How to increase your home’s value by over £45,000
Sprucing up your garden can significantly increase the value of your home especially in urban areas.
Image: MyToolShed.co.uk
According to MyToolShed.co.uk a well-kept garden can add 20% to the value of the home, meaning the average UK house could see an increase of £46,542. A recent survey by Foxtons Estate Agents also found that 62% of their customers said that a garden was important to them with a further 72% saying they’d pay more for a property with outdoor space.
As well as improving your home’s kerb appeal, follow these 15 simple steps to extracting extra value out of your exterior space.
Cut the grass
Image: Daniel Watson
The first thing anyone should do to make their garden space look better is to simply give the lawn a mow. It’s surprising what a difference something so simple can make. What also helps is making sure the edges are nicely trimmed as well as removing any leaves that have fallen, especially in the Autumn months.
Garden zones
Decking, along with other patio or paved areas are great at making different zones in your garden. If you have the space, these are important for breaking up the garden space into separate areas used for different things. For example, the decking area’s is a place where you can relax and unwind, and the patio is where any outdoor eating may take place. Keeping these areas away from the lawn helps keep it from wear.
Give the fence a fresh coat
Image: KatinkavomWolfenmond
Something else that really shows a home’s age is how worn the fences are. A new coat of paint will either show that the current owner is taking care of their property or help mask the house’s real age.
Pot those plants
When you do have an area that is paved or decked it helps to add some potted plants to the space to keep the flow of the garden going. You want the seating area to be a part of the garden not disconnected.
Want to create a tropical paradise in your back garden? Check out these 7 easy tropical garden plants you can grow in the UK.
Treat that dreary decking
Image: Marzenna Gaines
The same goes for any wooden decking you may have. All wood that is left outside to the element needs to be kept on top of and the best place to start is with treatments, stains and preservers. These will help protect the wood from all weather conditions. Perfect for the rather unpredictable, but usually poor UK weather.
Enjoy the sun with outdoor furniture
People want to be able to enjoy the sun wherever they can get the opportunity. Having an area where the homeowner can go to sit back and relax or to entertain outside can be very attractive to potential buyers.
Water features
Image: Michael Schwarzenberger
Having a water feature is the ultimate in pure relaxation and can help your garden become a place of blissful escapism. They sound expensive but you can get some fantastic water features for under £200.
Patch up the patio and paving
If you do have any patio or paved areas, make sure there are no cracks. This is particularly off-putting to young families as uneven or cracked paving could be dangerous to little ones.
Shed
Image: Jorgen Haland
Did you know that 82% of estate agents and property experts agreed that a decent sized shed would add the most value to a property? It’s true. Sheds are fantastic for storing away unsightly and bulky objects that can ruin a beautiful garden view.
Outdoor lighting
Just because it’s gone dark outside doesn’t mean you should have to go inside. On summer evenings or just when you haven’t finished enjoying your outdoor space your garden should have adequate lighting in order to keep doing what you’re doing no matter how bright it is outside. Outdoor lights are also a great security feature!
Weed the flower bed
Image: Kseniya Petukhova
Once the lawn is in shape it’s time to move to the flower beds and dig out those pesky weeds. If there’s any too tough to handle using your bare hands it may be a good idea to purchase a weed puller to help. Once they’re all out of the beds double-check any paved areas as well as the driveway. If weeds are getting through here, they’re likely going to be tougher to get rid of.
Keep an outdoor space secure
Image: Hussan Amir
It’s always nice to know that whether you’re going to be in or out, your garden area is going to be safe. All entrances/entranceways should be able to be locked so no unwanted guests can easily walk around or enter of their own accord.
Enjoying sharing snaps of your home on social media? Check out these essential security tips when posting your home on Instagram.
Keep it private
Similarly, passers-by shouldn’t be able to see into your back garden as you want to make this outdoor space one where you cannot be interrupted or feel like you’re being watched. Sometimes this can be tricky in built-up areas but there are measures you can take to keep your garden as private as possible. For example, tall-growing bushes could line those fences with see-through sections or how about climbing plants if space is restricted?
Going abroad? Read our article on how to keep your home safe while on holiday.
Outbuilding
Image: Joshua Ness
If you really want to wow potential buyers, then why not give them an outbuilding where they can be completely uninterrupted, whilst being able to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors? This is perfect for those that perhaps work from home and don’t want to be cooped up indoors all day or for people who just want to keep dry outside even if the weather is being particularly British on that day. Whatever you prefer to show off we have a great range of garden buildings for whatever you or your potential buyer’s needs are.
Keep it low maintenance
MyToolShed.co.uk’s final tip is possibly their most simple yet most important one at the same time, and that is to have a garden that is low maintenance. Nobody wants a garden that looks difficult to upkeep.
Have these gardening tips helped you to sell your home for more? Tweet us @goodhomesmag, post a comment on our Facebook page or share your tips on Instagram with the hashtag #thisgoodhome for a chance to be featured on our Instagram feed.