It is the dream behind the purchase.\u00a0 Not only are you paying to live in your home, but you are investing in a future when your property might be worth more than you have paid for it.\u00a0 The interior can be adapted and improved \u2013 there is no doubt \u2013 but first impressions count.\u00a0 The buyer approaching your house will be first influenced by your garden.\u00a0 Then, when the house has been viewed they will enter the back-garden space and be given the final impression before deciding to buy or not to buy \u2013 what to offer \u2013 or not to offer.<\/p>\n
With some care and attention to the landscaping of your grounds, you could add thousands to the price people are willing to offer.\u00a0 Here we guide you through some tips that will help you maximise the value of your property.<\/p>\n
Your home is from a period of architectural design that speaks a certain language to those looking on.\u00a0 It may be Victorian, or Edwardian, or from the Arts and Craft movement, or maybe it is somewhere built with a Mediterranean influence.\u00a0 However, over time, people who do not see the house and garden as one unit and have adapted the landscape, including items that contradict the overall cohesive style of the property.<\/p>\n
You may have a traditional Regency townhouse \u2013 but the previous owners designed the exterior with a Japanese garden.\u00a0 This is fine \u2013 but there is a lot of common sense in the idea that someone looking for a period property might not be looking for a garden with an\u00a0Asian influence.\u00a0 Therefore, to maximise the strengths of your property you might want to re-landscape with a cottage style garden that reflects the history and the level of formality in the home.<\/p>\n
Equally, if you own a modern, open plan minimalist space \u2013 it is likely that the new owner is not going to be someone who enjoys the fuss and fancy of lots of flower beds and walled garden areas.\u00a0 They may in fact much prefer pots and baskets on the decking \u2013 clean and low maintenance \u2013 like the home they are seeking to buy.<\/p>\n
In short, try to imagine your home and garden as a cohesive whole.\u00a0 What would be the personality of the person who would enjoy both spaces? If the personality of the new imagined owner matches \u2013 then you have no problem.\u00a0 However, if you have a young family with little time living in the house \u2013 but a landscape that has been crafted by someone who has gardened for fifty years \u2013 then you might have some work to do.\u00a0 Think really carefully about who would likely buy your home \u2013 ask an agent if necessary \u2013 then make changes that would fit a family, or the busy professional, or the older couple with plenty of leisure time.<\/p>\n
Start your landscaping with a plan.\u00a0 A lot of us work on our gardens as an afterthought.\u00a0 We pop down the garden centre here and there \u2013 try to put some logic into the planting based on light and soil \u2013 but otherwise, the design comes from an accidental mish-mash of your taste at different times.<\/p>\n
If you want a landscape that increases the price of the property then you should sit down and sketch out a plan for your garden, with a clear strategy in mind.\u00a0 Research suggests that a balance of grass, low-maintenance planting and a seating area is the most likely to appeal.\u00a0 If you design the planting so that there is an all-year-round appeal \u2013 but with the minimum need for intervention \u2013 then you can do wonders to the house price.<\/p>\n
Make sure that when you are planning your planting that there is a balance of shrubs and perennials.\u00a0 You want there to be a variety of planting without the area looking cluttered for the best outcome for your property.<\/p>\n
Remember when you are planning that sometimes less is more.\u00a0 People want a sense of open space \u2013 it is something at a premium in today\u2019s crowded world.\u00a0 Therefore, the worst thing you can do is make your garden appear small.\u00a0 Also, people moving in will want to have the chance to make their own mark.\u00a0 Therefore, there should be enough renovation to suggest that they could move in and leave it as it is if they want \u2013 but with enough room for them to imagine how they could create their own home\/ garden spaces if this is what they wish.<\/p>\n
It is true that you will sell your home at a single point in the year.\u00a0 If we were being lazy, we could design our landscape to flourish in this small window of time \u2013 to offer the ultimate in the best impressions, but then it would die away long before the people moved in.\u00a0 Imagine, as you are showing people around the garden space, you could help them imagine the garden in the spring and in the winter, maybe the delights they can expect in the autumn.\u00a0 The idea that there is a seasonal balance can then become an added-value to your property.<\/p>\n
There are lots of easy ways of achieving seasonal balance.\u00a0 You can plant some bulbs that will bloom in spring \u2013 some evergreens for the winter maybe.\u00a0 The summer could have your wash of perennials and annuals \u2013 and the autumn could be dominated by the trees you plant and the golden and red showing of turning leaves.<\/p>\n
Complimentary planting is something that your garden centre would love to talk to you about.\u00a0 This means using an area of your garden to plant items that will flower at different times but also assist the soil in the growth of other choices.\u00a0 For instance, you may choose to buy a patio rose \u2013 but then buy some alpines to line the pot and maybe plant some spring bulbs to flower whilst the rose is not budding.\u00a0 The spring flowers will then mulch down and feed the rose for the coming summer bloom.<\/p>\n
