The first time you pull up in front of your newly completed
home in Ottawa, you should be dazzled. Here it is – your carefully selected
architectural model, brick, trim colours, front porch – exactly as you wanted.
Welcome home, indeed!
The good news is that your home’s curb appeal is only going
to get better. How? Well, the one aspect that usually remains to be completed
is the landscaping. (The exception here is for condominium properties, which
tend to include full landscaping and lawn maintenance.) Most of you will be met
with a nice green lawn and, often, the single planted tree that many builders
include among their standard features. That’s a great start – but it’s only a
start!
Now, I’m not recommending that you go over-the-top in terms
of money or style. Gazebos and waterfalls are lovely, but simple gardens can be
just as beautiful. Trees in particular are one of the best investments you can
make: they increase in value every year until they reach maturity. Trees add
beauty, shade and a sense of neighbourliness to your Ottawa home and the whole
community – just think how dramatically a streetscape is changed when a big oak
or maple is struck down by lightning. As an added benefit, large shady trees
can decrease both your air-conditioning costs in summer and, acting as a
windbreak, your heating costs in winter.
When selecting a tree, talk to an expert at your local
nursery. They’ll help you decide on the right tree and the proper location,
taking into account such variables as your home’s exposure to sun and wind, the
size of a tree’s root system and the amount of upkeep necessary.
Keep in mind, you don’t need to have a green thumb to have
gorgeous gardens. Again, rely on your nursery experts to help you choose
low-maintenance plants. Planting perennials (plants that return each year) is
one way to reduce labour. If you time it right, you can often pick up
incredible flowers, shrubs and ornamental grasses for half-price towards the
end of summer.
The love you give your lawn will not only increase your
enjoyment of your home, it will also pay off years down the road when you put
your home in Ottawa on the market. Take it from me: great landscaping can
dramatically increase interest from buyers, and can definitely boost your
asking price. So get out there and get your hands dirty!
Visit www.bennettpros.com for all your real estate needs
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