Mulch - The Botox of the Gardner! Vol 185

I love the look of fresh mulch in the garden. Proudly surveying my hard work last week as I was obsessively preparing my home for the Piedmont Neighbors and Newcomers Annual Progressive Party, I suddenly thought, "mulch is the Botox of the garden!"  (Profound, right?)

 

Hey, I know, that you know, that it's only ground cover, but that thick carpet of fresh loam makes all the difference in the world. While mini bark is a whole lot cheaper than Botox, it works pretty much the same way - it beautifully hides flaws and smoothes out the imperfections (um, not that I would personally know anything about that).

And let's not underestimate the value of smoothing out the imperfections in the sale of a home - or of addressing minor flaws for that matter.  I'm not talking smoke and mirrors here, just a little bit of effort, a good deal of muscle and some well-orchestrated touch ups! 

So aside from mulch, here's a list of some of my other easy suggestions for getting your home in good order and in quick measure, prior to marketing it for sale - or when having a hundred of your new friends over for sangria and wine (nothing says "organize and clean-up" quite like an impending party . . .) .

1. Clear out and purge your drawers, closets, medicine cabinets and your garage. Serious buyers open them all (they do)! Besides, you haven't worn that suit in years - or that Hawaiian shirt since the honeymoon. C'mon. it's definitely time to donate them (and the other fifty outdated items in your closet) to charity.  Let go. Plus, creating spaces and breathing room in your home is good for the soul. Ahhh . . . . 
2. Straighten your bookshelves and declutter them. Attention Professor Peacock, crammed bookshelves don't make you look cerebral - they make you look sloppy. Create a few interesting vignettes or collections and give the eye pause every once in awhile. (Now, doesn't that look better?)
3. Stow those family photos. Putting aside the fact that your children are the MOST adorable kids on the planet (why make others feel insecure?) your life story can be incredibly distracting. Buyers need to begin to place their own family in the frame (get the picture?).
4. Paint your home in neutral, soothing colors. Restoration Hardware has a great pallet you can purchase and take to your local paint store. A gallon of paint is cheap compared to many other "fix it" solutions. Save the purple, hot pink and neon green paint for your teen's next "mod" home and have them take down their beloved posters as well (Not the Jonas Brothers? Yes - even them.)
5. Replace old light fixtures and knobs with newer pendants and pulls. Nothing dates your house quite as much as yesteryear's lighting. Remember the tension pole lamp with the three adjustable cones? (Yes, my folks had one. Didn't everybody's in the 60s?) Time to update! 
6. Give your garden a good facelift. Plant some color and a new lawn if need be and freshen those pots. Flowers are cheerful and good curb appeal makes a HUGE difference (here's where that mulch comes in). Your landscape is often the first impression your home receives - make it truly inviting.
7. Clean your refrigerator, stove and oven. Again, buyers look inside (yuck!) and give those windows a good washing while you are at it.  Make your home sparkle!  
8. Discard old papers, magazines, catalogues and unnecessary mail. Who needs it anyway?  In fact, don't even bring it in. Stop at the recycle bin on your way into the house and simplify your  environment.
9. Pack away the majority of your kids' toys.  If your home looks like Toys R Us or it has your friends and family wondering if you run a Day Care Center on the side, your kids probably have more than they need. Honestly, toddlers actually prefer the box the toys come in more. AND once they've outgrown a toy, a stroller, or a book, pass them along to the next deserving child.   
10. Fresh cut flowers are the explanation point in any room!  My mother always said a room wasn't finished without flowers.  If you haven't any blooming in your garden, treat yourself to a few inexpensive bouquets at Trader Joe's or Costco (they actually hold up quite nicely) or cut a few branches off a budding tree or bush (foliage works just as well).  

So there you have my list of "inexpensive improvements" any of us can accomplish in a day or two (or three or four).  And if you have extra energy, I would add: power wash your bricks, blow the leaves off you roof, put away everything nonessential and close the toilet lid already - WHEW!  Once you've done all that, you have earned a break. Oh! No time - here they come . . . .

After all that gardening (and company), I could use a good manicure - and I am probably overdue at the dermatologist's as well. (At my age, I need heavy mulching. . . ).