Home Sellers Can Take Steps Now for a Great Spring Landscape

Thinking of selling a home in the spring? Then now is a good time to get in the yard and prepare the landscaping. Many home sellers focus on indoor projects and forget that the first thing potential buyers see is the home’s curb appeal – the landscaping and yard.

Fall is the best time to lay the groundwork for a springtime yard that will attract buyers, according to the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute. Attractive landscaping can help improve curb appeal, adding as much as 17 percent to the sale price of a home, studies show. To help homeowners prepare their yards, the Institute shares several tips:

Nurture healthy turf. Fall is the time to aerate the soil by punching holes in it so oxygen, water and nutrients can reach the grass roots. Continue mowing your lawn as needed throughout the fall.

Trim it short. For the last two cuttings of the year, lower your mower blade to its lowest setting so your grass gets a tighter cut. This will enable more sun to reach the crown of the grass – and you’ll see fewer brown leaves in your lawn. Be careful to leave one third of the grass blade in place.

Rake or collect the leaves. It may be tempting to wait until all the leaves fall off the trees before clearing them up, but don’t delay. Leaves on the ground block the grass from sunlight – suffocating your grass – and can also breed fungus. Remove the leaves, compost or mulch them, or dispose of them.

Load up on grass nutrients. Use a mulching mower to shred and return cut grass back to the lawn. You can also finely mulch your leaves and distribute them on your lawn. Shredded leaves can help control weeds and load your lawn with nutrients for a long winter.

Fix the bald spots. Fall is a good time to fix those bald spots in your lawn. Get a lawn repair mixture at your area garden shop and follow the directions.

Taking these steps can help boost your curb appeal with a healthy lawn in the spring.