www.1001TopWords.com |
Add Value to Your Home - Landscaping
Just recently my friend had his house appraised between $800,000 and $815,000 by two different independent house valuators. He spent two days hard work in the garden placing new grass on mats, bringing in new plants, putting creepers on the wall, and adding a water feature. He sold his house at an auction two weeks later for $853,500. It only took him a few hours of his work and a few thousand dollars to make a lot of profit. Some people however believe that a good garden will only sell the house quicker. It is important however to not over-capitalize your garden. A good rule of thumb is for every dollar you spend you'll get around $1.15 back. This still depends on the quality of the work done. Which is why if you know nothing about landscaping contact your local landscaping designer for help. You must also think twice before deciding to put a pool into your backyard. In many cases these can be seen as a liability as they may cost several thousand dollars a year to run. You must also think twice before deciding to put a pool into your backyard. In many cases these can be seen as a liability as they may cost several thousand dollars a year to run. Here are some easy features you can implement that may increase your houses value: -Mow your lawn! The most obvious. If your grass is dying plant some new grass or use grass mats. -If you have a pond or pool make sure it is clean, put in fresh water if you have to. Nothing is more disgusting than having grime floating on your pool or dirty leaves. If you have water plants in your pond make sure they are nice eye catchers, for example colorful lilies. -Trim your trees and shrubs. -Get rid of all those weeds. -Clean any pavement areas. -Make sure your plants aren't dying, instead colorful and vibrant. -A hot, put scented plants or shrubs near your windows. This can give the house a very nice smell. Something like lavender. -Weather protection. Be careful about to not spend too much on this. On the other hand these may decrease your houses value: - Adding a pool. - Unmentioned garden, such as dying plants, weeds etc... - Lack of weather protection. - Too much concrete. - Too much clutter. A garden should be spacious. - Poor linking between garages, utilities, the pool, and the house. This article is owned by http://www.use-your-equity.com and written by John Whiteside. Learn more about real estate investing, and how to create and use the equity in your home! The original article can be found at http://www.use-your-equity.com/Landscaping.html
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Win the War Against Slugs and Snails Slugs are one of the most hated of garden pests. You may have spent time carefully planting out your seedlings into the bed, but when you return next morning, you find chewed leaves, the growing points nibbled away and a mass of slimy trails all around. All clear evidence that garden slugs, or sometimes snails, have been enjoying a nocturnal feast at your expense. Introduction to Botany Botanists are individuals who conduct extensive study on plant biology - from the simple to the most complex plant organisms; studying all aspect of an individual plant or an entire ecology. Many botanists are involved in a broad range of activities including academic, both teaching and researching (Including field and laboratory studies). In a strict sense, botany is the pure science involved with the investigation of the basic nature of plants. A Beautiful Rose Is Natures Gift Roses are one of natures most beautiful and splendid gifts. Roses come in a variety of colors and scents, from deep, deep red to the brightest yellow. The many pedals on roses offer a texture and fullness to roses that far outshine any other flowers. Black roses, red roses and white roses have all been used in historical writings. Even Sherlock Holmes paused from his busy work while solving the case of "The Naval Treaty" and said, "All other things ?are really necessary for our existence?But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its color are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers. Teak Furniture - The Proper Way to Care For & Clean It Teak furniture is tropical hardwood that has a rich, golden honey color when new. However, as teak begins to age and is exposed to the elements, the natural, beautiful color changes to a silvery gray patina. In fact, this is how you can distinguish finely aged outdoor teak furniture! The key with teak is that if you were to leave this silvery gray color on the teak furniture without being treated, you would never be able to get the lustrous honey, caramel back. Starting a Shade Garden... The shade garden can be exploding with color and texture. No matter how much shade is in your landscape, the right flowers, plants, bushes and bulbs will grow in this area when given a chance. As there are various types of shade, you will need to choose the plants that are 'right' for the type of shade you have: partial, dense, full, or filtered shade. In starting a shade garden, one of the easiest shade gardens will be the filtered shade garden. What you need to do first is look at the trees or bushes that are making this area a filtered shade garden. Pruning off the lower branches on taller bushes and on the tree will allow additional light into your garden. Because you are planning a filtered shade garden, you do want some amount of sunlight in that garden below the tree. Protecting your Garden Pond from Pesky Predators Notice any fish disappearing lately? While herons are presentyear-round, water gardeners notice the challenges they bring tothe pond in spring and early summer when herons feed their young. Why are Adirondack Chairs & Adirondack Furniture a Cottage Favorite? With summer right around the corner, it's time to sit back and enjoy a cool beverage in an Adirondack chair. Choosing Pond Plants A pond without plants is like cake without icing. Pond plantsfight algae, give fish a hiding place against predators, andbeautify our own little slice of paradise to plunk down in at theend of a tiring day. How to Buy a Porch Swing The Porch Swing is enjoying a surge in popularity thanks to the latest Home & Garden trend towards building "Garden Rooms". Patio Furniture Retailers have responded by flooding the market with so many options that making a choice can be a daunting task. Here are some factors that you should consider to help you make the best Porch Swing choice for you: The Meanings Behind the Colors of Roses Roses are a sign of love and friendship and by giving someone a rose you