Real Estate — Making Your Home and Wallet Go Green

Improve your yard, improve your home’s value.

The hot days of summer are once again upon us. Humidity rises, swimming pool waters warm, and the air conditioners whirrr. Whether inside or poolside, start digging through some landscaping magazines.

If you have lived in Charlotte NC, you have witnessed the breathtaking displays of color brought about by Azaela’s, Dogwoods, Crepe Myrtles, Tulips, Daffodils, Maples and Poplar Trees. from the ground to the sky, our area offers a burst of magnificent colors every season.

You can create this as well. It’s not expensive, and it’s not hard.

You may actually find it to be a good form of therapy! The peace from the yard, and a solid sense of achievement.

Landscaping and planting are great fall activities in Charlotte North Carolina. The reason for this is that if you plant in the Fall, the easy fall weather and light winter climate will actually have your plants growing fine with little or no babysitting. You can reap multiple rewards by mapping out your fall landscaping during the lazy days of summer. During the grey days of winter, put your plan together for your spring vegetable garden!

A word of caution: if you plant your grass, bulbs, shrubs or trees in the Spring (rather that the fall) you will be babysitting your yard all Spring. Summer will arrive before you know it and if your plants aren’t rooted well, you may lose them to the heat.

Improving your homes curb appeal works for all market areas. not just our Charlotte real estate market. If you have bought a home with a dismal yard, or perhaps, new construction with nary a tree, creating a yard is a great way to help improve your homes future marketability-and hence-value. If your home is attractive on the outside (yard included) as well as the inside, it will not sit on the market as long as a home with a bad yard will.

Really.

Creating your yard is a three dimensional act.

Jot down a plan on some paper, and play with the plan as though you were arranging a room in your house. The plants being the furniture: the yard being the room.

Continue on paper, add some nice detailing in: stepping stones, a place for the grill, where furniture would go. Start a little notebook of plants that you like.

Check out some upscale neighborhood entry ways, and public gardens, local plant nurseries. There is nothing as strong as a visual confirmation on what you had in mind. Keep in mind the varying shades of green trees and shrubs come in and how many seasons a plant can perform for you. A lot of the plants in Charlotte can bring you three seasons of color!

Remember, once planted, these things grow up and out. Space them accordingly. Follow directions.

Curb appeal should not be relegated to just the front yard.

Take photos of your backyard in the morning and in the afternoon. That way, if you are not sure on how a plant will do in your yard, you can always discuss its location and adaptability with the local nursery. The clay soil in Charlotte is rich in minerals and once amended, the things that you can grow here are almost limitless. The time to plant and work on next year’s yard improvements is in the Fall.

It takes a weekend to paint a room in your home. This is fine. But, paint for a new buyer is something they plan on doing anyway. It won’t improve your home’s future marketability like a good yard will.

It takes time to develop your yard. My suggestion. start educating yourself about landscaping this summer, and start your home’s yard this Fall!

Claude Cross is Broker/Owner of Homes By Cross. Serving Charlotte NC Real Estate needs since 1994. Offering No Cost Buyer Agency with Relocation Expertise .