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Selling a home?Curb appeal sells

Selling a home? Enhance curb appeal for a quicker sale.

Compare two identical houses in the same neighborhood,

and the one with the best landscaping will sell first. In a

competitive market, landscaping gives home sellers an edge, says the

American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA). Gina Carr,

broker/owner of Century 21 Advantage in Atlanta, agrees.

"The main reason Realtors don't show a house is lack of

curb appeal. Take a so-so house, add nice landscaping, and it's

going to get shown more frequently and sell faster," Carr explained. If

selling a home is in your plans, consider the following suggestions:

Hire a landscape professional if you plan to sell within a

year. Lawns that receive professional attention three to five times a

year will look sharp when the house enters the market.

Landscaping should be attractive, not complicated.

"Home buyers react favorably to a park-like setting. Your goal

is a beautiful yard that looks easy to care for," said Carr. Most

buyers are not landscape experts, but they do look for quality. Buyers in

some markets may favor Bermuda lawns or hardwood trees, for

example.

Fast fixes come in handy when selling in a hurry. You've

been transferred you move next month and you've got enough

on your mind without worrying about curb appeal, but a trip to the

garden center and a few hours labor may translate into a quicker sale.

Dress up beds and around trees with a fresh layer of mulch.

Place several containers of colorful annuals at the house entrance for

a favorable impression. Green up you lawn with fertilizer

or overseed with rye grass. Trim back shrubbery for a neat

appearance. Any landscape gets a lift from mowing, weeding and edging.

Curb appeal is powerful selling tool. A nursery or

landscape professional can suggest additional ways to take advantage

of that power. For a listing of ANLA member landscape

professionals near you, visit www.growzone.com/gardencenter/index.html.

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