Enhancing a Home's Curb Appeal Can Provide an Edge for Sellers in a Tough Market

Borst Landscape & Design Helps Perk-Up the Landscape to Attract Buyers

ALLENDALE, N.J., Nov. 17, 2008 – “If your house has been sitting on the market since spring, improving the curb appeal is one of the single best ways to help attract buyers, and there are techniques even in the fall and winter that can help,” said Gail Tunis, head of Garden Maintenance for award-winning Borst Landscape & Design in Allendale, N.J.

“The key is to make your property stand out, and the way to do that is with color,” said Tunis. “The eye is always drawn to color. We have several clients who managed to find buyers within just a few days, and each said it was the flowers and gardens that really sold the house.”

Tunis, a garden designer, is responsible for the design, installation and upkeep of all annual and perennial gardens on more than 80 properties maintained by Borst. In addition, she supervises seasonal and holiday displays. But when a home is up for sale, the entire property becomes, in a sense, a display that must be designed with utmost care.

“The first thing buyers see is the exterior,” Tunis noted. “If your landscaping is overgrown or lacking in curb appeal, the buyer may never even bother coming inside.”

The advantage of hiring a full-service firm like Borst is that it offers the combined services of design professionals who can quickly assess the property’s needs and come up with practical solutions, as well as a team that will maintain the property on a continuing basis.

Keep Things Looking Fresh
In most cases, all the property needs is a quick face-lift. One of the first considerations is the size and age of the plantings around the house. “If the plantings are too old or overgrown, they should be removed and replaced with younger, fresher looking shrubs,” Tunis advises. “It is especially important to ensure that windows are not blocked. You want the house to appear trim and neat from the outside, and allow as much light as possible to shine through to the interior.”


The lawn is another area of focus. New buyers, especially young families, consider the lawn and backyard as extensions of the house. They want to see an area that is appealing, where they feel comfortable entertaining guests or having their children run and play, Tunis noted.

“In the current slow housing market, sellers need every edge they can get, and enhanced landscaping is one improvement that draws a buyer’s attention to the property and sets it apart from all the others,” she noted. “Quick landscape fixes can cost between $500 and $5,000, but that’s a small price to pay for the advantage of being able to sell your home in today’s market.”

Borst Landscape & Design is a full-service landscape firm specializing in large-scale residential design/build projects and commercial maintenance throughout northern New Jersey. Borst’s award winning designs have been featured in national magazines and highlighted in home and garden tours.

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