It’s no secret that a house’s curb appeal can make a tremendous impact on its resale prospects. Although we always tell ourselves not to judge a book by its cover, it’s only human nature to assess something upon the first impression we form. Even if a story is great, we’re less likely to give it a chance if we don’t like the cover. Even if a house’s interior is charming and highly alluring, we may not give it proper consideration when the exterior doesn’t appeal to us.

For this reason it is important to pay attention to your house’s curb value when you’re trying to sell, especially in the current buyer’s market. With prices stagnant and inventory high, refinancing your home may be a better option than trying to sell it under current conditions. But, if you ultimately need to sell, you’re going to want to maximize your curb appeal as much as possible.

Fortunately, it doesn’t take too much money or effort to upgrade a home that is lacking in curb appeal. Here are four easy options that you might want to consider:

1. Start painting.

The easiest and most beneficial way to boost your curb appeal is to get some paint and add an layer to your house’s front façade. Since this may be a challenging solo project, you can get essentially the same value for your work by painting your garage door and your home’s front door. A clean layer of paint on each of those surfaces can go a long way towards boosting your house’s perceived value.

2. Pave the driveway.

When looking to improve curb value, many people focus on their home or on their garden and overlook the driveway. This is a mistake. A chipped, cracked, or faded driveway can reflect poorly on the house and on the property as a whole. The general rule of thumb is that a dark, smooth, and clean driveway is probably your best bet. If you want to take it a step further, however, you can instead top your driveway off with crushed gravel or limestone to give it a more sophisticated look.

3. Brighten and clean the yard.

Most people realize that an appealing front yard can make a house appear much more desirable. This does not, however, require that you plant exotic bushes and spend a tremendous amount of time and money cultivating the perfect garden. Instead, just make sure that everything in the yard is well-trimmed (ie bushes, the grass, any trees). If you’re looking to sell during the warmer months, you also want to make your yard as colorful as possible. This may entail using fertilizer to darken your lawn or buying some cheap flowers to plant near the house.

4. Get outdoor lighting.

Buying and installing a few well-placed outdoor lights can go a long way towards boosting your curb appeal. These lights should be facing towards your house and should be used to illuminate bushes or the home’s façade once evening falls. Having lights can be especially useful in winter, when many homes are viewed after the sun has begun to set.

There are numerous other ways that you can easily improve your home’s curb value. For example, if you drive a nice car, giving that car a wash and then letting it sit in your driveway has been shown to add perceived value to a home. But even without a high-end vehicle, following the above tips can go a long way towards improving your resale value. In a tough market, it’s an easy and obvious investment to make.

Photo Credits: bgautrea

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Better Homes and Gardens has long been known as the leader in landscaping and millions buy the magazine every month just to see the new designs and ideas. When they came out with this book, it provided homeowners with a fantastic resource that really gives them exactly what they need to get started and be pleased with the results when they’re finished. If you want to do anything to your yard, we highly recommend reading this book first.

With more than 400 pages packed with projects, this book will definitely keep you busy in your yard all season long. There are numerous illustrations that are incredibly useful for identifying plants and getting an idea of how your yard will look when it’s done. By far our favorite part of the book were the actual landscaping plans that were included. If you’ve been wanting to do something with your yard, but you’re not sure what exactly you want to do, you can simply use one of these plans.

The book also does a good job of holding your hand through the entire process of picking the right plants and trees, knowing how to plant each one and more importantly, how to care for them after you’re done with your design. You’ll definitely want to take your copy along to the nursery, it’s just that good. We highly recommend reading this book in the winter, when it’s all gray and cold and spring seems eons away. This will give you that jumpstart you need, and you can start planning during these months for a spectacular spring yard, complete with water features and much more.

Overall, this was a great read that provided thousands of landscaping tips. The illustrations were incredible and all the projects were well laid out and easy to understand. We absolutely loved the book and highly recommend it to backyard gardeners or budding landscapers. It’s well worth the purchase price and chances are you’ll be turning to it again and again, every year. If you’ve got a friend that loves to garden, this is the perfect gift and will provide them with plenty of inspiration for new projects. It’s easy to see why Better Homes and Gardens has been on top for so many decades. If they keep putting out books like this one, they’ll be there for many decades to come.

Originally posted 2008-08-15 05:14:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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By renting your tools instead of purchasing, you can greatly reduce the cost of buying new tools. Plus, this gives you access to tools that you would not normally have access to, which can reduce costs down the road. There is further a benefit, since the employees and staff at a tool rental store will be able to provide free advice about regarding the use of tools and how to use them to help you finish your project. These employees have been trained in how to use the tools, and they can impart that expertise unto you to help you with your project.

It doesn't take much to improve the value of your home. Below are three projects which will help add equity to your home.

A good first step is to work on the front of your house.

This area is that which will be seen first by prospective buyers. Cleaning up here will greatly increase the value of your home with a minimum amount of work. This is first done by cleaning the facade of the house, which is easily accomplished by a power washer rented from an appropriate location. The power washer will collect water from your house's outdoor water system and output it at a great pressure, blasting away filth and potentially damaging growths. It will not only remove dirt, moss, mildew and other forms of filth from the facade, but you can use it to also clean off your front porch and walkway, the garage, shed, even the deck. A word of caution: make sure you get instruction as to how to use the power washer. If used incorrectly, it can be powerful enough to damage your home.

