Curb appeal is important all year long!

Selling or renting a property can be daunting between Thanksgiving and New Years.  Most folks don't want to move during this time frame unless forced to do so by a job relocation, divorce or some other event.  They don't want to pull the kids out of school, take down the Christmas decorations that they've only just put up or deal with weather issues.  It's just not an attractive time for moving.

So what if you have a property that is vacant during this time?  Do you just lock it up tight and wait for spring?  No!  You make it as fabulous as you can with the budget you have and then wait for the offers!  After all, people do still move in the winter.  They may not be the majority but they're still out there.

The first thing to do is amp up with curb appeal.  In the spring/summer curb appeal almost takes care of itself.  Grass is green, flowers are blooming, trees fan out and offer shade.  Winter time, not so much.  Grass is dead, leaves are gone...well at least not on the trees any longer....and everything just has this deserted look to it.

One way to liven it up is with plants and/or flowers that weather the cold better than most.  If you don't have planters or urns in which to plant them, get some wood, make a box, paint the box and plant them in that.  It's not hard and only takes as long as an hour to do from start to finish.  Below are a few plants and flowers specimens that weather the Alabama winters just fine.  Note.  I would recommend putting the flowers in an area protected from heavy frost or ice such as on a covered porch if at all possible.  Whatever you choose, remember if it hasn't rained in a while - someone will have to go over and water them....just sayin'.

Camellia's are strong plants that even bloom in the snow, their leaves stay glossy green and they give off an amazing scent.  They come in an array of colors and can be planted in a pot or directly in the ground.  If allowed to grow they can reach heights up to 8 feet depending on the variety you get.

  The picture above is a Winter Hazel which if planted in the ground becomes a beautiful tree that while only gets up to 8 feet tall fans out to create a gorgeous yellow canopy of color.

Blue holly is an extremely tough plant which requires very little care.  Also, due to their sharp edged leaves, thieves are not tempted to steal them much.

Another way to brighten the exterior of any property is to paint the front door.  Paint is an easy and inexpensive do over if anyone wants to change it down the road.  But in the meantime, it will make a statement, it will brighten up the exterior of the house and it will stick in potential buyers/renters mind.  They may not remember exactly what the interior looked like but they will remember the house with the yellow door.  Look at the photo's below for a few ideas.

If you don't want to repaint your door but still want to give it a punch....add a wide kickplate and hang a wreath or basket with faux flowers.  Always remember to change out or add a bright doormat to give the entrance a finished appeal.

Once you've added the shrubs in planters, painted the door, hung a wreath and added a welcoming mat....all you need to do then is keep the leaves raked and wait for the offers!

As always, enjoy your space!