Christmas is just around the corner! The Wellesley and Metrowest Boston area has become a winter wonderland with beautiful holiday decorations and festive cheer. Add instant curb appeal to your home and a cheery spirit by decorating your home's front porch. Here are our Top Tips for Fabulous Front Porch Decorating for the Holidays!

Let There be Light! Nothing says outdoor Christmas decorations like bright strings of lights. Draw attention to your front porch by wrapping porch posts and railings in twinkling lights. You can also use candles for a more natural, classic glow. Just make sure that they are placed in safe locations that are out of reach of children and pets, the wind, and will not pose a fire hazard.

Add Some Color! Make your front porch extra welcoming by adding splashes of color. One great option is with poinsettias. These pretty flowers are easy to come by during the holiday season and instantly add some bright color to your front porch. Real poinsettias won’t survive the Massachusetts weather. If you want to use real ones, display them in front facing windows. Otherwise, synthetic poinsettias look like the real deal and can withstand the outside elements. You can also add color to your front porch by adding clusters of ornaments or festive bows. Just choose a color scheme to keep your decorations looking classic and consistent.

Go the Natural Route! Evergreens are hearty and a great symbol for the holiday season. Use evergreen accents on your porch this holiday season by adding a wreath and some garland. Create a classic look by draping the garland on the railings. You can also use other natural decorations, such as pinecones, bare branches, and red berries.

Make it Welcoming! Add personal touches to make the front porch extra welcoming for your guests. Put a festive welcome mat out for visitors. This can tie your decorations together and provides a place to wipe feet before entering your home. You can also add a chalkboard sign outside to for a personal message to those that come over this holiday season.

O’ Christmas Tree! A Christmas tree doesn’t have to just adorn your living room. Adding a brightly lit tree to your front porch can add interest to your home’s entrance. Use outdoor lights and ornaments to create a festive display. If you have a smaller porch, opt for live trees in pots that can flank your front door.

Spruce up the landscaping of your WELLESLEY & METROWEST BOSTON home with a garden! After those cold winter months, gardens are a great way to add a bit of color and cheer to your yard. You can ensure gardening success during the warmer seasons by turning to plant varieties that naturally grow throughout the northeast. As an added bonus, native plants require less maintenance. Here are the 15 top native plants for northeast gardens!

CULVER’S ROOT (Veronicastrum virginicum) – Place this plant towards the back of your garden as they can grow up to 5 feet tall. This perennial can flourish in part shade or full sun. In the summer months, petals in varieties of white, pink, and blue will appear.

MAIDENHAIR FERN (Adiantum pedatum) – Perfect for shady areas with moist soil, this fern adds texture to the landscaping. This plant takes a while to establish itself so allow it plenty of time to grow.

CAROLINA LUPINE (Thermopsis villosa) – The Carolina Lupine is a standard along the East coast. It provides fuzzy foliage throughout the year and blossoms with pea-like flowers in the spring.

WILD GINGER (Asarum canadense) – Another great plant for shady areas, this groundcover produces heart-shaped leaves. As an added surprise, burgundy flowers appear under the leaves in late May.

VIRGIN’S BOWER (Clematis virginiana) – This awesome plant will add interest to your garden throughout the summer and fall months. In summer, the vine is covered in white star-shaped flowers that produce a beautiful aroma. In the fall, the fuzzy heads add texture.

WILD ANEMONE (Anemone canadensis) – Fill up large spaces in your garden with this groundcover. It grows easily in organically-rich soil. Make sure to keep this plant well watered.

EASTERN BLUESTAR (Amsonia tabernaemontana) – Attract butterflies to your yard every spring with the blue flowers of this plant. The flowers turn a beautiful yellow to add autumnal color to your garden in the fall.

MERRYBELLS (Uvularia grandiflora) – Enjoy delicate yellow flowers in the spring with Merrybells. Plant several together to reap the most benefit from this easy to grow plant.

TRILLIUM (Trillium grandiflorum) – In shady areas, add this woodland wildflower. In the early spring, the lower part of your garden will sprot beautiful white petals.

SWAMP MILKWEED (Asclepias incarnata) – Monarch butterflies will flit amongst the pink flowers in mid-summer. This plant is perfect for average soil conditions.

