Spectacular Spaces; Outdoors Edition
Taking the time to make your backyard as inviting as possible is just as crucial to securing a buyer as the interior staging process is! Outdoor living space is often just as important to buyers as the kitchen and living room are, especially during prime outdoor entertaining months in the summertime. Take it from our team of Professional Home Stagers, who have put together these tips to make sure your outdoor space looks spectacular to prospective buyers. 1. GIVE IT A GOOD SCRUB Cleaning isn’t just a must for your home’s interior, it’s a must for the outdoors, too! Remove dust and dirt from your patio, walkways, stairs, window ledges, and outdoor furniture. Finally, hose down the concrete, you may need to use a pressure washer to wash away those stubborn layers. 2. REFINE THE LANDSCAPINGAdding a fresh layer of mulch overtop tired looking dirt, patchy grass, and flower beds will go a long way. It will make your outdoor space look and smell brand new and well taken care of. To go the extra mile, plant some flowers in those beds and get rid of any weeds that may be visible. 3. FURNISH THE SPACEYou want buyers to visualize themselves in your space, so it has to look inviting and liveable. To make this happen, furnish your patio, deck porch, or any areas that let you naturally incorporate furniture and decor (our stagers recommend adirondack chairs). Put out a bistro table and chairs with a vase of flowers on top, or if space allows, a patio dining table or a conversation set of a loveseat and chairs. And don’t forget to remove those grill covers! 4. REMOVE WINDOW SCREENSWindow screens should be removed before you have listing photos taken of your home. This will make them look shiny and clean and allow for the most natural light. 5. POOL CAREMake sure your pool is open and looking it’s best for photos and open houses! Skim the surface to remove debris and leaves to give it that crystal clear look. 6. MAKE IT A SHOWSTOPPERIf you have fountains, outdoor lighting, outdoor fans, fireplaces or pits- turn them on for showings. It will amp up the appeal of the space (go ahead and add some drama!) After all, you want to show off everything your space has to offer. If you’re looking to buy or sell your home, contact us today and we will make sure your space looks spectacular for showings!
Summer Home Maintenance Checklist
June 20th marked the official first day of summer. Is your home ready for the hot and humid months of July, August, and September? Get started prepping your home for the warm weather by following these to-do's on our Summer Home Maintenance Checklist! Featured Listing: 11422 Barrow Downs, Columbia, MD Empty Standing WaterThe last thing you want is a swarm of mosquitoes on your property, so make sure to drain any standing water. This can range from larger projects like changing pool water, to the smallest projects, like bird baths. Bring out the Summer NecessitiesPlace bug repellent, beach towels, sunglasses, first aid kit, sunscreen, aloe, and any other summer necessities together in a spot near the front door for easy access for everyone in the home to use. Install Screen DoorsReplace glass doors with screen ones to let the fresh summer air inside. Make sure there aren’t any holes, though! Check Play Equipment for SafetyOutdoor swings and playgrounds could have been damaged by winter, weather, moisture, etc. Make sure to check these items, as well as bikes and sporting equipment for safety hazards before allowing family members to use them. Hang a ClotheslineTo save energy in the summertime, you can dry your clothes naturally on a clothesline, rather than in a dryer. If you have a pool, this is also a great place for family members to hang pool towels and bathing suits up to dry. Organize and Put Away School SuppliesThe kids are about to want nothing to do with anything school-related, so before the year is completely over, begin organizing school supplies and papers. Sort through their work and keep only the best. Throw out older supplies that are no longer useful, such as dried up glue sticks. Put the rest in storage. Check HVAC and Cooling SystemsDon’t wait until the heat is here to schedule maintenance for your HVAC system. If you have window units, make sure they are properly installed. Dust ceiling fans and window sills. Check Irrigation SystemsCheck that your irrigation system and sprinklers are working properly. You don’t want plants to dry from not being watered, or any flooding to occur. Set a schedule for your irrigation system so your yard stays fresh and green all summer long. Update First Aid KitsGreat weather means the kids will be playing outdoors more often. Make sure you have band-aids, alcohol wipes, tweezers, gause, burn cream, and more first aid kit necessities in case of an emergency. Clean GuttersIf you haven’t cleaned your gutters recently, make sure to do so. Leaves and other debris can cause flooding during summer storms when gutters aren’t cleared. Featured Listing: 12707 Maryvale Court, Ellicott City, MD DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE SUMMER HOME MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST HERE! Sources Cited: Houzz.com
Dad’s Guide to the Perfect Lawn
The warm weather is here, and Dad is probably itching to get outside and cut the grass. However, it takes more than a sharp mower blade to maintain the perfect lawn. Unfortunately, the elements that are essential for lawn care (sun and rain), also invite bugs and weeds. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to the perfect lawn so that Dad can spend this summer in his backyard masterpiece, relishing in the satisfaction of knowing that he did it all himself. After all, a perfectly landscaped yard is a Dad’s dream! Keep Mower Blades Sharp A dull blade will tear the grass, resulting in ragged edges and brownish grass. Your mower blades should be replaced at least once, if not twice each mowing season depending on how much grass you have. Prevent Weeds Before They Come Up Stop lawn weeds from gaining a root hold before they sprout by using a pre-emergent herbicide. The best time to do this is early spring. Eliminate Broadleaf Weeds These are the most noticeable weeds in your lawn, such as yellow dandelions and the white “scatter in the wind” seeded dandelions. Use granular weed control products to remove these, or remove them by hand as they sprout if you only have a few offenders. Mow High and Frequently Essentially, you want to cut less grass more frequently. If you keep your lawn a bit taller, it'll result in healthier grass. The general rule of thumb is to never cut off more than a third of the grass blade. This does mean more work, but it’s worth it! Water in the Morning If you water the grass in the morning, the sun will help dry it throughout the day. Watering at night or later in the day can result in prolonged moisture on the blades which leads to diseases. You also need to make sure you soak the lawn so that the water reaches the soil 2-3 inches down. Merely wetting the yard isn’t enough. Feed Your Lawn Nitrogen is the most important nutrient in a grass fertilizer. Look for a mix of fast and slow release fertilizers. Northern regions- feed in fall and spring. Southern regions- feed in spring and summer. Allow Your Soil to Breathe The soil in lawns becomes compacted over time, resulting in weak or dying grass. Aerate your soil with a garden fork or a manual lawn plug aerator. The holes left behind allow the soil to breathe and let water and nutrients reach the grass’ roots. Reseed When Needed You can fill large bare spots by re-seeding. Get the right type of seed to match your lawn. It’s usually better to choose high-quality seed, even if it costs a bit more. Avoid any seed that contains more than .01% of weed seed. Protect Your Yard from Cicadas! If you live in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or DC- then you know it’s the year of the cicadas. Cicadas will sprout out of the ground and dig into your plants and trees. Stop them by wrapping your trees, bushes, and shrubs in netting with holes 1 cm or smaller. You can use fine mesh insect netting or barrier plant bags for individual trees or shrubs. Avoid “bird netting,” which usually has net openings too large to keep cicadas out. Source
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