Hi, this is Tom Schreiber here, owner of Signature Landscapes & Design, Inc.  I have been in the St. Louis landscape industry for 30 years and, today I want to talk to you about the two recurring words I hear over and over again from home owners.  Can you guess?  “Curb appeal”  In St. Louis and all over the United States every homeowner is looking for it.  What is this curb appeal that everyone is talking about including your wife, your realtor, and your neighbors, and how do we get curb appeal?  It is one of those elusive words that isn’t concrete and can be slightly subjective.  You’ve heard of it, it sounds good, you know you need it to add value to your home and neighborhood,  but you are not exactly sure the step by step process of making curb appeal a reality in your own front yard.   According to Merriam Webster dictionary,  curb appeal became an issue starting in 1975 and has since become a goal of many American homeowners.   I imagine a realtor was probably the first person to coin the term to a client, he or she may have said something like, “There are currently a lot of houses on the market in your neighborhood.  I think what would give your house an edge is if we gave it some much needed curb appeal before we put your house on the market.  It will make the buyers want to see more of what’s inside of your beautiful home.”   Basically, by definition, curb appeal is the visual attractiveness of a house as seen from the street.  This opens up a lot of possibilities for a homeowner to expand upon when thinking about creating curb appeal.  So today, I am going to touch upon the items that would typically fall in the realm of homeowner related DIY jobs and give my expert advice on what can be done with the landscaping to give you the “curb appeal” you are looking for.

How to get curb appeal.  Let’s start with the most obvious things that most homeowners can accomplish on their own.

• Clean up your yard.  Remove landscape debris, limb, leaves etc.
• Trim your plant.  If you have overgrown trees and shrubs, consider trimming or removing them to open up the view to the front of the home.
• Paint or replace your worn out mailbox.
• Update your house numbers.
• Update your coach lights and porch lights.
• Replace and update your shutters.
• Paint surfaces that require paint such as doors and trim.
• Update your landscaping.

Updating your landscaping may potentially have the most impact on creating the “curb appeal” you are after.  If your landscaping is looking tired, worn, or overgrown consider replacing some of it or all of it.   The question homeowners ask me frequently is, “Is it possible to keep some of the existing plants?”  My general answer is,  if more than 50% of the existing plants need to be replaced you are better off replacing all of them so the landscaping looks cohesive, otherwise it will not have the symmetry and aesthetic look you are trying to achieve.   Many times a homeowner may have one or several mature trees that are nice and this is something we can work around.  If your existing landscaping is in good shape, sometimes, just adding a fresh coat of mulch and some minor adjustments in the planting beds will do the trick.

Another nice minor touch that makes a huge difference, is adding some seasonal color to your planting beds.   A concentrated area where you can add some color, such as annual flowers a couple times a year goes a long way.  It will draw the eye to your home and give it that “pop”  of color that is warm and inviting to visitors and onlookers.  Another easy solution is to add a  couple of large plant containers near your front porch.    The goal is to bring natural beauty and attention to the front of your home, as well as creating clean lines and visual awareness for home security.  Big bushes and overgrown trees around windows and front entry are distracting as well as a security issue, so keep those areas especially sharp and clean.  Outdoor lighting is a great help as well.

If you feel the need for a complete landscape renovation you should consider having a landscape design drawn up by a professional.  A professional will know what plants will work for your particular environment and will be able to take into consideration what kind of maintenance upkeep that will be required.  He or she will know, what kind of plants will work for my soil type, what type of plants work for my zone, what are the low maintenance plants, what plants work best for shade or sun.  A professional will know what plants have good success in your area.  A professional design in the long run will save you valuable time and money.   At this time you can consider if you want to update any hard surfaces such as driveways or walkways.  Redesigning you walkway can help create a nicer experience as you approach the front of your home.  A straight 3′ wide concrete walkway can be updated with a new paver stone walkway that may have some interesting curves or it might be expanded at the driveway.  This will open up new potential planting areas that will help you create more curb appeal.

Curb appeal is not just for daylight,  adding  some landscape lighting can really make your landscape and home stand out.   Lighting the brick or stone on your home will add some interesting texture, as well as a dramatic effect at night to trees or planting beds.  You could also highlight the edge of a new pathway to your front door for aesthetics and functionality.   If you are not comfortable with lighting, a  landscape professional should be able to give you guidance and properly light your home.

The curb appeal of your home says a lot about you.  Don’t wait until you are ready to sell your home and your realtor tells you that you need to go get some “curb appeal”.  Do it now so that every time you drive up your street you are welcomed home.   Maybe your neighbors will follow in your footsteps and they will go out and get some “curb appeal” too.   Even if you don’t have the money to hire a contractor to tackle the major landscape upgrades, consider some of the items at the beginning of this article, sometimes, doing just a few things to the front of your home will go along way in creating the curb appeal that you and your home deserves.

If you live in the St. Louis area, Signature Landscapes & Design is happy to offer their services to you.  We have been designing landscapes for St. Louis homeowners for 30 years.  We can consult with you and offer you a free consultation at your home.