We have all been there and have had that similar sensation. “That’s what I would love to do on my property”, or “How can I create that at my home.” When selling your home the dynamics of cost verses returns become critical. The value of time becomes a variable as well.
I am the first one to understand it takes hard work and money to develop the ideas we have in our heads. To come up with the artisitc solutions to many of the issues we have had with our homes is not easy. People get stuck on where to begin and this poses the first challenge. I write as I have written before, “ONE PLANT, ONE LOVE” and one small spot to plant into. Then just do it. Find a plant that you saw around your neighborhood, that you want at your home, buy it and get it in the ground. It’s that simple. Dig a hole, mix some plant food and compost with the existing soil and keep it sufficiently watered. I must tell you, the past 10 years I have read so many books and articles about garden design and plants, it must be overwhelming for the average homeowner. The types of gardens, the vast number of plant choices and finally which plants will fit on my property, my soil, my temperate zone, my exposure.
STOP! ENOUGH!
HOW DO I BEAUTIFY MY HOME WITHOUT SPENDING ALL MY TIME FIGURING OUT WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN’T.
Stage direction: Take a deep breath, turn and face the opposite direction, exhale and relax.
I was at a network breakfast, a BNI sponsored event early this morning and listened to many Long Island business people talk about their businesses and how they could benefit the community. There wasn’t much excitement, probably because I was so tired from the previous days event (I have a 14 year old, I shouldn’t have to explain any further). I wasn’t expecting much from the event, and as the breakfast came to a close and I bid my friend Heidi goodbye, I chose to approach a realtor whom I wanted to exchange information with. Like so many learning experiences, you never know where they will come from.
After introductions I went on to say how I would appreciate the opportunity to build a relationship with her and her new homeowners. After years of being a homeowner, I understand needing a place to learn garden design, garden care, landscape concepts and property management.
The decision to build and design this website was motivated by the lack of comprehensive, reader friendly information currently on the web. I would find myself searching for the right combination of words, only to be disappointed by most results. The amount of time spent almost never justified the information found. Plantwithme.com will become the definitive educational resource on the web for Landscape Restoration, Design, appropriate plant selection and overall property management. My time frame is between 2 to 3 years to build the database and design the site for every possible cross referencing planting opportunity. Homeowners new and old as well as professionals in these businesses will have one home to learn from, be inspired by and hopefully entertained.
Getting back to my day. So there I was, trying to promote my special qualities, and how we could benefit one another when this travel agent said to me, “what about improving curb appeal.” I immediately thought how interesting, spend someones money to help them sell their home. People considering selling their home don’t necessarily represent the long-term clients I usually desire, but why turn away people in need. I have learned over the years, you never know where a relationship may lead (visa-vie, the networking event I was at). I am amazed it took me 11 year in business to finally concede and conform to commonly know business practices. This is a clear definition of an artist compromising to continue developing his art.
We are all in it to win it. Not just with our homes, but with our lives. How we dress, how we look, how we choose to smile and the language we use. We are building curb appeal with every motion, every action . Now you wonder where I am going with this topic and how it is going to lead back to Gardens, Landscapes and Property Management. I have mentioned it a number of times already and will broach the language again, CURB APPEAL.
Your home may have a pretty exterior and the inside is clean, neat and spacious. Everything a new homeowner is looking for. The only problem is they have to get past the entranceway and walk to the front door. In the opening lines of this article I laid it out for everyone to see. “We have all been there and have had that similar sensation. “That’s what I would love to do on my property”, or “How can I create that at my home.” If you are going to put your home on the market, why not present your home to sell. We all do this before friends or family come over, clean up and put away all the clutter. When selling our homes we usually don’t have to spend much on the inside to create a pretty, clean and fresh presentation. On the other hand the exterior of our homes becomes a different and at times an overwhelming challenge.
Where should you begin and can you create curb appeal on a budget? The answer is Yes and always begin with cleanups. Follow cleanup with complimenting planters. With planters in place it is time to fill them with life (color, form and size in proportion with the home). My first thought is, any homeowner trying to sell wants to spend the least amount of money for the greatest possible result. Sounds live utopia to me and I can honestly say it is doable. Pictures can say so much, just like actions speak loader than words (well, not my words, ha ha ha).
So the following pictures display entranceways that present themselves so all feel welcome. I hope you enjoy the journey. While strolling through the photos, begin envisioning your properties introduction. Anyone who needs help seeing the possibilities, please don’t hesitate to contact us and beginning a relationship with Plant With Me.
I love it! Your enthusiasm is so contagious…….so many ideas,so little time………