Everyone likes to make a good first impression. We play up our positive attributes and control our annoying quirks in order to impress others in that crucial first three seconds of meeting. According to an article in Psychology Today, “Our brains form first impressions by creating a composite of all the signals given off by a new experience.”
From a real estate perspective, a good first impression – or “curb appeal” – is all about using your landscape to enhance the appearance of your home. Does the landscape echo the style of your home’s architecture? Does it meet or exceed the standards set by the neighborhood? Is it well maintained? The landscape is like the neatly pressed suit and polished shoes that are among the basic signals given off at a first meeting.
More important, however, is not what the landscape says about your house, but what it says about you. Is it welcoming? Is it engaging? Is it quiet and elegant, or colorful and gregarious? Expressing yourself in the publicly viewed part of your landscape is like offering a heart-felt smile at a first meeting; the signal that we look for specifically because (it) “… lets us know that we’re likely to get a positive reception.”
Creating a great first impression from the front curb (or kerb as our British friends prefer) can set the tone for your entire landscape.
Please join the Roundtable bloggers today as we explore the best of First Impressions:
Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK
Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO
Debbie Roberts : A Garden of Possibilities : Stamford, CT
Susan Morrison : Blue Planet Garden Blog : East Bay, CA
Garden Designers Roundtable 
Great Article. I think it is very important to have good curb appeal even if you are not planning on selling your house at the moment. I recently started a landscaping blog. My first post talks about a few projects to think about as Spring approaches to enjoy the most that your yard has to offer.
http://woodfieldlandscapinginc.com/blog/?p=10