6 Pro Tips for Creating Your Own Natural View
- Matt Miner,
- October 12, 2019
In our experience, too many homeowners undervalue their land. They end up just focusing on the house (especially in Seattle for some reason), but no matter how much land you have, you have to maximize it. And usually, this means investing in some beautiful landscaping that not only offers top-notch curb appeal, but gives you a dreamy view from inside your home!
There was a Bellevue home that Matt saw during the recession that made a big impact on him—he remembers being a new agent at the time and walking into this house and being blown away by what he saw. There were these huge floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out into this incredible garden the owner had cultivated. That was the first time that Matt really realized that you could create your own view—the yard was seriously *everything* (and, the house happened to sell really well during a crashed market, go figure!).
Here are 6 pro tips for creating your own view:
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1. Don’t grow any plants directly against your house.
Especially with a lot of older homes, we’ll sometimes encounter these massive bushes or rhododendrons that surround the house and practically swallow it whole. As impressive as some of these older plants may be (looking at you, giant rhodies), it also usually means that they’re covering windows and cutting down big time on the amount of natural light you have inside the home (and here in Seattle we’ll take as much natural light as we can get!). So, rip out these giant behemoths—believe us… you’ll want the natural light you’ll gain as a result!
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2. Create a barrier between the house and the yard with rounded tumbled river rock.
About an 18-inch to 2-foot border is ideal, and better than bark—bark looks nice, but only for so long; you have to keep replacing it. And of course, use rock that’s large enough that it won’t get disturbed by a leaf blower.
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3. If you have a pathway from the street or driveway leading to the front door, line it with flowering plants that add a pop of color and line that with rock.
It’s SO eye-catching and does wonders for curb appeal!
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4. You can grow larger plants along your property line/fence line.
Not only does this help to create privacy screen, but it also means that you get a better view from inside your home. When you’re deciding what to plant, make sure to pay close attention to how large it will get. Plant the tallest things in the back, then the medium sized flowering plants. (Matt tries to buy the most mature plants he can because he doesn’t like to wait the years it can take for them to mature, and with how often he moves, he wants to be able to enough them ASAP! But this also means they’ll be more expensive and harder to plant. It’s a tradeoff.) Plant the shortest, smallest plants in the front, then cover the soil with bark, and line it all with rock or other stone elements.
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5. Plant things that smell amazing.
Jasmine and honeysuckle are a couple of great options in Seattle, and they smell absolutely heavenly… there’s no better first impression than an amazing natural scent wafting through the air AND picturesque landscaping! A great way to grow jasmine and honeysuckle is by adding mesh to a fence that they can climb up—it’ll make your view even better!
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6. To do all of this, you’ll need the right lot.
You need to find a place where you have enough sun exposure, and you want a dry lot with great drainage (so don’t buy a home at the bottom of 2 hills if you care about the yard!). You also don’t want any large conifers on your property—not only will this provide too much shade for many plants and make your lot feel like a dark little cave, but the needles they shed are acidic and your grass won’t be happy.
Our latest listing in Seattle’s Bryant neighborhood presents the *ideal* opportunity for the aspiring urban farmer or the garden enthusiast!
Click here for all details + photos.
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Matt Miner
Real estate guru and Seattle know-it-all
@https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCufEgIpNKrMvxdaGZ9w1I9wIn everything that I do as your REALTOR®, I have one guiding principle in mind: To make certain that your home-buying or selling experience is a happy, successful, wonderful life experience! We build trust and security with our clients using knowledge and transparency.