JACOB’S LADDER (Polemonium reptans) – In partly sunny areas, rely on Jacob’s Ladder to add great groundcover. There are many different varieties that provide shades of blue, pink, and white to your garden.

FOAMFLOWER (Tiarella cordifolia) – This plant can be placed throughout your garden, whether in the sun or shade. It will produce white flowers in the spring and summer months.

WOODLAND IRIS (Iris setosa) – This iris adds a beautiful blue-violet color to your garden in late spring. It can bloom in partial shade.

YELLOW LADY’S-SLIPPER ORCHID (Cypripedium parviflorum) – Patiently await the blossoming of this stunning flower. In the spring, your garden will be the talk of the neighborhood with this yellow, slipper-shaped flowers. This plant flourishes in moist, acidic soil.

AMERICAN CORAL BELLS (Heuchera americana) – This resilient plant adds great texture to your garden throughout the year. Place in partly sunny areas with well-drained soil.

Adding these gorgeous perennials and other plants, trees, ponds and accents to your yard and landscape can add value to your home and definitely punch up your curb appeal!

For more Home Selling Tips, give our office a call or visit our website at www.teamlynchrealestate.com.

Resource: Better Homes & Gardens June 2016

The leaves are changing to their beautiful shades of red, orange and gold and the days are getting cooler....it's Fall in the Metrowest Boston 'burbs!  Well it may not be the most popular season to put your home on the market, there's no reason to wait for spring when the autumn season starts.  People are ready to buy homes year round....you just need to be prepared.

There will most likely be less homes on the market this time of year, so preparing your home ahead of time will allow a fast sale to the right buyer. Most buyers don't want to move when the weather is cold and blustery, if they don't have to, so the fall is your last chance to position your home with those buyers before the winter season moves in.

The Fall season is beautiful in New England and allows for some amazing decorating both inside and out, but it also means that you need to maintain the exterior of your home so that it shows well to each and every potential buyer.  

1. Clean up the Yard. Make sure that the leaves are cleared from the yard regularly and that dead plants and blooms have been cleared.  Shrubs should be cut back as well to give your yard a nice manicured look. This will enhance the overall look of your home from the curb when a prospective buyer pulls up to the curb.

2. Clear deck furniture off for the season and store accordingly and wash deck,& siding of any mildew, mold that has accumulated with the change of season. This is also the time to put on the storm doors and windows and make sure all windows and sparkling clean for your potential buyers.

3. Embrace the Fall season! Most people love the fall color and the anticipation of the coming holidays. Decorating your home with seasonal arrangements of flowers, scented candles, or pumpkin & spice potpourri can really add warmth inside. Adding  lovely Mums to the front porch gives a splash of color that helps create great curb appeal. But DON'T over do it!  A little goes a long way.

4. You NEED the right Real Estate Agent! There's a reason you're selling in the Fall, and you need the agent who is experienced, and knows your area well, knows how to price your home and what it takes to sell your home now. Be serious about asking the right questions so you find the right agent for your needs.  Ask around and get referrals.

5. Keep it Light & Bright. The seasons are changing and that means that the sun is setting much sooner in the day.  It is critical to make sure that you have adequate lighting in place in all rooms. Your potential buyers need to be able to see each room clearly, every area, at all times of the day. Ask your real estate agent for tips on showcasing your rooms best asset's and how to do that at the different times of day.

6. Make sure your House is Priced Right. Fall is the time of year when your home needs to be priced right from the start. Some people think it needs to be priced lower to sell in the fall and winter seasons, but that is simply not true!  It needs to be priced competitively with the market. This is why you need to rely on your real estate agent to know the market and to price your home accordingly. 

Lastly, be prepared to move!  Once your home sells you need to be ready to move. When people buy in the Fall they want to be able to get into their new home quickly before the weather turns bad. So make sure that you have your plan in place and that once you have the offer on your home, you have set the wheels in motion and will be ready to move when your buyers are ready to get into your home.

HAPPY FALL SELLING!  IT'S A GREAT TIME OF YEAR TO SELL YOUR METROWEST HOME!