Does Your Home Say ‘Friendly’ or ‘Frightening’?

How to Take the Spook Out of Your Lawn and Landscape

Fall is officially here. Time to carve some pumpkins, sip on some apple cider and find your way through a corn maze.

We love how things take a spooky turn this time of year. But despite how much you might gravitate toward a haunted house in October, you don’t want your home to look sinister all year round. Well, this is exactly what can happen when you let your yard and landscaping fall to the dark side.

This month, we’re sharing some of the haunting ways your home can lose value and, more importantly, how you can turn the tables.

Your Home May Be Frightening If…

1. Your yard is full of weeds. Nothing says “I haven’t touched my yard in forever,” like a lawn full of weeds. Now that we’ve made it through this particularly hot summer, it’s the perfect time to spruce up your yard and get everything nice and tidy. If you don’t have the time or you just don’t want to tackle the weeds yourself, leave it to the team at Castle Point. We provide an array of NJ lawn care services, including weed control, fertilization, watering and more.
2. Your concrete is cracked, moldy and stained. Concrete is one of those materials that will look great if you stay on top of it. But if you don’t, it will negatively impact your home’s overall value. Each year (typically before the start of summer), grab a power washer and give the concrete a good cleaning. If the concrete has cracked over time, call a professional or check out this article to learn how to seal the cracks yourself.
3. Your deck is rotting. When it comes to salvaging a wooden deck, time is of the essence. Moisture and pooling water will cause the deck to start rotting and, since dry rot is a fungus, it will quickly spread across the whole deck. Locate and replace any rotting portions to minimize the damage. To prevent future problems, check to make sure there isn’t a water source, such as a sprinkler system or a plumbing leak, that’s causing water to pool on the deck. Clean the deck regularly to prevent mold and mildew from growing and use a sealer and/or stain to prevent moisture from ruining the wood.
4. Your yard is dark with little to no lighting. A little bit of lighting goes a long way in making your home feel safer and more hospitable. Darkness not only keeps your home lurking in the shadows, but it also poses a security risk. Landscape lighting, on the other hand, illuminates your home and will help deter intruders.  
5. Your yard has drainage issues. Standing water attracts mosquitoes and can do some serious damage to your home. As the water seeps underground, it can penetrate the foundation and compromise the structural integrity of the home. At Castle Point, our drainage solutions are designed to keep water far away from your property. We’ll design a system that successfully directs water away from the foundation. If your home rests on a slope, we can also improve the grade and open up new possibilities for gardening beds, decks and water features. If you ever plan on selling your home, it’s important to note that families tend to prefer level yards where their children can play. If there’s an obvious downward slope toward your home, this will create a huge red flag in buyers’ minds that your home is susceptible to flooding and water damage.
6. Your landscape design is all over the place. This one might not be quite as frightening as the rest, but it can certainly impact the perception of your home. One of the most important characteristics of a pristine NJ landscape is uniformity. Installing something here and there might sound great in the moment. But if you aren’t looking at the big picture and how the different elements work together, your landscape can appear cluttered, inconsistent and disjointed. At Castle Point, we’ve mastered the art of NJ landscape design. We know which flowers and plants are best for each time of year, how to match your home’s existing features to the right hardscapes and how to create a harmonious, beautiful landscape that will leave guests in awe.

Break the Spell With Castle Point

No doubt about it: Owning a home is work. But considering how much you’ve invested, the last thing you want to do is let your home depreciate. If there’s anything about your home that’s “frightening” and you either don’t have the time to take care of it or just don’t want to, let our landscape design company handle it. From our lawn maintenance services to our landscape and hardscape designs, we have everything you need to beautify your NJ home just in time for the holiday season.

To schedule service for your home, please contact us online or call Castle Point Landscape Design at 908.512.2267 today.