According to a survey from the National Association of Realtors, curb appeal is important to 71% of buyers. Landscaping plays a major role in your home’s curb appeal. It can create a positive and inviting first impression, or a bad one. If they don’t like the look of the outside of the house, they probably won’t bother checking out the inside either.

Here are some tips for upgrading your landscaping to sell your home:

Simple yard and lawn maintenance can go a long way.

If you’ve decided to sell your home this summer, get a head start on your yard and lawncare this spring. Spring clean up should include raking all the leaves and clearing the yard of branches, dog poop, broken patio furniture and other debris. Remove any dead or dying shrubs, plants and trees.

If you can’t commit to mowing and watering your lawn regularly, consider hiring a professional lawncare company to do it for you. If your lawn is aerated, seeded, fertilized, watered and mowed this spring and then mowed and watered throughout the summer, it should grow lush and green. Learn how to take care of your lawn. This will improve and maintain good curb appeal.

Add some colour to the landscape with flower beds and pots.

If it’s in your budget, considering hiring the best landscapers in Winnipeg to install an attractive planter in the front yard. They can help you with plant and flower selection, making your front yard vibrant with colour and attractive to buyers. If new landscaping features are not in the budget, purchase a few flower pots and hanging baskets. Flowers in the yard can really improve the aesthetics of the home and create a very welcoming vibe.

Create a functional outdoor living space.

In general, people like the idea of spending time outdoors with their friends and family. Things like decks, patios, fire pits and outdoor kitchens can really transform a space from a boring back yard to an outdoor oasis perfect for relaxing, socializing and entertaining. A landscape company can install a fire pit area or a paved patio. Alternatively, you can purchase quality patio furniture and set up an outdoor living space using the landscape you already have.

Not every landscaping project will give a return on investment.

While cleaning up the yard and installing a few simple landscaping features can boost curb appeal and help you sell your home, spending money on large-scale and personal features will probably not have much of a return on investment. For example, installing an outdoor playground for kids or a swimming pool will not recoup their costs. You can’t assume that the buyer has children or even likes swimming. Stick to the more general landscaping upgrades and keep it nice and simple.

Read more articles about landscapers.