Your long-time loyal customer is selling their house. Well, I guess your business is done there. WRONG! Your client selling their house could be a great opportunity for you. Here’s why!
Curb appeal is huge for people selling their house. Just think, if you helped your customer sell your house it could open new avenues for you.
How It can Help
Helping your client get their house bought by improving their landscape can be a big benefit to you. Chances are the homeowners that move in will love your work! If the yard is a big aspect that drew them to the house, they will want it maintained. You automatically have gained a new client, in a home you were already maintaining. In addition, your client that is moving will probably want to continue their services with you if they are happy with your work. So, win-win for you.
How to do It
There are several things you could consider when reevaluating a client’s landscape. You may already be doing many of these but when trying to help get a client’s home bought, going the extra mile and covering your bases is never a bad thing.
People want a natural look. Past trends were to create cookie cutter landscape beds with straight lines. To help a client get their home bought try making the landscape look like it belongs. In this I mean, the landscape should look so good with the house that you don’t notice the little details like what plants you use or the color of the mulch. Make the landscape look like it grew on its own to fit with the house.
Plants
Choose native plants and materials. This will allow the landscape to look more natural and stand up better to environmental conditions. Also, choose trees wisely. Avoid trees that have a lot of leaf or needle fall. It will be easier to maintain and a little neater looking. When placing plants in a yard look at every angle. What does it look like from the road, kitchen window, bedroom, front door, and so on. This will give your design a 360 appeal to a potential buyer.
Lighting
Lighting can be overwhelming and ineffective if done incorrectly. Lighting design has become popular, but overdoing this look can be a disaster for your neighbors. When setting up lighting angles you want to explore every point of view. For example, a lighting arrangement may look good from outside but maybe not from inside.
Focal points are important to draw attention to special elements in a landscape. Choose one or two elements in 
each area to highlight. Lighting should give the landscape a since of depth will add to the look and enhance the property. Use lights along pathways and within the landscape bed will create that depth. Use ambient lighting to gently light an entire area.
Spotlighting will draw strong attention to a particular feature. Drawing attention to the face of the house is a way to use a spotlight for ambient lighting. Spotlighting a single tree in the front yard will create a bold bright effect to the landscape.
Colored Mulch
It’s simple, don’t go crazy with the mulch. It goes back to making the landscape look natural. Using natural bark is your best bet!
Water Feature
Water features can transform an outdoor space. Features create a tranquil environment with the sound of flowing water, eye appeal and reflective qualities. In addition, a wide variety of fish, foliage and flowers can be added to enhance a water garden. The bubbling of a fountain, flow of water down stream, and the gracefully shaped features are examples of the endless possibilities for water features.
Adding a small water feature can complete a space. However, in this case smaller is better. Adding a huge pond or water feature isn’t the best idea because they are harder to maintain and not all homeowners desire them. A small feature is enough to be impressive, relaxing and to pull a space together.
K.I.S.S
Keep it stupid simple. Elaborate plantings, sculpted trees, and deep flower beds filled with annuals may seem lush and inviting, but a future homeowner will probably wonder how hard he or she will have to work to keep up this look. Keep landscape somewhat simple and easy to maintain, let the new homeowners add in something extravagant.
Good Luck
Implementing these simple concepts for a client selling their home will help them, and hopefully you too. Doing a great job on any project you complete is free marketing for your company. In this I mean, their neighbors and friends will be impressed with your work too and will ask for your information. Create a word of mouth campaign to get more business. Good Luck!
