Seed Sales Now on Your Patio, Porch or Deck

As summer blazes on, you are well aware of how your outdoor living space is working for you. Minor changes that make decks, patios and porches more comfortable and convenient can translate to big selling points next spring.

• Consider the 'sitting skyline.' The most important view from your deck, patio or porch is the one you see from your favorite chair.  
• Would a screen or trellis shield you from an unpretty view? Adding one is an easy weekend project.  
• Experiment with clusters of planters, tables and chairs to determine the layout that lets you enjoy plants close up.  
• Can you arrange late-season planters for a pretty view from adjacent windows? Doing so helps you envision arrangements that will draw buyers' eyes to the patio, deck or porch from overlooking windows.  
• If railings, steps or thresholds are becoming wobbly, fix them immediately.

Built-in planters especially appeal to buyers who want handicapped-accessible outdoor space.  

• Built-ins enable people with limited mobility to garden, even if they can't navigate a yard.
• The vision-impaired can easily enjoy a sensory garden planted in built-ins adjacent to seating areas.

Built-in planters can simplify staging your deck or patio.
• It’s easy and quick to swap in blooming annuals so that your deck is always decorated with buyer-pleasing bouquets.
• With seasonal plants in the built-ins , you can clear away freestanding pots and accessories, making your deck or patio open and uncluttered.
• There won't be any confusion about which planters and accessories are included in the sale. Built-ins always stay.

Image courtesy of Morguefile contributor jade.

Back Yard Curb Appeal

Swinging and sliding do more than wear kids out. Free play, as academics now call it, builds kids’ imaginations, collaborative skills and time management. Who says? The U.S. Play Coalition, that’s who.  

Yes, the cultural juggernaut that is video games has so rearranged American childhoods that free time now has its own advocacy group.

Parents intuitively know that tossing the kids outside for some unstructured time is good for them. Play structures, from tree houses to sand boxes to the old fashioned swingset, can be an asset when marketing a house to the move-up market, which typically consists of growing families.

Play structures are number 10 on the top ten most popular back yard features, desired by 59% of the survey respondents, according to this year’s residential preferences research conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects.

If you are debating the sales value of the play set in your back yard, remember that it’s only an asset if it is in good shape. Check for recalls and safety standards at the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Additional safety information is at the consumer section of the International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association.

Common sense indicates that you should remove any outdated, worn, or broken segments of the structure.

•  Cover or cap exposed bolts.  
• Sand and paint untreated wood.  

If it’s beyond hope, take the play set down and repair the landscape. Here are the other top ten back yard landscaping preferences: 

• Fencing (including gates)  
• Arbors 
• Pergolas 
• Steps 
• Ornamental water features 
• Decks 
• Porches 
• Utility sheds/storage 

Keeping these elements in top shape will keep your yard safe and enjoyable for yourself, and will increase sales appeal down the road.  

 Image courtesy of Morguefile contributor sideshowmom.

Instant Green Screen

It's only June. Are you already sick of certain eyesores in your yard? Plant fast-growing shrubs now and start staging your yard for next spring's selling season.

Here are our Top Green Screens:

Butterfly Bush – With its long spires of tiny flowers, butterfly bush is reminiscent of lilac, without the fragrance…or the woody habit.

Forsythia – Fountains of blooms in early spring yellow followed by narrow-leafed foliage, this is a classic eyecatcher.

Juniper- Choose “Skyrocket” for a fast green screen.

Red twig dogwood – Perfect for year-round drama, with bright red twigs dominating the fall and winter landscape.

Willow Hybrid – If you need a hedge by the end of the summer, this is the shrub for you.

Roses – go for hardy, low-care bush and climbing roses. Be sure to plant them well away from pathways…or under windows, where they can deter burglars.

Rose image courtesy of Morguefile contributor alvimann.