It’s all about curb appeal as you try to ensure your property will be etched in the memory of potential buyers. The often quoted maxim that there is never a second chance to make a great first impression is especially true in this circumstance. And while curb appeal may focus on a dramatic approach to the front door, prospective buyers will be even more intrigued by your equally appealing back yard.

Add some new plants, set out pots of blooming flowers and liven up your yard, so it’s not a wide open space. Doing some work on this area could mean you’ll see better returns – like increased buyer interest, frequent showings and better offers. Something you certainly don’t want to pass up just because you didn’t spruce up your yard. These ideas are both cost effective, practical and can be done over a few weekends.

Clean up, trim, weed and mow: Before you start any work on your yard do what’s absolutely necessary and that’s to create a clean space. Clean up anything that’s cluttering the yard, remove weeds and mow the lawn. If you do nothing else on this list. Do this.

Add A Focal point: Something that will draw the attention of a potential buyer. You could install an antique garden trellis and plant some vines to create an arbor or add a sculpture or statuary in the center of the yard or in a secluded garden spot.

Create An Outdoor Gathering Space: Your buyers will want to host family and friends in their new home. And as the temperatures rise in time for summer showcase your backyard with an area dedicated to this. Once again you can add a trellis to show the demarcation, get some patio furniture and include a charcoal pit and “coffee table” to complete this gathering spot.

Build A Dry Creek Bed: This is both a practical solution and an eye-catching feature. If your garden is plagued with standing rain after heaving down pours, creating a dry creek bed is a great way for you to channel this water away from your yard and into a drainage system. The pea gravel and river rock, along with a simple bridge make this feature simply beautiful to look at, moreso after you’d have experience rain and the water flows through the stream.

Add Solar Lights: Highlight planting areas, make your yard more suitable for night time gatherings or define a pathway with solar lights. There are many options you can choose to install that will fit your budget while still being appealing. Your main focus should be to give your yard an enchanted garden feel, instead of a stadium vibe. So, don’t overdo the lights.

Plant A Specialty Garden: You can attract butterflies and hummingbirds if you plant wildflowers. Or create some functional appeal by planting kitchen herbs, seasonal vegetables and edible flowers in a small raised garden plot. Kale, carrots and rainbow chard are quite pretty and they don’t require that much space. You could also plant melons, squash and pumpkins as they have beautiful flowers and yield great fruit, but they’re known to spread.

When you put your home on the market there are minor upgrades you can complete to bring your home up to standard and make it that much more appealing. However, always start with the necessary repairs and move on from there. If you can’t afford to do anything else, clean. A clean space is far more inviting than its counterpart. A dirty, cluttered space. All you need to clean is time and patience. If you’d like someone to make a reasonable offer, these are two things you can’t afford to not have.

If you’re unsure what needs fixing and sprucing up, talk to a real estate agent. We know what needs to be done and what’ll get your home sold at a price you want, since we’ve been in the business for years.