Ask Darin: There is fungus in my mulch!

Dear Darin: I have this fungus in my mulch and it is spreading everywhere, what do I do? It is sometimes yellow, white, black or brown, but it looks like dog throw up! Yuck!

ANSWER: We are seeing this fungus this year because of all the moisture we received this spring. The only way of treating this is to take a shovel to the effected area, carefully remove the fungus, put in a plastic bag and dispose. If you water it, step on it, or pop it, it will turn into a black powder and spread--not a good idea! Try to stay ahead of this and you will slow or stop the spread.

Ask the Expert: Home Staging

MARCYNE TOUCHTON

ASP(R), ASPM(R)

Founder of Domaine Staging, LLC

Many home sellers are now using the services of a professional home stager. When the house sits on the market for over 3 months, they realize that homes in our current market, with so much inventory to choose from, cannot be sold as is. Reduction in price won't guarantee a sale either, They see the value in staging a home, removing clutter and "de-personalizing" -because it is proven that a home that is staged sells faster, and gets top dollar. According to stagedhomes.com, a staged home sells in just 24 days versus the 177 days on the market of the average unstaged home. Yet too often I see homeowners-and even some professional stagers, forget about the first impression a house makes - from the outside.

My experience has shown me that staging a home should be done from the outside in. As a prospective home-buyer drives up to the property, they will form an impression of the house-and if the house is going to sell-that impression needs to be a good one! Simple things like new cushions on the lawn furniture, and a newly mowed lawn give the house a clean and fresh appearance. New mulch and landscaping assure the buyer that the yard has been well-cared for. And planters with blooming flowers or a seasonal wreath provide a warm welcome. Bigger improvements such as repairs to the driveway, or patio and new lighting can pay for themselves immediately in the higher offers that come through! Don't forget about the windows, it needs to be sparkling clean - free of cobwebs and check to make sure there is no wood rot on the windowsills.

A professional home stager will be able to look at the outside of the home with the same keen eye as we do the inside-looking for ways to declutter, tidy, and give the best impression. Everything from little touches to larger projects, such as a Metro GreenScape paver patio can increase the actual and perceived value, make it unique and sell that home quickly.

If you would like more information and/or to receive the Domaine Staging newsletter, email me at marcyne@domainestaging.com. You can also catch Domaine's tip of the day, become a Domaine Staging fan on Facebook!

* according to Stagedhomes.com. ASP, the only recognized designation by National Association of Realtors (TM).

NEWS: Metro GreenScape is a Top 100 Business!

Work with the best! Metro GreenScape Named to Top 100 Small Businesses in North Carolina!

Heather Brockelbank, Metro GreenScape president, today announced that Metro GreenScape was named a 2009 Top 100 Small Business in North Carolina and was ranked #63.

For the second consecutive year, Business Leader Media has ranked the Top 100 Small Businesses in North Carolina. These businesses were chosen from over 284 nominations and represent companies that have demonstrated significant business achievement and community involvement within the state of North Carolina.

Read More about Charlotte's own Metro GreenScape's Top 100 award!

The Top 100 rankings were announced at the 2009 Top 100 NC Small Business Event on June 17th at the Charlotte Marriott Executive Park.

June 11th Butterfly Garden Installed at McDowell Park in Charlotte

Metro GreenScape's celebrated Summer with McDowell Nature Park and the Charlotte Community!

The Green Life installed a new Butterfly Garden at McDowell Nature Center & Preserve Park on June 11th. Everybody had a good time and the butterflies are flocking to their new home. More photos from the day are on the Metro GreenScape Website!

MetroCHOICE - Charlotte's Organic Premium Lawn and Landscape Maintenance

Don't forget that Merto GreenScape now offers Lawn and Landscape Maintenance!

MetroCHOICE™ Organic Premium Lawn Care Program Your lawn and landscaping are generally the first views that people have of your home. What do they see? Is it what you want them to see? Is it what you want to see?! We are the experts in lawn and landscape maintenance.

And our MetroCHOICE™ Organic Premium Lawn Care Program is designed to give you access to experts on a weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually basis!

Programs start from $225 monthly for a typical 1/3-acre lawn.

Metro GreenScape
13601 South Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28278
704.504.0980

Ask the Expert: Curb Appeal

Ask the Expert: Curb Appeal
Rich Ferretti
Broker/Realtor, NC/SC

I work with home buyers all the time who make snap decisions about properties just based on what they initially see as we drive up. Things like recently mowed grass, fresh mulch and blooming flowers make a huge difference to buyers, who will sometimes refuse to even go inside a home if the curb appeal isn't there.If you are considering selling your home in the next few months, think about how your home looks to someone looking at it for the first time. Are the sidewalks, walkways, driveways and patios free of cracks? Are there colorful flowers and well-edged flower beds? Do the gutters need cleaning, or the siding pressure-washed?

Curb appeal is an important factor in home selling. It increases values and decreases time spent on the market. Nothing can make a bigger difference in the sale process than great exterior home staging, and no one does it better than Metro GreenScape!

Charlotte Exterior Home Staging

We are now offering Exterior Home Staging Packages:

Our Exterior Home Staging Team offers three different plans to help give your home that extra curb appeal!

Below are details about our Bronze Staging package (Typical 1/3-acre property size) This package includes a combination of the following exterior enhancements:

1) Six (6) flats of annuals, placed in pots on each side of the front steps or door, and the rest planted in the front to showcase the mailbox area.

2) Weeds pulled 20 feet on each side of the front door entrance way.

3) Re-edging of 60 feet of flower beds.

4) Pine straw distributed over 500 square feet of flower beds.

5) Removal of all yard debris and debris from our project.

6) Spot seeding of the front yard.

7) Cob webs removed from the side of the home.

8) Pressure washing of the walkway up to front door or front focal point.

9) Gutters checked for debris and clog checked at bottom spouts.

10) Trimming of up to ten shrubs if under 2 feet tall.

Cost for Bronze Staging Package is $750.00.

If you are interested in learning more about this, or our other available Charlotte area home staging packages, please call us at 704.504.0980.