Everybody has that section of their yard they have no idea what to do with. The side yard that’s in the shade, the lonely strip of dirt next to the driveway, or that awkward corner next to the garage are all great examples of areas of our yard that often go unutilized.
Finding unique and eye-catching ways to jazz up and enjoy these unsightly areas is a great way to not only enjoy a weekend outside, but also see the immediate transformation of an otherwise unsightly space. Here are five easy ways to transform unused yard space this summer.
Planter Boxes
Occupy some of that empty space with a planter box or two. Planter boxes are a simple and inexpensive way to fill in that boring, blank spot that’s been driving you nuts. Build them yourself, or find them pre-made at any hardware store like Home Depot or Lowe’s. Planter boxes, or raised beds, can be used for more than just planting vegetables, so you can be creative here. Fill the boxes with rocks and a few types of succulents, soil and wildflowers, or some tall grasses and shrubs.
Arbor and Climbing Plants
Build an arbor and plant some climbing roses around it. This is a simple solution to beautify an uninspired space. You can find arbors at most major hardware stores, as well the climbing plants you’ll want to plant at its base. Climbing plants like roses, honeysuckle, grapes, or ivy will give your arbor an added splash of color, fragrance and also provide some privacy.
Rock Garden
Create a rock garden. If you’ve got grass in your empty space, dig up the earth and fill it with pea gravel and other rocks of various sizes and colors. This is also a good opportunity to make the garden an interesting shape. Make sure you thoroughly water the area before digging; this will make the ground softer and easier to work with. Plant sage or lavender to create a simple, Xeriscaped look. Sage and lavender plants are water-wise and require little maintenance.
Conversation Area
Set up a small table with a colorful umbrella and two chairs in the vacant part of your yard. This will create a cozy outdoor conversation area, and is equally suitable for enjoying your morning coffee while reading the paper.
Patterned Walkway
Make a checkerboard-patterned garden or walkway. Section off the area and divide it in to checkerboard pattern with pavers, then start digging. You can alternate planting ground cover, wild flowers, lavender, pea gravel, bark, stepping stones or tall grasses within the checkerboard pattern. This is a unique way to make that space look more interesting by diversifying your plant and rock selections.
Nice newsletter. Good article. Good information. Thank you. Carol
For conventional financing, borrowers with scores at 740 or anywhere above generally receive the same loan pricing (rate and cost). That being said, the better your credit the higher your chances of receiving loan approval with high debt to income (up to 50%) or high loan to value (up to 95%) which can be a major benefit when applying for a new loan. For Jumbo financing, borrowers with credit scores above 800 are generally rewarded with both better pricing and easier guidelines. There are no situations where better credit is a negative when obtaining new financing so we should all continue to strive to reach and then stay in the 800’s.
What are the advantages of a score over 800
Thank you Mike for this information. As a residential realtor the information that you provide is crucial to a successful transaction for my clients. You are indeed a pleasure to recommend to all of my clients. You are so professional, thorough, conscientious and pleasant to work with. !!
Hi Dane! Wanted to make sure I'm clear on this. Am I right in saying that on whichever remodel is done you still take a loss rather than an increase in value - the ROI will never exceed 100% of cost?