In areas where rain is abundant, rehabbing exteriors with storm water solutions is an extra point. Your home buyer will appreciate it as the house comes with a ready solution to storm water. While you think you will need to hire a professional landscaper to do the work for you, there are actually some ways to solve this problem without needing help from a pro. Here are some ideas you can use to solve the storm water problem of the house and boost its curb appeal at the same time.

Perhaps the easiest way to rehab houses in wet regions is by making a rain garden. This rehabbing exteriors project, as mentioned earlier, is actually meant to solve rain water problems and improve the landscape. This rain water solution is ideal for landscapes that are steep. So if the property has a steep-sloping yard, this is your answer. Basically, a rain garden will serve as a basin to collect water. Therefore, the land on that part of the yard should dry out quickly and is porous.  A mixture of compost and sand will be an ideal base for the rain garden. The basin should be around six inches deep. That will allow it to hold or pool water before it is absorbed into the soil.

And because it is not only a catch basin but also a garden, you will need to fill it with plants as well. At the center of the basin, you must go for plants that are able to withstand a lot of water like lady ferns. On the outermost layer, you can use deciduous shrubs, which are less tolerant to excessive water. In between these two “rings,” plant red twig dogwood and other species that will live even with a lot of water. One important note on rehabbing exteriors with a rain garden: make sure it is located around 40 feet away from your septic system and 10 feet from your home.

When the yard is not steeply sloped, you can use other storm water solutions. One is a river of rocks. In some areas, rivers of rocks are known as swales. Basically, this rehabbing exteriors project will prevent water from pooling near your house and take it elsewhere, say to a rain garden. What you need to do is to look for the lower areas of the yard. In some cases, you will need to dig a shallow passageway for water. But when there are already natural depressions, you can simply improve those. You can start the “river” from under your gutter outlet tube all the way to the rain garden.

For the composition, you can use six parts screened sand and four parts compost. This will speed up water absorption. You can also use gravel as filler for deeper swales. As for aesthetics, a manmade canal on the yard may not be that attractive. What you need to do is fill its base with small rocks. If you want to take it one step further, bury a perforated tube in the river and cover it with rocks. Some rehabbers apply more landscaping ideas when doing this project. They strengthen the “riverbanks” with plants that absorb water. They add an accessory like a huge rock near a corner where the swale takes a turn. Rehabbing exteriors with a river of rocks is a great way to boost the property’s curb appeal.