Your yard is an increasingly important part of your property. Studies have shown that more buyers than ever view backyards as one of the most important amenities of their new home, a place to have mini-vacations, to enjoy the community of family and friends.

Here's the tricky thing about a backyard. If you pay little to no attention to the yard for a few years, it will bite you in the wallet. It is astonishingly expensive to make a yard attractive when it has been left to its own devices for too long.

How do you avoid these expenses? Start today. A yard can be approached step by step; indeed, it is far better to do it that way than to try to revamp it all in one big step. Every step you take, every plant you add, every bit of TLC you provide will pay big dividends when you eventually put your house on the market.

Start today. Your yard is a huge part of the salability of your home. For help with all your real estate needs, call Beth at (425) 450-5208 and visit her website at www.bethbillington.com.

Beth Billington is a Realtor® with Coldwell Banker Bain in Bellevue, WA.