As you drive through your neighborhood, you may notice a few yards that have been beautifully designed and immaculately maintained. When you compare these yards to your own, you may feel as though your home is woefully inadequate. Dressing up your curb appeal can seem like a major undertaking, but the task can be simplified with gorgeous results when you follow a few easy steps.

Create a Plan

Before you make any changes to your yard, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. Your plan should identify all of the current problem areas. It also should take into account visibility of the home from the street level, your budget, ongoing maintenance needs and more. When it comes to landscaping, there are times when less is more. Do not feel as though you need to have elaborate features to have a beautiful space. A detailed plan can guide your efforts and can prevent you from second-guessing your decisions.

Add Color

One of the primary differences that you may notice between your yard and the yard of others in your neighborhood is the matter of color. Many bushes, shrubs and tree leaves are a relatively standard shade of green. To dress up your curb appeal, you need to think outside the norm and incorporate color. Seasonal color can come from flowering plants, but you also need color throughout the year to enjoy lasting results. You can add a few layers of vegetation that have substantially lighter or darker shades of green, touches of yellow or even deep purple to address your color issue.

Cover the Dirt

Another common challenge that homeowners face is dirt. A beautiful yard does not have any dirt or mud-riddled areas. Instead, the flower beds are mulched regularly. Any areas where foliage is too think for grass to grow or where the grass has been downtrodden, specialty rocks or pebbles can be added. For example, you can add a pebbled pathway that leads up to your home. Remember that rocks and pebbles can also add color to your yard.

Your yard can affect your property value, the pride of ownership of other important factors. If your yard is a source of embarrassment right now, take action to improve the situation. Spend ample time planning out your landscaping approach through a company like Purdy Topsoil & Gravel before you get started, and ensure that you have a healthy budget that gives you funds to complete all aspects of your landscape remodeling project.