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First impressions matter, and your home’s curb appeal is what people see first. Thus, it makes sense to maintain your house and property—one easy way to do that is through low maintenance landscaping.
Attractive landscaping is one of the first things that potential home buyers notice. If, by chance, this is your first time hearing the term curb appeal, it is the view of the property from the street. Curb appeal matters because the landscaping and overall look of the home are, in essence, your home’s first impression. Thus, it is important to make this be as nice as possible.
In order to help you take your home’s curb appeal to the next level, here are a few landscaping suggestions that are attractive and worth considering. These curb appeal tips will make any home look spectacular, plus these tips and suggestions require little maintenance or upkeep.
In many parts of the country, there are pressures on the water supply that makes having a lush-green, living lawn very costly or even prohibited by the local regulations. Innovative technology and the use of natural ground covers, such as stone and rocks, are replacing the green lawns that most people think of when considering landscaping a home properly.
Artificial turf has improved dramatically over the past few years. There is no longer the need to use the obvious cheap fake grass. The newest artificial turf products look so much like real grass that it is nearly impossible to tell that it is not real. What’s more, artificial grass can be installed over drainage rock and washed down with water just like real grass.
Yet another bonus here is that turf/artificial grass does not need to be cut or watered, which translates into a lot of time and money saved. Even your pet can do its ‘business’ on the turf without it being ruined!
Molded or embellished concrete is now available in so many surface treatments, textures, and colors these days. For example, a nice European-style, cobblestone street look is a popular choice for driveways and walkways. This particular style is made by using embellished concrete that is molded to look like cobblestones. The faux cobblestone look is so popular because it upgrades a home’s curb appeal and is easily installed.
Moreover, molded concrete is super easy to maintain. There are no crevices that will allow any weeds to grow through, which is often the case with interlocking stone. And with all the different colors and patterns available, you can truly customize your exterior and make it look entirely unique from that of your neighbors’.
Many homeowners opt for decorative stones or rocks instead of areas of grass in their front yards. If you also choose to go this route, it is highly recommended that you avoid using wide swathes of this ground covering in big blocks. Instead, for a better aesthetic appeal, use natural rocks and stones to create unique, eye-catching areas. For example, surrounding a wishing well with a circular area of rock pebbles creates a nice look.
Rocks and stones can make the outdoor space look very clean and modern. So, if you’re seeking an updated look to your landscaping, decorative rocks and stones may be the perfect element to incorporate into your curb appeal.
Here, affordable patio pavers can be laid in a decorative pattern to achieve a more earthy vibe. The nice thing about hardscape materials such as these is that they are very easy to maintain. Other hardscape materials like mulches, gravel, and permeable pavers are also environmentally friendly and will allow you to cut back on landscaping chores. Furthermore, the materials available today allow rainwater to seep into the soil to water any plants while preventing runoff and minimizing erosion.
Perennial flowers are the perfect type of florals to plant for homeowners who want to spend as little time tending to their landscaping as possible. You won’t have to plant them every year, as they’ll continue to come back season after season. Certain perennials are easier to maintain than others, such as drought-resistant penstemon, pasque, yarrow, and golden marguerite.
Alternatively, artificial bushes and trees can be planted. Today’s artificial bushes and trees are realistic looking, as well as durable enough for exterior installation. Personally, we think evergreen bushes are the best looking. But, nevertheless, you can find artificial bushes and trees in a variety of styles and sizes. These particular curb appeal boosters never need watering or trimming to make them look attractive. In fact, the only maintenance that they need is the occasional spray washing to remove dust and things that might fall on them, like leaves from neighbor’s trees. Most modest-sized bushes are inexpensive and usually cost less than $50 each. At the other end of the spectrum, you will find exotic 11-feet tall artificial cherry trees that have built-in LED illumination. Unsurprisingly, these are very dramatic and can easily cost you thousands of dollars.
Lastly, you may want to plant native species of plants and flowers because they’re used to the type of soil and weather conditions in the area. As such, they’re much easier to maintain and will thrive under the naturally-occurring conditions in your location. Plus, you won’t have to spend a lot of time watering or tending to the plants, and they’ll still look great in your yard.
With these interesting ideas to consider, take a look at landscaping in a new way. Even though artificial landscaping requires an upfront investment, it can last for many years and may reduce overall maintenance costs significantly. If you ever want to sell your home, there will be much less landscaping needed to get it ready for sale.
If you’re in need of a home loan, Sammamish Mortgage can help. We are a local mortgage company serving the Pacific Northwest region, including Washington, Idaho, Colorado, and Oregon. We have been providing several mortgage programs with flexible qualification criteria to borrowers since 1992. Please contact us if you have any questions or are ready to apply for a mortgage.
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
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No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.