There are few things more satisfying to a homeowner than an immaculately kept front yard. This is a feature that doesn't need to be thought of as a luxury only the rich can afford. There are plenty of cost-effective lawn tips you can adopt. Doing so will give you the healthy green yard you've always dreamed of.

1. The Trees in Your Yard Need a Trim

One of the first places you can start will be with the trees in your front yard. Chances are good that they may require a trim. They may be throwing out branches perilously close to your home. You don't even want to think about them dropping over onto your home. This can easily happen during a tornado or huge storm.

The best way to avoid this is to do a quick search on Google using the terms "tree service Portland." This type of search is bound to turn up plenty of top-rated local services that you can call upon. The sooner you take care of the issues involving trees in your yard, the better. You never know when an accident may happen, so it's best to prepare in advance.

2. Keep Your Front Lawn Trimmed and Edged

The first thing that a prospective home buyer is going to see when they exit out of their vehicle is your front lawn. For this reason, it needs to be neatly trimmed, mowed, and edged. All of the bare and patchy spots need to be smoothed over. If there is any brown in the mix, get rid of it and green it once more.

At the same time, you should also think about repaving your driveway or front path. If any stones are cracked or missing, replace them. Your curb should also come in for a touch-up. These are quick and cost-effective moves that will raise your home value. Even if you're staying put, repairs will increase your comfort.

3. Make Sure Your Front Lawn is Watered

The next major detail to take care of will be to make sure that your front yard is watered in the correct manner. This means making sure that your lawn has enough water to thrive. The trick is not to drown it by using too much. You also don't want to get in trouble for using too much water. This may apply if your home is in an area that is affected by drought.

4. Pick Up All of the Excess Debris

The worst thing that can happen to any front yard is to become a magnet for trash. Don't let neighbors or anyone riding by throw trash in your yard. You can help your own cause by not letting a used or broken down car rot away out front. This applies also to old rusty bikes and lawn tractors. Have them hauled away.

5. Keep Bugs and Pests Out of Your Bushes

No one likes a bush full of insects and other pests. Of course, you can't have full control over bees and ladybugs landing everywhere in your yard. But you can keep your roses or azaleas from getting eaten up and destroyed by grubs and such. Use a selective pesticide that will kill pests but not other creatures.

6. Don't Let Weeds Grow in Your Yard

The last thing to take care of is to prevent the wild spiraling growth of weeds. You never know where they come from or who brings them. Yet, all of a sudden, a whole rash of dandelions and other weeds will rear their heads.

This is the point at which you will need to take action. Get a modern weed killer that will handle these pests without doing damage to your lawn or other plants.

The Time to Green Your Lawn is Now

The dream of every homeowner should be to have a happy, healthy, neatly trimmed front lawn. There is no time like the present to get started on reaching this worthy goal. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to take advantage of the benefits. These can include peace of mind, comfort, and higher home values.

Guest Contributor: Miranda Spears