The next step is to take care of your lawn.

This will provide the two of the one-two punch of a first impression provided by the outward appearance of your home. Every lawn is as unique as its owner, but there are things that can always be done. A pair of tools that you should rent is a dethatcher and an aerator. The dethatcher removes the built up layer of dead grass, leaves and stems that have built up in your lawn. This will increase the amount of water and feed that the ground can absorb. The aerator will also perform this task by providing channels through which air, water and fertilizer can reach the roots and lower parts of the plant. Be sure to choose a fertilizer appropriate for your lawn, and make sure that there are no growths of weeds.

The final step is a tip to greatly improve the appearance of just about every room in your home.

It is nearly unavoidable that the carpets in your home will collect large amounts of dirt, up to 10 times as much. To clean your carpets and give them a new home appearance, rent a portable hot-water cleaning system. You will be left with a floor that really brightens every room in your house.

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Originally posted 2008-12-10 05:05:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Many people who buy the beautiful, ornamental koi don't realize that keeping their environment clean is necessary for healthy fish and a clean pond. There are steps for cleaning koi fish ponds that require you to put a something in place then leave it, while other cleaning steps require some regularly scheduled work.

The first key is to keep your pond water aerated. The water in a pond need to have lots of oxygen in it if first are going to live and be healthy, and aerators add oxygen to the water. Additionally, the koi prefer water that is slightly cool, and aerators drop the temperatures of the water by several degrees. Aerators also keep plants healthy and help prevent unwanted plant growth.

There are a number of different aerators you can purchase with different features and varying quality. For cleaning koi fish ponds, you'll want an aerator that is effective all the way through your pond. This will vary depending on the depth of your pond.

The second important item is a pond filter. There are several types of filters for ponds including mechanical filters that are needed to remove physical debris. This is important to keep sediment from building up on the bottom of the pool. Every pool needs to have a mechanical filter to keep it clean.

The next type of filter is a biological filter. These filters use different types of bacteria, which help to decompose and eliminate the toxic waste chemicals that can build up in the pool, like ammonia.

UV filters kill algae and other bacterial growth, and can be very effective at limiting the amount of cleaning koi fish ponds require.

An external filter is by far the most popular style of filter for a pond, since it requires less cleaning and maintenance than other types of filters.

If you have a standing pond, then it is important to change the water approximately every two weeks. Put the fish in a bucket or tub along with some of the old water, then drain and refill the pond, removing any sediment from the bottom.  Dead leaves are particularly draining on the health of the fish, so removing them is key.

After cleaning out the pond, refill it. As you fill the pond with water, add one cup of rock salt for every hundred gallons of water. This should be standard, non-iodized rock salt such as the type used in a water softener or on sidewalks in the winter.

This makes cleaning koi fish ponds easier because it softens the water, besides keeping the fish healthy and increasing their electrolytes.  Softer water means no calcium or mineral rings around the water line of your pool, and no scrubbing for hours to remove those mineral deposits when you are cleaning koi fish ponds.

Photo Credit: thebigdurian

Originally posted 2009-06-03 11:53:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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1. Go Green.

Installing energy efficient appliances is perhaps the easiest way to increase the value of your home. Look for the Energy Star label since you may be eligible for special cash back rewards. These new appliances are remarkably different from older models and many of the new refrigerators will use about the same amount of energy as a light bulb.

There are many other ways to go green with your home. Try installing a new “green” flooring system, such as bamboo or cork. These floors will add beauty to your home and you’ll feel good about your choice. You can also install energy efficient windows and more to your home to save on your energy bills.

2. Landscape Your Yard.

One of the best ways to installing increase your curb appeal is by landscaping your yard. Whether it’s a single shade tree or an elaborate garden, landscaping gives you the opportunity to have fun and improve your yard. Anyone can landscape, and with the right tools, you’ll get professional results.

3. Refresh Your Kitchen.

The kitchen is the heart of your home and for many DIY’ers, this is the place to start. From replacing cabinet doors, to adding new fixtures, there are many ways that you can make that old kitchen look brand new. If you’ve got the budget, you can tear out your old cabinets and completely overhaul the space.

Today’s kitchens are more efficient and easier to keep up, thanks to new materials and designs that make the most out of the space in your kitchen.

4. Add a Room.

Whether it’s a brand new addition, or a new way to use an old space, there are plenty of ways that you can get more out of your home and make it worth more money. Building on to your home is a great way to save money and get more space, without having to purchase a new house. Your new addition can even be something as simple as a converted garage or basement.

5. Add a Deck, or Screen in a Porch.

Looking to take advantage of outdoor space? Adding on a deck or a patio gives you a whole other room and plenty of chances for fun. Anyone with basic building experience can make a deck, and this is a great addition to any home.

A screened in porch can also be very useful, especially as a three season room. If you’re not quite ready to build on, but you still need some extra space, this is a great solution and it’s easy to do!

These are just a few ways that you can add to the value of your home and get more use out of it.

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Originally posted 2008-09-11 05:58:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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