way to do so will be to use a lawn spreader.

 Aerate your lawn

With time, your lawn’s soil becomes compacted, and this reduces the air pockets that allow water and nutrients to reach the roots of your grass. If you want to tackle this problem, you must aerate your lawn annually. Spring is the best time for lawn aeration and once the process is complete, your lawn will again get its proper share of water and nutrients. Before long, your lawn will spring back to life and stay healthy all the year round.

Treat weeds

Lawn weeds are little culprits that can prevent you from enjoying a healthy full-grown lawn. Early spring is the best time to apply herbicide, as it prevents weeds from developing. It is a lot easier to get rid of weeds even before they develop than to deal with them once they have completely matured. So make sure you apply a pre-emergent weed killer in the spring and it will offer you great results.

Over-seed to cover bald patches

As the lawn ages, the reproduction rate also slows down. Nobody likes bald patches in their lawns! Apart from looking bad, these areas also increase chances of weed and moss development. As soon as the last snow disappears, spread grass seeds all over your lawn at the recommended rate. New grass will start developing soon filling in those bare areas. This will help to make your lawn look healthy and beautiful once again. 

How Landscaping Improves Curb Appeal

Your landscaping should add functionality and enhance the curb appeal of your property. Good landscaping can increase the resale value of your property by up to 7%. It will also facilitate a quick sale. But don't landscape with the sole objective of improving your home's value. When you landscape, your main concern should be increasing your own enjoyment of the space.

In this article, we will share the vital elements of good landscaping that adds value and provides enjoyment to the owner and potential buyers.

Trees

Trees provide shade. They keep your home cool during the hot summer months and reduce your energy bills. Trees also improve the air quality. They absorb the carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen. They also prevent soil erosion and retain the fertility of your soil. Trees are also known to reduce stress levels. Your trees may even increase the value of your neighbor's property.

In order to add resale value, the tree has to be healthy and mature. Trees that are native to the region have higher value because they don't require much maintenance. According to the US Department of Energy, two or three trees that are properly placed can save up to $250 in annual energy bills.

By planting windbreaks, you can also reduce your heating bills.

Native plants

If you are planning to add plants, trees or shrubs to the yard, opt for the native ones. They thrive well in their natural habitat. Native plantings can increase your home's value. They are also beneficial for the wildlife because they create a natural habitat for birds and butterflies.

Rain gardens

Rain gardens featuring native trees and plants are attracting buyers because they offer protection from extreme weather that plagues many states. These gardens can prevent rain water from seeping into the basement. Rain gardens can even reduce flood insurance premium.

Outdoor lighting

Good outdoor lighting is one of the most desirable outdoor features. It is also a great landscape essential.

Thoughtful lighting enhances the aesthetic value of your house at night. It has several other benefits, too. Outdoor lighting makes your yard usable at night. It prevents falls. It also keeps intruders away. If your outdoor areas are well-lit at night, thieves will think twice before trying to break in.

Fencing

Fencing sets boundaries and creates privacy. It will keep intruders out and pets in. Fencing is unlikely to improve resale value, but it has several other benefits. However, nice fences do have some value.

Retaining walls

Retaining walls help reclaim sloped yards. They control soil erosion by slowing the flow of rain water down the slope. They also add color to vast stretches of green. If done correctly, terracing and walls can increase the curb appeal of your property and add resale value. However, walls can be quite pricey.

Walkways

Walkways welcome visitors to your home. They also increase the overall curb appeal of your property. You can use pavers or solid stone walkways. When it comes to walkways, getting too fancy can be counterproductive. On the other hand, if your walkways don't meet the standard of your neighborhood, you will see a drop in the value of your property.

Should You Offer Homebuyer Incentives?

You want to sell your house on an urgent basis. You’re thinking of giving some incentives to prospective buyers so that they’re better inclined towards your home. You want to add a sweetener to the process in the form of a decorating allowance, a big-screen TV, or a home warranty.

This appears to be a smart marketing tactic per se. But sometimes homebuyer incentives can prove to be money wasted. You need to ensure you’re sending out the right signals to buyers with your homebuyer incentive in place.

Here are some dos and don’ts you need to follow if you don’t want a wasted effort:

Do’s:

Use incentives that will make your home stand out amongst others. If all the properties up for sale in the neighborhood have a similar patio, by equipping yours with a brand new luxury patio set with a shiny stainless steel BBQ, you stand a good chance of your home being picked over others.

Compensate for drawbacks by offering a homebuyer incentive. If you have ancient floral wallpaper in your living room, you could offer a decorating allowance which will cover your buyer’s cost of replacing it. If your furnace looks as if it’s on its last legs, offering a home warranty can allay your buyer’s concerns that they’ll have to spend thousands of dollars for replacing it in the near future.