If this idea of seasonal balance and complimentary planting has scared you a little, feel free to skip to the section called \u201cHiring a landscape gardener\u201d!<\/p>\n
This sounds small \u2013 and it sounds insignificant \u2013 but edging your lawn could be enough to give the impression of a neat and well-presented garden.\u00a0 All this means in going around the edge of the lawn and making a distinct change between the border and the grass.\u00a0 It means removing stray entrails of lawn that are starting to spread over the driveway \u2013 and making sure there is a clean line demarcating the grass area.\u00a0 This should be neat and accentuate the intended shape of the lawn \u2013 whether it is curved or squared.<\/p>\n
Edging the lawn is the final step we often don\u2019t take after mowing the lawn.\u00a0 A neatly mown lawn won\u2019t add much value to a house \u2013 but a neatly trimmed edge does add that sense of a complete property.\u00a0 Remember, choices should be cost-effective \u2013 and maybe this will be all that is needed to landscape your garden and help it complement the house.<\/p>\n
If your lawn is looking patchy and dry \u2013 however \u2013 there is some benefit in bringing the whole lawn back to life.\u00a0 There is nothing that speaks more of home repairs needed than a lawn that looks a little battered.\u00a0 A tidy lawn can make it seem like the whole house is in good repair. Of all the things we have advised you to undertake in your garden, a well-groomed lawn will offer the best return on money and time.\u00a0 It is the garden equivalent of painting indoor walls magnolia to give the sense of a neat blank slate for new owners to enter.<\/p>\n
So \u2013 all this sounds grand \u2013 but your garden is actually in a bit of a mess.\u00a0 Far from adding value to your property, the landscaping around your house is dilapidated and reducing the price of the property.\u00a0 This will make the job of turning this around seem too big for the majority of us.\u00a0 Here, the most cost-effective approach might be to hire a landscape gardener.\u00a0 Sure, this seems like a luxury \u2013 but they are likely to achieve much better effects for a similar price to you going backwards and forward to the garden centre to buy things you are not sure will work.<\/p>\n
There will be an initial charge for the consultation and plan \u2013 this can vary a lot depending on your garden and the work that needs doing.\u00a0 Imagine that this is likely to be at least a day for a trades-person and value that at as how much you would pay for a skilled craftsman.\u00a0 We would suggest keeping an average figure of \u00a3400 in mind. Add to this the cost of the materials \u2013 and then add an average of 10% on top of the cost of materials for the work to be completed.<\/p>\n
Your garden could currently be reducing the value of your property by let\u2019s estimate \u00a31000.\u00a0 Then, if landscaping the garden professionally adds a further \u00a32000 to what you could expect to gain on selling the house.\u00a0 Consider if the landscape gardener is going to cost you a potential \u00a33000 \u2013 which is unlikely \u2013 it would still be worth your while.\u00a0 This is how you work out whether it is cost-effective to bring in a professional.\u00a0 It is likely that these estimates are conservative \u2013 it is well worth speaking to an agent about the impact your changes could have on your house value before starting the work.<\/p>\n
If you want a particularly professional look to your garden, budget to spend about 10% of the value of the property on properly renovating and rejuvenating your landscape.\u00a0 However, it is likely you would only spend this amount if you were hoping to enjoy the returns \u2013 rather than immediately sell on after the work is complete.<\/p>\n
Construction in your garden can add a lot of value.\u00a0 In fact, a shed is said to add the most value to a property \u2013 as most people need the added storage and, let\u2019s face it, most of us desire a hideaway where we can potter in peace.\u00a0 However, after a good shed on homebuyers\u2019 wish-list comes quality patio, paving, or some decking.\u00a0 People spend more time in the outdoor space now \u2013 so look to have somewhere that they can socialise and relax \u2013 with the obvious desire for a space ideal for the barbeque.<\/p>\n
When you are designing and constructing this outdoor living area, you should also consider lighting.\u00a0 Any expert in design will tell you that the most important decision you can make in the home and garden is how to light the area.\u00a0 It can turn a mundane area into something spectacular.\u00a0 Therefore, as well as investing in the blocks for the patio or in the wood for the seating area \u2013 remember to also invest in some landscape light solutions.\u00a0 There is a huge variety \u2013 from outdoor lights that attach to the wall and indoor electricity supply \u2013 to simple solar lanterns that mark out the edge of the lawn.<\/p>\n
Some people spend thousands updating the garden when a simple lighting scheme can revolutionise the design of a garden.\u00a0 The results tend to have a disproportionate impact on the house price.\u00a0 Remember it is small changes rather than major transformations that can impact on the value you bring to your house.<\/p>\n