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With the weather turning cooler and gardens showing their less vibrant side, it is a good idea to prep your yard for prospective buyers so that they look well maintained and easy to take care of.
One of the most important things to take care of in the fall, especially if you live in an area that gets a lot of precipitation is gutter maintenance. Well-functioning gutters that aren't all clogged with leaves will decrease your chances of a basement flood or gutter damage later in the winter. Make sure that your gutters are clean of any leafy debris and are securely attached to the house. Even if it's not particularly raining where you live, melting snow later in the year can cause drainage issues.
To minimize damage to your trees and shrubs while supporting their general heath it is a good idea to prune or trim your trees, shrubs, and bushes usually in the late fall after they are finished with their growing season. Each individual type of plant will require a slightly different handling, so make sure you look up the pruning requirements for your specific plants.
In areas that receive a great deal of winter winds or accumulations of snow, you may want to prepare your shrubs for rougher weather. Some delicate shrubs may require a shelter to keep the snow off of it; you can wait until closer to the time that snow is expected to do this, but try not to push the envelope too far and have the first snow hit before you've taken care of these plants. Evergreen shrubs may require wrapping to keep them from breaking under the weight of a snowfall; usually these plants are wrapped with a mesh or burlap to keep the branches supported.
Your lawn is a fairly easy area of the yard to winterize; mow the lawn until the growth slows for the cooler season. This will vary from area to area due to climate. Use a weed & feed product on your lawn to control plant pests as well as encourage grass growth in the spring. To encourage better aeration, use a thatching rake to remove the dead grass from your lawn. Keep dropped leaves off the lawn as well to keep it healthy.
If you have a vegetable garden then you should turn the soil and add some compost to it to nurture the soil for the spring. Don't get stuck thinking that you're selling your home so you don't need to do these steps; if your home doesn't sell you will want your garden ready for you to plant. Also, taking care of your entire yard makes prospective buyers look more favorably on your whole property.
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