Five of the best: ways to add value to your home in the garden
It’s no secret that us Brits love spending time in the garden. You only have to look at the proliferation of garden centres up and down the land to understand our obsession with making the most of our outside space. But did you know that having a garden, or even a terrace, can add significant value to your home when it comes to selling? To maximise your return, we’re sharing all the ways you can add more value by making some big and small changes to the garden.
How much value can a garden add?
A recent study by The AA found that having a garden can increase your property’s value by about 16% – though any kind of outside space is highly sought-after, from a balcony to a paddock. The study looked at homes across 30 towns and cities around the UK, to see where gardens are valued the most. Gardens are also increasingly desirable in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, with almost two-thirds of house hunters saying they want a bigger garden in their next home.
The bigger your garden, the more value it’s likely to add to your home’s price. Just as more internal space adds value to house prices, more garden space generally adds value too. Buyers usually look for south-facing gardens, and homes with gardens facing this direction had asking prices more than £20,000 higher than those without, according to RightMove.
Even if you don’t have a coveted south-facing aspect, there are plenty of ways to add value to your home via the garden. Here are our top five.
In This Post
Add a garden room
If space isn’t a problem, adding a garden room is a great way to add value. Post-pandemic, more people are opting for flexible working and working from home, so dedicated study spaces are highly desirable. It doesn’t necessarily need to be an office though – any kind of outside room is a bonus, to be used as a gym, studio or space for hobbies.
The most important thing is that it is sealed off from the elements – like an extension of the house, rather than a shed – and has electricity and preferably access to the Wi-Fi. You can usually get an extender to boost the signal from the house if necessary. Even if you don’t have space for a garden room, storage is another great addition that can bump up the appeal of your garden. Consider adding a shed or replacing one if yours is looking particularly poor and make sure it’s robust enough for storing things like bikes and garden equipment.
Upgrade the security and privacy
Privacy is an important element of a garden space, and even if your property is overlooked by neighbours, there are ways to make it feel more secluded. Use lightweight fencing like bamboo or bark roll to provide a screen that still lets the light through, and grow tall greenery in pots or borders around the boundary – you can even create a covered area like a pergola for outdoor dining that’s shielded from view. Those with pets and children will be looking for a secure boundary, so make sure your enclosing fencing and gates are properly installed and stable. For added security, you could add CCTV, and if you already have an alarm system you can extend it to the garden. Lighting is also a huge bonus and can provide an extra layer of security.
Landscaping – in moderation
Our recommendation is to be cost-effective with your landscaping – spending lots of money on planting can have the opposite effect if the buyer is intent on digging up all your hard work and making changes. Instead, make sure your garden is neat and tidy. Pull up weeds, mow the lawn (if there is one) and clean the patio with a pressure washer. Ensure it looks clear and uncluttered so potential buyers can imagine themselves living in the space. If you have a smaller town garden or courtyard, tidying up the paving can be beneficial and you might like to put some plants in pots, but don’t go to the extent of having artificial grass installed, which has fallen out of favour in recent years. Keep materials as natural as possible.
Create space for entertaining
If your garden is big enough that it has zones for sitting, relaxing, growing, etc, consider emphasising one area as a space for entertaining. This could be repaving an area which looks a little shabby and adding a pergola or an outside dining area, where you can even add built-in seating or a pizza oven or barbecue. Think about which areas of your garden get the sun and create appropriate entertaining spaces around it – if there’s a shady area, lean into the seclusion with space to relax out of the sun, while areas that get the most sun are perfect for barbecuing or outdoor dining.
Don’t forget parking
The front of the house is as important as the back for kerb appeal – it’s likely the first thing that potential buyers will see. If you have a dedicated parking space, clean up any oil spills and rake over gravel or tidy up around the edges. If you don’t have a parking space, can you create one? Is there unused space at the front that could be transformed into a parking area? It’s also good to find somewhere to store bins so they are out of the line of sight.
The important thing to remember though is that your changes don’t have to be drastic – a simple tidy up is enough to get your garden looking more appealing, particularly if it’s in autumn when there are lots of leaves on the ground, or coming out of winter before the spring has turned everything lush and green. A good weed does wonders!
For more advice on preparing your home for property marketing services, or to find out more about our photography, floor plans and brochures, get in touch.
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