Don’ts:

Don’t presume that it’s legal to offer homebuyer incentives. Some states may put a ban on homebuyer incentives. Sometimes laws can be maddeningly confusing regarding whether this practice is illegal or not. Confirm the way to go with both your attorney and real estate agent before you actually declare details of the homebuyer incentive you’re offering.

Don’t underestimate the smartness of buyers. There’s a strong probability that buyers will probe deeper to find out the motivation behind the homebuyer incentive you’re offering. Offering an incentive might make you appear desperate. Suspicious buyers might begin to wonder about the hidden flaws existing in your house that compelled you to throw in a freebie for making a sale. Your apparent anxiety could also result in buyers making a considerably lower offer.

Don’t mask an exorbitant price using a homebuyer incentive. If you offer a very high priced homebuyer incentive, something like a luxury car or a high-end TV; buyers might regard this as a gimmick for avoiding a reduction in the sale price. Almost all experienced real estate agents recommend listing homes at more competitive prices rather than offering homebuyer incentives.

The price of a property is what buyers look at first and foremost. If a house is priced even slightly below its real value, it attracts both buyers and buyers’ agents. The home will be considered a good pick and will be bought quickly.

The bottom line

If you’re sure that offering a homebuyer incentive is beneficial, make sure you choose one that’s a value addition or that neutralizes an existing flaw in your home.

Unappealing Home Design Features: Make Sure Your House Doesn’t Have These

Every decade has had a fair share of debatable home design features ranging from the wood paneling of the 1970s to glass blocks and vertical blinds of the following decades. Home buyers are often repelled by outdated designs and offer less, keeping in mind the costs associated with covering up or correcting problematic areas.

As per a survey of property agents and interior designers, following is a list of the least liked features in the real estate arena.

Shag carpeting

Deep-pile carpeting with shaggy texture in a vibrant array of colors was quite popular in the 70s. It was considered to be kid-friendly, but the problems were trapping of dirt and getting easily matted, which required a shag rake to be used regularly.Though shag area rugs are sometimes linked to hipsters, most buyers turn away from the conventional wall-to-wall style.

Colorful toilets and sinks

If you’re looking to add some color, designers feel that commodes are not the place to consider. They say that since sinks and toilets are positioned center and front, they should not hurt the eyes. Tubs can be hidden from buyers by using shower curtains.

Buyers today do not wish their bathrooms to have remnants of the 70s and bring down their offer price when they know they will have to fix them.

Metallic wallpaper

The use of any kind of wallpaper is slightly dicey, primarily because of the problems associated with its removal. Prominent offenders are metallic wallpapers with silvery floral prints or bronzy metallic stripes. This flashy trend began in the 1970s and continued till the 1990s. Designers say that prospective buyers are also turned off by floral wallpaper borders which were quite ubiquitous in the 80s.

They advise that if there’s wallpaper in your home, you should get it removed and repaint your home before you put it up on the market.

Carpeted bathrooms

Some people like to have their bathrooms carpeted. According to experts, this is not a good idea since carpets can get matted and mildewed.

Carpets retain water and become big repositories for bacteria. If you do not wish to get your feet cold in the morning, it's better putting down a flat weave woolen area rug that can be easily cleaned. Investing in flooring with radiant heat might also be a good idea.

Sliding-plastic enclosures

Through the decades, plastic bathroom doors have become common, especially when there is a tub-shower combination inside. Plastic shower doors invariably have outdated gold trim and get soap scum all over. Potential buyers sometimes find these repelling and useless.

It’s better to have an easy-to-clean simple shower rod with a curtain. Glass doors that open are also easier to keep spotless as compared to those that slide on tracks. Sliding doors come off the tracks often and since the tracks are recessed, they attract grime and mildew.

The tracks are also functionally challenging. Young parents have a tough time bathing their kids by leaning over because the tracks come in the way. Seniors face problems due to the tracks as well since it adds to their problems when coming out of the shower.

Too many mirrors

While mirrors make rooms appear larger, they look downright tacky if they cover large expanses like backsplashes and bedroom ceilings. Large framed mirrors over fireplaces or hung in foyers for bouncing light can look nice, but huge, permanent full wall mirrors are definitely a no-no.

And in the end, a small tip: Minimal design is the best way to go. It will be appealing to all types of buyers.

Since home design can be an factor on a home’s true worth, it may be a good idea to get a valuation report. You can rely on a free home value report from Neighborhood IQ to learn what your home is worth.