Easy Landscape Fixes That Add Value To Your Home

When it comes to your lawn and yard, you can add beauty and value to your home by practicing good yard care techniques and correcting a few problems. Best of all, these ideas can be done economically in less than one weekend.

If you want curb appeal that adds value to your home, paying attention to the basics goes a long way. These suggestions will help everyone from the first-time homeowner to someone who finally wants to take the time to just get things right. Needless to say, these landscape fixes can also set your home apart if you're trying to sell in this economy.

According to the American Nursery and Landscape Association, avoiding mistakes and making good landscape choices can increase the value of your home by up to 15 percent. Landscaping projects can also provide a good return on the money you invest. According to the association, homeowners can recoup 100 to 200 percent of their initial expenditure - all for just making their outdoor space look good.

Here are my top five fixes homeowners should make:

1. Get rid of yard clutter. Few things look worse to your neighbors or passers-by than a yard that is cluttered with kids' bicycles, toys, broken down lawn furniture, garbage cans and even odd lawn ornaments. Clean it up - and set family rules that eliminate clutter. Get the kids to help in this area.
2. Care for your lawn. A great yard begins with a well groomed, healthy lawn, which starts with mowing correctly. It's amazing how mowing can affect the overall health and growth of your lawn. The key is to mow only one-third of the height of the lawn in any one mowing. This encourages a thick lawn with strong roots - a lawn that can defend itself against pests and weeds. Too many homeowners cut their grass too short (scalping), which weakens the lawn, creates bare spots and invites pests and weeds to take over. Fertilize your lawn with a slow release nitrogen fertilizer at least once a year when it is growing strongly, ideally three times, if you can.
3. Correct poor planting choices. It's okay to remove a landscape mistake that you have inherited with your home or even made yourself. Trim back or remove those overgrown bushes that overwhelm the front of your house. Before you make a new landscape purchase, do your homework on trees and bushes to determine how large they will grow and how much care they will need.
4. Remember to trim. Mowing your lawn without also trimming is like getting half a hair cut. Use a string trimmer around flowerbeds, decks, patios and other landscape features. Let the tip of the string do the cutting, and avoid contact with tree trunks. Don't shear grass off at ground level. Just like scalping your lawn, it will invite weeds to fill in the bare earth.
5. Create a focal point. What do people see first when they pass your home? Create a focal point. It can be a flowering tree, a front door that has a contrasting color to your home, or a walkway lined with flowering plants. You can add inexpensive, instant appeal with clay pots of brightly colored annual flowers set near your doorway.

These simple changes can make a huge difference almost overnight. Your yard will not only look good, but your entire property will be more appealing.