Improve your garden and add value to your home
« Back to articlesIt goes without saying that first impressions count, and with the housing market firmly tipped in favour of buyers, sellers have to go the extra mile to secure a sale. According to previous research undertaken by propertyfinder.com, women are more likely to be put off by the poor appearance of a property than men. On the other hand it’s men who are more likely to be put off by an unkempt garden.
According to Paul Barnes, of Lane Fox’s Basingstoke office, "a well-maintained, good-sized garden can add between 10 and 15 percent value to your house."
It may sound obvious, but the outside of the house is the first thing buyers see, so a tidy front lawn and window boxes bursting with colour will have a huge impact on their first impressions. Vendors often ask agents what they can do to help sell their house, and the usual advice is to wait until there are leaves on the trees and you can cut the lawn to make the most of the garden.
According to Catherine Riley, property editor of The Times, there is no need to spend a fortune on a garden makeover, as improving your garden simply adds to the saleability of your property, rather than adding a value at a percentage of what you spend. However, in a slow market increasing the saleability can be worth a fortune.
Catherine stresses that small changes can make all the difference, like weeding, sweeping the leaves and edging the lawn. Tidy away any garden tools and children’s toys including football goal posts, and replace any areas of grass.
Building a well-constructed conservatory can also increase the appeal of a property; however, you need to bear in mind whether it is worth losing a third of your garden space when a sunny patio area with a table and chairs could prove far more appealing to buyers. It might be better to simply point out the ‘potential to extend’.
Nevertheless, while some will be delighted to see beautiful neat beds bursting with flowers, some may be terrified at the prospect of keeping the plants alive, so always stress the ease of keeping your garden maintained. A labour-intensive garden may put some people off if they want a garden they can walk straight into, sit on the patio and enjoy with minimum stress.