According to a 2013 National Association of Realtors survey, 71% of homebuyers find that curb appeal is a big influence in deciding which home to purchase!  I have said many times that the home’s exterior can make or break a sale as it is the buyer’s first impression of your home. Follow these simple tips to make sure you don’t lose a buyer to poor curb appeal!

• Keep the exterior of your home maintained. Paint your siding, clean your gutters, make sure doors and windows are not only looking good, but are in good working order, keep you sidewalks in good repair, tighten railings, reseal your driveway.
• How is your plant landscaping, has it taken over the house? Trim up the trees and bushes, clear the walkways, pull those weeds, put out pretty flowers, remove dead trees and plants, and keep the lawn mowed.
• What about the landscaping? Are your pavers still flat, are the crevasses free of weeds, is your firepit clean, are your retaining walls in good shape?
• Remove outdoor clutter – basically stage the outside. Park the camper somewhere else, store bicycles, and toys neatly in the garage, wind up the hoses, just pick up the yard and don’t leave things lying around.
• Unless you have absolutely nothing in your yard, don’t spend big money to spruce it up. Keep it simple, but most of all a clean, well-kept appearance is what a buyer is looking for.

Do you need some spring? Are you sick and tired of winter? Do you feel like it will never be warm again and the snow will last forever? Then you need to get down to the Home and Garden Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center starting on Wednesday this week. The show offers great tips, trends and ideas for all your home remodeling and decorating needs as well as landscaping.  What could get you more in the mood to think spring than planning out some new landscaping or finding interesting plants and trees for your yard?  Even if you own a condo, they have ideas to get your deck or balcony in shape this spring.  There is an idea house with the latest and greatest for bathroom spas, gourmet kitchens and more.  The show is open Wed. February 27 – Sun. March 3.  The hours vary by day, so please check their website for complete details and to get discounted tickets and bus passes!

The Minneapolis Home and Garden Show starts today!  The show is open from today through Sunday, March 4, please see the website for times as each day is a bit different.  This is a great place to go for inspiration and information.  If you have project in mind you will find knowledgeable people that can help you with those projects or you can go just to get ideas for projects that you did not even know you would want to do.  The show has exhibitors from all areas of the home, be it kitchen, bath, decoration, landscaping, you name it!  Find out the latest trends for the home as well.

Are you looking for some ideas for your spring home projects?  Look no further, the Home and Patio Show started yesterday and runs through Sunday.  The show has more than 400 local and national retailers and manufacturers showing off their latest products.

Whether you are looking for ideas for bathrooms, kitchens, decks or landscaping the Home and Patio Show has it all.  It is a great place to collect creative ideas, get advice and see what the current trends are and just be inspired.

The Home and Patio Show is held at the St. Paul River Center and has exhibits, displays, workshops and seminars.  Professionals from all the industries will be on hand to give you personal advice and assistance.  For more information, click here.