Put Your Best Foot Forward!

Have you ever heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover“? Surely we’ve all heard this saying, but do we follow that advice? It’s hard to pick up a book and not judge it based on it’s blurb and title. The same goes when viewing a house for the first time. When we pull up to a house, we judge it based on it’s curb appeal. Curb appeal can be defined as the attractiveness of the exterior of a property as viewed from the street. This is the first impression of the home and the most important. If the outside looks outdated and rundown, we assume that the inside is the same. If the exterior is kept up to date and looks like its been well taken care of, we assume that that inside follows suit. Therefore, it’s important that we make sure our exterior looks as presentable as possible for the “cover judgers”. We are here to help you improve the curb appeal for your home with some simple tips to improve the appearance of your yard. We will also post a blog on how to improve the curb appeal of your home by focusing on the exterior of the home itself.

1. The Right Path

The focal point of your home should be your front door. You want people to be able to easily access and locate it. One way to do this is by providing a path to your front door. Most paths to the front door are straight–they’re easy to build and they’re quick to navigate. However, a curved path increases interest, especially if it meanders its way through a beautiful garden.

2. Plants

Rather than sticking with the typical evergreen plantings, try something different. Get out to your local nursery and choose shrubs, small trees with a variety of textures and leaves, as well as foliage exuding bright colors and wonderful smells. Just make sure to not have too many plants or too many variations of plants as this can cause the yard to look “busy” and overcrowded. You want just the right amount to peak interest and just enough to add to the overall first impression of your home.

3. Personality and Style 

Every house is different. That means that every yard needs to be suited to that house. You want a yard that looks like it belongs to the house and compliments the home, not detracts from it. Think of what style your house is… Does it resemble a cottage? Is it formal? Do you like the contemporary look ? Or is it Asian inspired?  If your house is a cottage, opt for an informal and casual yard with lots of color. If your house is more formal, clipped hedges and symmetry are great. For a more contemporary look, asymmetry is preferred as it goes well with the modern architecture. Finally, for an Asian inspired yard, try to incorporate water features and rocks.

4. Lighting

An important thing to remember is that not all showings will happen during the day. Garden lighting is an inexpensive, easy way to add some eye catching detail to your yard. Solar lights are economical, wireless and add an elegant accent to your yard; especially if they line the walkway and illuminate your the path.

5. Mailbox Makeover

Something you can have a little bit of fun with is your mailbox! Make a lasting impression with a funky mailbox as people stop at the curb of your house. Maybe you can build a garden box around your mailbox so that it sits in a bright and colorful contrast! You can even find mailboxes nowadays that are designed as exact replicas of your home. Paint some intricate and colorful designs that represent you as a person! The ideas are limitless but the impact is huge! Make sure that a prospective buyer walks away with your home on their mind and you’ve already sold it!

The most important thing to remember when working on the front yard is that you want your yard to complement your house, not compete with it. Check out our tips for sprucing up your home for spring inside and out!

Interested in selling your home and buying a new one? You can view all of the available Abbotsford real estate on our brand new search and contact us today to set up showings and find out how we can help you find the perfect new place for you and your family!