are telling them how truly special they are. There are a number of colors of roses available and each one represents a different meaning to the receiver. If you are looking to purchase roses for that special someone, but aren't quite sure which color would best suit your relationship, keep reading to find out what each color represents. Early Spring Garden Guide: What To Do In The Yard And Garden Now Can't wait to get back to the garden? Use this handy spring garden guide to get started. Believe it or not, the key is avoid getting too impatient and doing certain jobs too soon. Early spring jobs: in the yardStart winter cleanup of the lawn when the grass is no longer sopping wet and planting beds stop being a sea of mud. Rake your lawn to get rid of dead growth, stray leaves, twigs and winter debris and let light and air to the soil level, encouraging the grass to grow. Re-seed bare or damaged patches of lawn. Scratch up the soil with a rake first. Mix a shovel of soil with a couple of scoops of grass seed and spread in the patch you're fixing. Rake level and keep well-watered until seeds germinate and the new grass establishes. Remove tree guards or burlap winter protection from any young trees or shrubs. Try not to leave tree guards in place over the summer. They keep rabbits and mice from nibbling on tender bark over the winter, but trees don't need them in summer. They don't allow enough air movement around the base of the trunk and that can promote rot of the bark. Transplant any existing shrubs you want to move before they begin to leaf out. Weeds start growing vigorously early, so when you spot them, go to it. Getting on top of the weeding now means a lot less work later. Weeds are easier to pull out while their roots are still shallow in early spring. Apply dormant oil spray to fruit trees, magnolias, crabapples and shrubs such as euonymous to control scale insects and other overwintering pests. Use this organic pest control method when the buds are swelling but the leaves haven't opened yet. Apply when temperatures are between 40 and 70 degrees F (4-21 degrees C). Get your lawn mower checked and its blades sharpened if you didn't get the job done in late winter. Sharp blades cut better and leave your lawn grass healthier. Early spring garden jobs: In the flower gardenDon't be in a rush to remove winter mulch or to cut back evergreen plants such as lavender until temperatures are reliably warm. Freeze and thaw cycles over the winter may given some of your plants the heave-ho. Replant any perennials that the frost has heaved out of the ground as soon as you can. Cut back any remaining dead perennial foliage from last season (trimmings can go into the compost).Cut back ornamental grasses to about 10 inches from the ground.Remove winter protection of mounded earth from roses. Prune rose bushes before they start to leaf out.Resist the urge to start digging in your flower beds too early. You can damage the soil's structure. If you pick up a handful of soil, it should fall apart, not stick together like glue. When it's dry enough, you can start to dig beds and add compost or manure in preparation for planting.Grass growth is vigorous in the early spring garden, so edge your flower beds with a sharp trench between them and the grass to keep it in bounds. Repeat this job a couple of times through the season, or installing permanent edging goes a long way towards having a lower maintenance flower garden. Ladybugs, Ladybugs, Come to My Garden Ladybugs, also called lady beetles or ladybirds, can be a gardener's best friend. The ladybug's bright coloring brings welcomed cheer to the garden, as well as helping with pest control. Since medieval times, ladybugs have been valued by farmers all over the world. Many believe that the ladybug was divinely sent to free crops of insect pests. In fact, that is how the ladybug got its name. People dedicated the bug to the Virgin Mary and therefore called it "The Bug of our Lady", which was eventually shortened to the present name "ladybug". The Sundial - Garden Ornament or Exotic Timepiece? Most of us regard a sundial as an attractive ornament fora park or garden. Their effectiveness as time keepers ishighly variable Frame Your Garden With Edging You've planted the flowers, put in the shrubs and even added a bird bath and a few garden decorations, but what's missing? Could it be the edging? Add Value to Your Home - Landscaping Just recently my friend had his house appraised between $800,000 and $815,000 by two different independent house valuators. He spent two days hard work in the garden placing new grass on mats, bringing in new plants, putting creepers on the wall, and adding a water feature. He sold his house at an auction two weeks later for $853,500. It only took him a few hours of his work and a few thousand dollars to make a lot of profit. Outdoor Living Cleanses The Mind, Body, and Spirit Through the use of various mediums pertaining to the outdoors, like hot tubs and patio furniture, one can relax and enjoy nature. Don't stay confined to four walls and a roof, breathe and inhale the free, fresh air only the beautiful outdoors can provide. Use your outdoor space as an extension of home, with all the added comforts. Suppose you do not have an outdoor space to relax on wicker and eat on a simple yet classy teak table. What do you do? Ultra Violet Pond Filter Having an ultra violet pond filter will give you a much better chance at keeping your pond water clear. When used in conjunction with your regular pond filter, it's more than likely that you will have nice clear pond water. Tractors and Their History I recently bought a small tractor for my garden, which prompted me to right this article. 5 Most Popular Flowers for Your Garden When planting a garden there are many questions which you must ask yourself before you begin. Where are you going to plant it, do you have the garden equipment to do so and how big do you want your garden to be? When do flowers bloom and what are their heights? These are all very important questions, however they mean very little if you have not yet decided which types of flowers you want to plant. There are many to choose from and don't le anybody tell you which ones you can and can't plant. Gardens are unique and fascinating to look at because each one is unique it its own way. Lawn Moles and Proper Lawn Care Are your making mountains out of your molehills? Although lawn moles are underground creatures, the benefits they add to your garden are clearly visible and far outweigh the disadvantages. |
© Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |