Anything you put there will cheapen it. Leave it natural it is lovely.

Where are you? Is this a road with similar properties? How is the deer pressure? What is the speed limit of the road?

Around here, it is common for the true backroads to be miles of woods with an occasional driveway. I understand that the real estate agent isn't talking about 'curb appeal' in any usual sense of the word. This is more about identifying the property. Consider it the equivalent of arranging to meet someone you haven't seen in years, and saying you will be wearing a bright red t-shirt. It isn't that you think you look particularly good in bright red, or even that you usually wear t-shirts, but that you are trying to make it as easy as possible to be found in a crowd.

To that end, I like the strawbale and pumpkin plan so long as you don't have tons of deer. Deer will eat pumpkins, and leave a bit of a mess. Large pots of chrysanthemums are a possibility, or maybe the local garden center would have something else. Just remember that whatever it is should be easily visible to a driver doing the speed limit. That's the point.

Ditto what's above, but even without water you can enhance the entrance by a short length of fencing that is really not that expensive and worth the added appeal. Or a stone pillar.

It would have been nice to have the drive flanked with a single, solid, low, green groundcover. But when you're leaving is not the time to install it. In lieu of that, I think the best thing you could do is smooth out the surface (getting rid of any weeds, rocks or debris that stick up) and top dress it with a thin layer of fresh mulch. Maybe it is already mulched. Can't tell in the photo. At the area you say you can't plant anything, it ought to be overseeded with grass if that's what everyone else has along the road ... if you can care for it.

Having just replaced my mail box which took two days because of the rocks along with the OP's comment about the rocks although the fences look nice thinking of the time and energy needed to dig the holes for them made me laugh. I think something easily removable after the sale is complete would be a good idea. Caution with the bales use straw rather than hay and do not use too many. Three or four if balancing one on top of the other as a backdrop for a plant is a good idea. Nothing states that you need to balance an arrangement so putting something on the flatter sided would be easier than trying to put things on both sides to balance to me makes more sense. An alternative would be a long box with a few pots anchored by mulch or rocks.

A short fence framed gate is a nice feature for people buying for privacy. Another possible option is to buy one or three very large rocks/boulders and have them placed at the entry. One boulder on the right if just one. One big rock on the left, two on the right if three.

I agree with not doing much other than cleaning up, fresh pine straw and maybe something planted under the mailbox... but it's not the best time of year for flowers. I also like the large rocks/boulders idea.

some ideas:

Mums? Those suckers are water hogs and will wilt in ones car on the way home! If it's at all warm, one must water the danged things twice daily. I have not bought them in years.

Leave it as it is. If the new owners want to advertise their entry, let them do it to their own taste and on their own dollar.

we have a similar issue at our home - folks don't see the driveway until they pass it (if they happen to be looking!). I like the idea regarding some large rocks/boulders on one side of the driveway (perhaps NOT the mailbox side). Or if is would look better, then put on each side. Putting plants in now and trying to dig in what doesn't look like easy to dig ground, then having to bring water up - probably not feasible.

"Mums? Those suckers are water hogs and will wilt in ones car on the way home!"

Nonsense!! I have one on my front porch that hasn't been watered since I purchased it more than a week ago. And still looks fine.

And the point is not to landscape the area but to just draw attention to the drive entry to prospective househunters/buyers. Heck of a lot better than some stupid balloons real estate agents here favor to advertise sale properties!!

I wouldn't go for any character, if I were you. In my area, character is synonymous with floofy folderol that ends up just looking tacky.

A big rock or two would be ok. Big as in big enough that you need equipment to bring it in and place it. At least as big as a bale of straw.

Thanks all for the input. Sorry to have disappeared but I made the mistake of updating my iPad and it somehow wiped out random saved login stuff, gardenweb being one!

I took some pics of various places around me, and will post those.

I like the idea of some rocks, or maybe a small fence but will need to check budget vs roi on money spent on this.

Straighten the signs, especially the for-sale sign. In my area, the for-sale sign would have the acreage and the house's number of bedrooms and baths on it. Don't underestimate the number of people driving by who will pull over and call the agent if they see a for-sale sign.

I'd go with a couple of hay bales and the pumpkins. If the deer eat the pumpkins, try big colorful gourds instead. Add solar up lighting for the bales and the for-sale sign.

For the entrance, sweep off the driveway ((edited to replace "road") for a few tens of feet or so. You can buy a dozen solar landscape lights and place six on each side on the way in.

"For the entrance, sweep off the road for a few tens of feet or so." ???????

Don't spend much money on it at all. Like others have said... clean mailbox, maybe some fresh pine straw. Spend time and energy and money on the actual residence.

@maifleur01: I fixed it. I replaced "road" with "driveway". Good catch, thanks.

Because I have a farm too, I understand where your agent's coming from: It's not always easy for people to find your driveway.

I vote for a large new mailbox in a bold color ... surrounded by a small rock garden, which will take no water.

apple pie even if it is the driveway at this time of year the leaves are falling. Only way to keep it clear is to sweep hourly or even sooner. Most people do not have that amount of time.

If you get any sun there you could put a nice solar light on either side to make it a little visible at night.

How about just adding a brightly-colored mailbox wrapper? I just googled and there are a ton of them out there for under $20. Cheap, colorful, easy, fast.

You could add on a classic iron gate......it’s expensive though.

When you are listing a house for sale, you shouldn't invest much money into landscape improvements - just a thorough clean up and tidying and maybe adding some seasonal color. New homeowners almost always revise the landscape to their desires. So I would be hesitant in spending bucks on anything very permanent - no big boulders, no fencing, no pillars or gates.

It certainly won't hurt and can help to give the entryway some inexpensive and disposable interest, whether it be the straw bales and pumpkins or some seasonal annual color like the mums. Something quick and easy and cheap to attract the attention of potential buyers and shout out "look at me!"

Paint the mailbox and post so they look fresh. I suggest painting them all black with maybe two cans of spray paint.

Order a low green reflective sign with the road numbers on it. I bought one on the web. It's reflective at night. People kept missing our home. Now, even I can see it when I drive up at dusk.

Blow off the driveway so that the pine needles and sweet gum balls don't litter the drive. It will look much neater. You will need to do this every few days.

Put two of these on each side of your driveway entrance, they're cheap and good looking ($115.38) each.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/NextStone-Faux-Polyurethane-Stone-Column-Wrap-Brunswick-Brown/673419136?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=8398&adid=22222222227099386508&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=219161251650&wl4=pla-354965596528&wl5=9005550&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=115787554&wl11=online&wl12=673419136&wl13=&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIi6LJxN363QIVq6OzCh1JEgpXEAQYBCABEgLafPD_BwE

Twelve acres of land who knows where, described as a property not as a house on 12 acres, is there a house?, on a two lane country road - with a yellow center lane I am so jealous - that is hard to find, could sit on the market for god knows how long. How long are hay bales, pumpkins and rag dolls gonna last? Does this now turn into real estate decorating by the seasons for the middle of nowhere for the next year or two?

If there is a decent stone yard in the area, some nice big fat boulders could be bought, delivered and placed for under a thousand dollars I bet. Same for an entry fence. Those will last a whole lot longer than pumpkins and rag dolls. Through the winter and everything and the deer won't eat them.

Annette will know her situation best since we don't.

This is how you add character to the front entry. Hidden In The Middle Of Trees.

I will just chime in with a vote for longevity. Wood breaks down over time. Fencing is just perpetual maintenance. The more natural less staged look will serve you best over time. So yes to boulders, perennials of a sort and a statement mail box with house numbers.

There is a house. The property is in a popular suburb north of Atlanta. Popular with executives who have families (top scoring school district) and want horses.

Very nice looking home.

The only thing that jumps out is that the roof has the black streaks. Hopefully you can get it cleaned before the photographer comes out to take the listing photos. Otherwise it looks good from here :)

PS Your yellow front door looks terrific!

Annette,

I live on the Southside of Atlanta. The observation about the roof is correct. When I look at listings and see roofs with streaks, I automatically think the house needs a roofing job and take something off the price. The streaking is a sign of loss of the grit on the shingles. You can try to clean it, but I always had no success when I tried it. The only solution is a new roof. Even if it's not leaking, you may want to consider a new roof or a concession for it.

I gave you the most inexpensive solutions for the entry. You might consider having some entry pillars built. But, I doubt you want to spend that kind of money. I think the simple solution of a fresh mailbox, good address marking and a clean drive will do the trick.

There is nothing wrong with fake stone pillars From Walmart, I have seen a lot laterly.

The black streaks are algae on the north side of the house. I spray it with this in the fall and it’s all good next year. The roof is a 30 year shingle that was recently inspected and was fine.

LOL!! There is nothing right with 'fake stone pillars' - the name says it all (btw, they are plastic - not even a stone veneer - so quite a bit beyond 'fake'!). They are the masonry equivalent of plastic flowers in the garden.

And they are column wraps.....not stand-alone pillars. If you don't have columns already in place I don't think they would work.

Lol, I like those fake stone pillars! They are good looking to dress up a property for sale, there is no need to spend a lot of $$ for pillars. I don’t think they are wraps......

Gardengal, you should at least try one at your apartment. :-)

I am going through the same thoughts at my country property, I want something at the entrance to a circular driveway, a pair of tall pillars or a country gate......an iron gate costs too much.

I'm not even sure what the point of that last comment is. And there is nothing that is fake included in my gardens or landscaping, either for myself or for clients. The point is trying to draw desired attention to a sale property that is not visible from the road......I am not sure that would be even slightly successfully accomplished by tarting things up with something as cheap and cheesy as plastic fake stone column wraps..........but that is just my opinion :-)

Take a look at your fake stone pillar link.....it states they are wraps right in the title and the specs when you call up the link state the same thing.

I'm pretty sure I know what city this is (based on the mention of horses). Median home prices are over $700K. No fake pillars :)

A new decorative mailbox would be nice. Maybe copper or something with a horse or how about simple fall decor?

Real stone pillars cost a lot. That ‘s why I mentioned about the fake stone pillars just for the sale staging. They would do the same thing to get some attention at the entrance on a country property. Thanks for pointing it out it’s a wrap. It would still do the same thing wrap it around a few wooden posts. I wish they have the extra tall and big ones. I could use a couple of those at my family compound. Not for staging, for real.

Nice house Annette. It really does call for a proper gate befitting an estate. That expense is best left for the new owners though. Another idea is to get some too heavy to easily lift cast concrete ornaments for the front entry that you might potentially take with to your new home.

These are the really big boys, Mo and Momo, as in money and more money and the gate was put on hold.

I saw this in my travels today. Not to my taste, most especially not in cast cement, but you get the idea. It doesn't have to be an animal. It can be a square pot or urn for everyone's favorite mums, or it can be anything.

Lil S, lol. Yep, I’m sure you figured it out. Part of the reason we are moving is that this whole area has become so ridiculous as far as how snotty people are here. I grew up in Atlanta and when I was a kid this area was old farms and feed stores and a nice public riding barn that hosted horse and dog shows. We bought this place from the granddaughter of the original settlers to the area(she was 96) and she was just so happy it was going to stay a family farm. Now we are surrounded by Tesla driving, yoga pant wearing pta nightmare moms who think they are above everyone. So part of my reason for sprucing up the entrance is that I know most of the people who look at my type of property are probably going to want a place to show off how impressive they are. Although my dream is that someone who wants to raise peacocks and show pigs buys it and annoys everyone around here lol.

I may go check the wholesale nursery up the road, they have cool concrete stuff that I could take with me for sure.

Go with your dream. Get a pig for out front.

Big concrete stuff won’t be cheap though. I found that out when I was looking for big concrete fountains. also looked into concrete lions......$$$, walked away......

You will find it out.

What ideas does your real estate agent have about the entrance? If she has something specific in mind that has worked well in other locations, a quick phone call should settle the question.

Those nightmare PTA moms are a PITA everywhere. Good luck, I hope someone shows up quick to buy.

Kitasei... your comments are rude and there is no reason to drag a political bias into your comments.

IMO, just freshen up the mailbox and throw down some fresh pine needles. No matter what you do out there, it will not increase the value of the property and will not increase your asking price.

If you are far enough away from Atlanta's horrific traffic, your agent should be marketing this fact more than anything else.

They are gone. I'm sorry if I offended you, ncrealestateguy.

So I spent the day yesterday tidying up and preparing for the fringe effects of hurricane Michael. Then spent most of today picking up debris, grrrrr. Small trees down and plenty of cleanup to do once it dries up a bit around here.

I’m going to stick with basics down there for now and see if the agent has any other thoughts.

Annette, loved Lil S idea about just 'dressing up the mailbox' and do it in something seasonal (and hopefully, not terribly expensive either).

No offense taken, just tired of politics being bought into everything these days. It gets tiring.

Glad to hear Michael did not do too much to you.