We Answer Wednesday - How to create curb appeal in the early spring

"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 cushion 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

Habits of People with Clean Houses

Keeping a clean house can really help with stress management.  Having piles of dishes in a kitchen sink or piles of paper in your office (or dining room) - can feel very overwhelming for many and sometimes you just don't know where to start as everything around you piles up.  And if you are selling your home - keeping it clean, tidy and organized is a MUST! It's all a part of the home staging process.



Imagine how much more enjoyable life would be if you were one of those perpetually tidy people whose homes could be company-ready with 15 minutes' notice. We wanted to turn our clean fantasies into a reality, so we researched the daily habits of people with clean houses — note the word "habits." What we learned is that it takes more than a few deep cleanings to achieve this status of cleaning goddess. It takes daily work and preparation to keep your house in a constant state of near perfection.

Read on to discover the nine habits people with clean houses do every day, and how you can adopt them to get out of the disaster zone you've been living in.

• Make Their Bed
Before you leave the house in the morning (or better yet, before you leave the bedroom), make your bed. If you're in a rush, pull the comforter up to the pillows, and smooth it out to create the semblance of a made bed. This simple act creates a sense of order in your bedroom and sets your day off on a productive note that's likely to carry through.

 


• Empty the Dishwasher in the Morning
Get the dishwasher emptied and ready to go for the day. Doing this in the morning lays the groundwork for an easy dinner cleanup at night and keeps dishes from stacking up in the sink throughout the day.

 



• Do a Load of Laundry Every Day
Washing clothes on a regular schedule keeps the dirty pile from becoming overwhelming (not to mention, ensures that you'll never run out of clean underpants). Those with big families prefer doing it every morning, but if you live alone, doing laundry a couple of predetermined days a week should suffice.

 


• Use Baskets to Organize Things
When there's a place for everything to go, it's easier to keep everything in its place. Scatter cute baskets throughout the house to corral your things, and add shelves to hold the big pieces. This is the way to get toys and books off of the floor and get the kids involved in the process of keeping the house nice and neat


 


• Don't Procrastinate
When a box is delivered, unpack the goodies inside, and discard the packaging immediately. The same goes for dealing with spills or messes. The longer you wait, the harder they become to deal with.
 


• Put Away Their Clothes From the Day
As tempting as it is to drop your clothes on the floor after a long day's work before slipping into your sweats, tidy people take the time to fold, hang, or place them in the hamper, as necessary. Do this, and your clothes and floor will both look better for it.

 



• Clean as They Go
You can dramatically minimize your mess by cleaning as you go. If you rinse the cutting board while the pasta is boiling or start loading the dishwasher while the chicken is baking, the bulk of the work will be done by the time you serve dinner.

 



• Never Go to Bed With a Dirty Kitchen
Resist the urge to climb directly into bed after a big meal. Take care of any and all kitchen cleanup that night — clean pots and pans, wipe down counters, etc. Not only will the mess harden and be smellier the next day (read: more challenging to clean), but waiting means that you'll have to spend your morning backtracking to make up for what you neglected the night before, instead of getting a head start on the day ahead.

 

Candles - a great alternative

I love the candles!  The light they give off, the feeling, the mood they add to a room...but candles and kids do not mix!  So a great alternative that I love is battery operated candles.

There are so many options with this flameless option.  In terms of scent, size and colour.



They are available in so many locations, ranging from Wal-Mart to HomeSense to Michaels and more....

If you are hosting a party where children are welcome these are perfect for setting the mood without any potential for disaster, even if there aren't kids around these are safe and still give off the same look and feel plus the wick won't burn out.

I have some extra large cream coloured flameless pillar candles in my family room and they give me the look without the worry.  I use them often (entertaining or just relaxing at home) and it really adds a softness to the space.  the scented ones are nice, too.

These are also a great option for an open house.  If you are selling your home and want that extra touch to set your home apart and want to create an inviting atmosphere for potential buyers - talk to your real estate agent about using flameless candles and don't forget about using the right scent to make an inviting home.