Curb appeal

I am exhausted. Even my fingers almost hurt too much to type. Why you might ask? We have been working our pretty little tushies off around here to enhance our landscaping and, hopefully, our "curb appeal."

According to realtor.com, "Studies have shown that curb appeal can increase the value of a home by 4 to 5 percent. Homes with poor curb appeal in neighborhoods with excellent landscaping sold for 8 to 10 percent less than the market rate."

So with a small monetary investment, and a large manual investment, we went to work to spruce up our yard as we prepare to put our house on the market at the end of May.

I found a few "before" pictures, though they all include snow because apparently that's the only time I photograph my house. I think it goes without saying that with two young kids and only one parent who puts forth most of the effort around the house (that would be Jason, just so you know), our gardens have gone rather untended. We keep the grass cut and pay a lawn service to keep weeds at bay, but beyond that, we just try not to get letters from the HOA. So here are the most recent photos of the exterior of our house.

Bushes are way overgrown (even in winter)

Lack of proper garden edging (hard to tell in snow)

Crepe myrtle on left is way overgrown, along with the bushes
Bushes beneath the crepe myrtle are ugly and spindly

So here is our work in progress. Still to come (but already purchased) are new mulch and some flowers for around the front tree and in the garden beds. The leftovers of the daffodils will be gone by then and in there place we will have some petunias and impatiens. Also, please excuse the grass, it will be getting a haircut and edging very soon.

Overall yard, added edging around front tree, will also add flowers

Added new garden edging, bushes hacked back
(Mowing the lawn will make the edging look even better)
Also notice two photo bombers

Nice parking job, I know. 

Crepe myrtle properly groomed
Removing lower branches really opened up the yard

So, still some more work to go, but I think it already looks great! We've also done a good bit of work in the backyard, finally adding mulch and edging around my gorgeous rose bushes. I didn't snap pictures tonight, so I'll post some along with updated pictures of our finished yard. 

Anyone have any tips for enhancing curb appeal, or home value? I'm all ears!

P.S. I could not be more thankful for my Energizer-bunny mom who spent her Mother's Day weekend (and the ENTIRE week beforehand) doing this with me!