Real Estate Matters
By Elisa Jo Eagan
Everyone wants to make the exterior of their home look awesome. However, the frequently suggested ways to boost curb appeal often involve using too much water, excessive electricity, or unhealthy chemicals.
Instead, make your home look its best while staying eco-friendly by implementing some of these sustainable curb appeal ideas.
Use Drought-Tolerant Plants
Give your landscaping an environmentally friendly upgrade by planting some drought-tolerant plants. These varieties of flora will help you use less water and spend less time in the garden, as well as provide habitat and food for wildlife. Here are a few suggestions:
Lavender
Catmint
Zinnia
Portulaca
Salvia
Blanket Flower
Angelonia
Another way to reduce your water consumption is using a backyard rain catcher by adding a barrel that will hold rainwater to use for your landscaping needs.
Trees
If your yard is a little bare, consider adding some trees to your property to give it some character and help the environment.
Trees can help reduce your carbon footprint, as they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They also help reduce your heating and cooling costs by providing shade in summer and protecting your home from cold winds in winter.
Trees can improve your home’s worth as healthy trees can add up to 10 percent to its overall value. Remember, this is a long-term project; trees can take anywhere from five to 30 years to grow and mature.
Lawn Alternatives
The upkeep of your lawn can cause you to use excessive amounts of water, not to mention gasoline or electricity to power lawn mowers, edgers and well pumps.
To help reduce the resources and the time you spend maintaining your lawn, hire a professional landscaper instead of doing it yourself, or go with an alternative ground cover such as moss, clover or ornamental grass. You can also choose to install artificial turf made of recycled materials.
Solar-Powered Lights
Outdoor lighting s a great way to illuminate your home’s exterior while entertaining and enjoying your yard in the evening. However, you can avoid consuming electricity by choosing solar-powered landscape lights. These lights have panels that convert sunlight into energy and require no electricity to use. Place them along walkways to guide guests to your home or in select areas of your yard and flowerbeds to highlight certain features.
Paint
Whether it’s your entire home or just your front door, a fresh coat of paint can give any home an instant boost. Better yet, painting the exterior of your home can help increase its value by up 5 to 10 percent.
However, before hiring painters, make sure that you choose an environmentally safe paint that is low or no VOC, short for volatile organic compounds, which can be toxic to humans and pets and pollute the atmosphere.
Light Fixtures
If your home has old exterior fixtures, replace them with energy-saving models to help you reduce energy consumption and lower your electric bills. Also, replacing the bulbs in your outdoor lights with LED varieties helps conserve energy and they can last 20 times longer than standard light bulbs.
Window Boxes
Give your home’s exterior a pop of color by installing some DIY window boxes. Choose flowers that match your home’s accent colors to help color coordinate, or select native plants, as they are better adapted to thrive in the environment and are crucial for the survival of birds and wildlife.
When choosing window boxes, consider upcycling items that you have around the house, like these creative ideas:
Rustic Pallet Window Box
Dresser Drawer Window Box
Galvanized Metal Tub Window Box
Use these tips to turn your yard and your home into an eco-friendly paradise that boosts your curb appeal and the value of your home.
With hugs, love, and warm regards.
For More Real Estate Questions, Information and Advice Contact Elisa Jo Eagan “The Real Estate Godmother” (609)703-0432 and Remember…”There’s No Place Like Owning Your Own Home!”
