Quick Fixes for the Garden
Before Selling Your Home
What: Plant a tree
Why: A tree with spring flowers, colorful fall leaves, and interesting
bark – such as a dogwood, almond or ornamental cherry -- makes a good front-yard
focal point. Plant it at least 15 feet from the house, so roots don't clog sewer
lines and branches don't block windows or obscure the home's architecture.
Cost: $23 for 4-foot-high white-flowering dogwood (mature height 30 feet)
at NatureHills.com.
What: Flank the entryway with flowers
Why: Big pots of colorful flowers on either side of the front door are
welcoming and draw people in emotionally. "They make people feel good," says
Palm Beach, Fla., real estate agent Nancy Macaluso. But don't use plastic pots;
they look cheap, and can fall over in the wind.
Cost: $20 for pink azalea in pearl-colored ceramic pot at
Windowbox.com.
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What: Twine vines
Why: Morning glories, scarlet runner beans and other annual vines can
camouflage chain link fences, mailbox posts and similar eyesores quickly. Stay
away from clematis, roses and other perennials, since they grow more slowly and
take several seasons to become established.
Cost: $1.65 for a packet of 30 morning-glory seeds at
Gurneys.com.
What: Frame the home with foundation plantings
Why: Shrubbery visually anchors a home to its yard and disguises
unattractive hose bibs and window wells. Tall, thin evergreens at a home's
corners make it look larger. But keep shrubbery small, simple and trimmed, says
Austin agent Joy Brillante. "Too much can crowd a house," she says.
Cost: $18 for Ilex "Sky Pencil" in one-quart container (mature height 8
feet) at Waysidegardens.com.
What: Weed, mulch and mow
Why: Agents agree that good grooming is the most important aspect of
landscaping, since it implies that owners care about maintaining their property.
If you move before you sell, hire a pro to keep grass edged and trimmed.
Cost: $37 (nationwide average) for a landscaper to mow a quarter-acre
yard, according to Yardcare.com.
Email your comments to rjeditor@dowjones.com.