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Photo Credit: Sarah Landicho

A colorful rain garden out front helps set this townhome apart from others for sale in the neighborhood.

It’s a tough housing market out there. If you’ve been trying to sell your home, you know that already. So what can you do to get a leg up on your neighbors, who have their house on the market, too? The answer’s easy: Upgrade your garden!

No doubt you’re busy – getting your house ready and cleaned (and keeping it that way) to show to potential buyers seems like an endless job. But don’t forget about your home’s exterior. After all, it’s the first impression visitors have. And not only is curb appeal at the top of the list when it comes to what homebuyers look for in a landscape, for many people, a neglected yard implies a neglected home.

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Photo Credit: Sarah Landicho

This cottage-style garden complements the home’s exterior, and the colorful plants are welcoming, as well as attractive.

So where do you start? First, clean up your existing landscape. You need to streamline your yard the same way you streamline the inside of your home. Make the time to get outside and weed and mow. Put down new mulch to spruce up your beds. Deadhead old blooms, and trim back and shape any shrubs that may have become rangy or overgrown. Pull out any old, unhealthy-looking plants.