With summer in full swing, you might have postponed some pre-sale home improvement projects so you can travel and bask in the sun. But when you’re ready to refocus on selling your home and maximizing your return on investment, don’t overlook the importance of curb appeal. The exterior of your home, and its surrounding landscaping and greenery, are what make or break a first impression. Though they say, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” many people do! Your front yard and entryway are the cover of the “book” that’s the rest of your home, and you’ll want to make sure that buyers are interested the minute they pull up and park. Here are some elements to pay attention to when sprucing up your yard:

Melissa’s Freemodel project in Corte Madera, CA

Add Low-Maintenance Plants that Thrive in Heat

Sprucing up your front yard and entryway in summer heat can be tricky due to the specialized care lawns and some plants require. So you don’t have to worry about water usage and upkeep, consider replacing flower beds with textured gravel and clusters of bright succulents. Not only do succulents have beautiful shapes, they can thrive in a multitude of climates, from desert to cool interior to highland to steppe climates, with minimal watering. Other plants that do well in the mild Mediterranean climate areas of California include lavender, rosemary, mint, and other herbs, as well as shrubs like oleander, lantana, and jasmine. Many infuse a nice fragrance into your yard—an added bonus! Since plants don’t need as much water coverage as lawns, you can invest in a drip irrigation system to avoid excess watering in drier regions. Whatever plants your decide to swap in or out, be sure to cut back any overgrown plants that block the view to the front door and focus your planting efforts in key areas that offer the most impact.

Be Smart About Your Lawn

As all of us, especially Californians, grow increasingly concerned about conserving water, lawn care has been a great opportunity to cut back on water usage. But it can be tricky to maintain a lush, green lawn while being mindful of water conservation. Like any plant, grass needs water and nutrients to survive. Thoroughly fertilizing a lawn helps protect it against droughts and reduced watering, as nutrient-rich lawns grow deeper roots and absorb more. It’s advisable to water your lawn later at night or early in the morning in order to minimize evaporation from the sunlight. Additionally, the way you trim your lawn affects its ability to retain water. Moving your grass to a medium height instead of short height allows the root system to find more nutrients and water existing in the soil. Taller grass also keeps the soil cooler and protected, with less evaporation of water from sunlight. After mowing your lawn, sprinkle the clippings back throughout the grass: they break down quickly and return beneficial nutrients to the soil. Your lawn does not have to be perfect when buyers see it, but if the majority looks healthy and green, you’ll be just fine!

Remove The Lawn Entirely

If your home has a lawn, now might a good time to consider whether it suits modern tastes. In many cases, you’ll get more creative curb appeal opportunities out of a sustainable garden with rocks, succulents, and/or native plants. This, of course, means removing the existing lawn, which takes a little work. Removing a lawn (partially or completely) can also become necessary if you’re installing a front pathway, digging a pond, or laying path lights. Luckily, building codes and permits generally do not apply to the removal of lawns on single-family home private properties, although some homeowner association restrictions may apply.

Your lawn must be dry as possible before removing it, making this a project that is often best suited for late spring to early fall. If you’re doing it yourself, you will need a sod cutter, a flat-blade spade or narrow shovel, and a garden trowel. However, removing an entire yard of lawn might be a project that is best left in the hands of a landscaping company. With multiple workers and proper tools, landscapers can execute a lawn removal in a fraction of the time that it would take you, the homeowner, to do it. From here, you can be imaginative with what sort of landscaping you want to fill the empty space and appeal to buyers!

Enhance Your Front Entry:

There are many large-scale upgrades or minor DIY detailing projects that you can apply when deciding how to spruce up your front entry. One surefire way to change up the look of your home is to switch out your front door for a new, more modern one. Doors that have glass panels on the top half help to infuse natural light into the entryway, even when the door is closed. If you don’t want to replace your front door, adding some bright, bold paint colors to the door or surrounding exterior walls can help to contrast your home’s siding and trim to help give it a fresh look. Replacing your house numbers is a smaller detailed improvement that goes a long way. Consider swapping out basic numbers for something more eye-catching or unique or illuminated. Numbers should be at least four inches tall so that they’re easily visible from the street. Laying a welcome mat or larger outdoor rug can help to give a more polished, inviting feel to your home. Adding attention-grabbing accents such as a bistro set, colorful step tiles, stylish lighting, or moveable planters can help to finish off the perfect entry to your home. Lastly, given the lack of rainfall in summer months, we suggest power-washing your front walkway periodically throughout the open house process to help keep it clear of dirt and debris.

Susan’s Freemodel project in West LA, CA

All in all, there are many opportunities to improve your curb appeal before selling your home. By combining creativity, elbow grease, and help from the professionals, you can put the beautiful “book cover” on your home that will make it a bestseller! Freemodel’s Project Directors remodeling and design talents don’t stop at the doors to your house. Our PDs are often very involved with redesigning yards and landscaping in order to add the perfect finishing touches and earn homeowners the highest return possible. To see some examples, check out our projects in Richmond, Corte Madera, and Mill Valley that were heavily focused on improving yards and home exteriors.