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Landscape Design

Help Design To Sell

13 years ago

Hello everyone, need some advice from the forum. My fiances mother has been trying to sell her house for some time with little success (much like the rest of the country.) One of the problems I see is her curb appeal. I've gotten the go ahead to do some minor landscaping but this has got me stumped. Around the front of the house I am just removing some damaged bushes, mulching, and adding some color with flowers to spruce it up a little. But now I have this thing........the septic pump out covers. There are actually two of them, one in plain site and the other at about 7:00 in the photo. Any ideas on how to spruce up/cover up this area? I think she had the idea of spraying weed/grass killer over the area so I don't know if sod will take to this. Should I just mulch the area and cover the concrete covers with something? Please Help!!!

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Comments (7)

cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)
13 years ago
Anything would help because they are pretty much a prominently "featured" item the way it is now.
I would spray paint the visible one the color of mulch, toss several cheap shrubs in there, and mulch it.
And pressure wash those steps!
:)
rhodium
13 years ago
Putting a bulls-eye around the covers won't really hide them very well.

If the rocks were removed and grass grown back the lids probably wouldn't be noticeable enough to cause a lack of curb appeal.
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mjsee
13 years ago
Rhodium has the right of it. Unless you are willing to re-work much of the front landscaping to make that silly little bed make sense there's not much else to be done.
dogridge
13 years ago
I agree with the above posters. Dig out the old soil about 2 inches deep, put in some good topsoil and lay sod over the area. Then spray paint them "cammo" green.
Tear out all of the shrubs in front, then put down some pine straw mulch in those beds.
Shape up the big shrub on the corner.
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Consider staining the front steps a grey/brown color and spray painting the railings black.
Put a couple of tall narrow planters (darker colored) on either side of the front door and plant with colorful annuals that will spill over the edge (petunias?)
Remove the screens from the windows (amazing how much better the house will look) Store them in the attic.
Take off the glass screen door.
Take away the door mat.

Hope that helps.
lehua49
13 years ago
Max,

I really like what Dog Ridge has said and how about a faded or muted orange or pumpkin colored door. Stain a faded smoke color on the rock wall to the left since it is holding the house up. It'll go with the black railing. Varied or grouped Taller bushes with more color that contrasts the house trim and goes with the front door. Should there be some kind of walkway from the front stairs meandering somewhere? JMHO. Aloha
gardengal11
13 years ago
I have seen people cover with azalea's before.
laag
13 years ago
You might be able to get a shorter riser for the high lid and make it flush. Talk to either the septic service company or the firm that designed the septic system to find out if that is an option.

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