Well, the pictures didn't work. I'll try it again. I used the one that was recommended for message boards. Hmm...

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I wouldn't plant any landscape plants now because of the cold weather, but, you can place some potted plants on your porch and some window boxes below the windows. Use a hardy evergreen plant in the planters and add some annual color that does well in your area. Also you can add a colorful welcome mat in front of your door.

These are the key focal areas in your yard. Most people shopping for a house in this weather may not expect to see a lush, green landscape. The touches of color are attractive and will add some life to your yard and make it more appealing without spending too much money.

Good luck!
Shirley

http://www.EdenMakersBlog.com

Here is a link that might be useful: Shirley Bovshow Web Site

Thank you for your help, Shirley! I was so stuck..I had no idea what to do. I know winter means everything is dead, but the house would look better with SOMETHING there. I will take your advice and look into some potted plants and shrubbery.

Thanks again!

The Whole Earth Catalogue advised us to get under the used car we were thinking of buying with a screwdriver, if you could shove the screwdriver through anything down there then you shouldn't buy it. Whenever I see 'curb appeal' I think of this advice. Potted plants and a welcome mat would set me to poking around with my screwdriver like Sherlock Holmes with his magnifying glass. Just a thought but you want to sell your house based on curb appeal and the person selling the next house you buy might have previously posted here with the same question.

I've been trying to figure out just what the heck you are trying to say in your post.

I've come to the conclusion that you think that by making the outside of the house attractive, I must be trying to hide something. I'm not trying to sell my house based solely on curb appeal. I'm trying to get potential buyers to want to look at the inside of my house. My house is immaculate inside and very updated, but the outside needs some work. I want the outside of the house to match the inside. If the outside of the house looks like crap, why would you want to come inside? If I can't take care of the front yard, then I probably can't take of the inside either. That's my view on it.

Every single show about selling your house on HGTV says that curb appeal is highly important. You want buyers to want to come to your house and that's what curb appeal does. It's not a cover up of something bad, it's making it attractive.

Do you have pictures or anything decorative on your walls? So you're saying that you must be hiding a hole in the wall or a crack or something, right? Putting something decorative up to make your living room attractive does not mean that you are trying to cover up a mistake or a potential problem. The same applies to the outside of the house.

I think your "screwdriver" advice is not relevant in this situation, but thanks anyway. I'll remember that when I buy a car.

I am entitled to my opinion as you have demonstrated you are entitled to yours. You can read it and consider it or you can discard it as you have done. Just remember this, my opinion was about my reaction to the words "curb appeal" not on your personality or honesty.

Whole earth catalog... I haven't read that since the 70's. I think the thrust of Irk's comment is meaningfull landscape design versus a few plastic pots with red geraniums (love those...!).

Looking at your house, you should have kept the prickly bushes (bergenis ?); invasive someplaces but a form in the front non-the-less. Also the huge tree to the right of the house really dwarfs your 1-story ranch. This needs to be compenstated for. On the right hand corner an evergreen (like the one by the front door...) could be planted off the right hand corner to bring the visible plantings into scale with the house and provide unity and framing. In the front of the windows, some low growing evergreen forms would like nice and tie into the corner planting. The landscape rails near the bench to the left of the door are not balanced by similar borders on the right. Either keep unified edging by adding more landscape rails or remove those.

It's actually a lovely house and looks very tidy, which I think will attract many a buyer. But I agree that a big pot beside the bench would draw the eye in a little and add a nice touch. I would keep it very understated though to match the overall appearance of the house and landscape. If you overdo it I think then you do run the risk of making it look like you're trying too hard. I might not come to the same conclusion as Ink if I saw overdone accessorization, but I would think you're trying to pump up the price, perhaps.

Actually doobery 8's my name is INKognito although some may find me IRKsome I do have a pedigree, you?

Hello Gulf-
I agree about the bushes (I have no idea what they are called). I should have left them there, but they were such a pain in the butt to trim! It was hard to plant anything in between them, so I just ripped them out. Oh, and they were covering the hastas! It would have looked better in the winter though. Darnit..hind sight. Also, what is the whole earth catalog?

Hi Karinl-
Thank you for your compliments. I absolutely agree about not overdoing it on accessorizing the front porch. Good advice, thank you!

You know what I just noticed? I called the hastas in the front azaleas! Then later, I refer to them as hastas..good grief. Sorry about that! I do have some azaleas, but I was trying to say hastas.

"Hostas", I suspect!

:-)

Well, actually...hastas are an extremely rare breed of plant, more so than the regular ol' hosta...yeah..they uh..ok, I can't spell. You caught me.

Hah-hah! : )

Please give any suggestions for improving the curb appeal on our home. What about changing the door color? Thanks in advance.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:11161}}