Tips for preparing your lawn for winter
By: Tony Steine | Contribution from LawnStarter
The natural look of your lawn during the dormant season of winter can make selling your home tricky
Weather can also play a big part in either adding to or taking from the overall look of the exterior of a property. However, there are different ways that you can prepare your lawn and landscaping to look gorgeous in real estate listing photos as well as in person.
Consider these helpful tips for preparing your yard for the winter season:
Seed Bare Areas
Many lawns need a little more care during the late fall stage of the year. Start by checking the grass for thin or bare areas that need to be reseeded. It is essential to add seed to these areas to make sure that weeds don’t take hold. Sprinkle seed over these areas and add plenty of water to get the seeds to germinate and propagate. Seed bare areas take about 2-3 weeks to see results. Before your real estate agent schedules a listing photo shoot, you need to confirm that these areas are not an eyesore.
Repurpose Fallen Leaves
Dead leaves will cover many residential lawns towards the end of the fall season. Show potential buyers that you keep your lawn well-maintained by raking up the leaves. Instead of bagging up the leaves, consider mulching them into the lawn, which will provide a natural source of nutrients. Mulching dead leaves provides nitrogen to the lawn, which can help to sustain the overall green color as well as provide many health benefits to the root system.
Overseed Certain Varieties
Depending on your specific location, you may have a lawn that consists of a warm-season grass variety like Zoysia grass or Bermudagrass. Warm-season grass varieties are great for southern climates but can put a damper on winter listings due to the tendency for warm season grasses to turn brown. Consider overseeding the lawn with a cool-season grass variety, like Kentucky Bluegrass or Tall Fescue, that will thrive in the colder winter conditions of the area. Only add this grass seed to the lawn in late fall or early winter to provide a green lawn throughout the colder winter season.
Use Quick Release Fertilizer
Many lawns will benefit from a fertilizer application in the late fall. Choosing a quick release fertilizer will instantly green up a lawn making it the perfect shade for listing photographs. Consider hiring a lawn care company to apply this type of fertilizer to prevent burn spots that would be rather unsightly. Quick release fertilizers will last up to a month before they need to be either reapplied or switched to a slow release fertilizer option.
Frame the Lawn
Not only is a beautiful green lawn important to showcase in your listing but framing the lawn is equally important. Your energy spent creating a lush, green lawn is wasteful if the garden beds and areas around your lawn are not cared for. Consider adding organic mulch options, like rich colored bark dust, to make your home’s listing photos stand out. Other options include inorganic mulch choices like pebbles, rocks, or larger stones that will instantly raise the overall look and add value to your home.