With the housing market struggling to gain any real momentum, sellers trying to sell their home and move up the ladder must do everything they can to make their property as appealing as possible to potential buyers.
The obvious things homeowners can do are on the inside of the house, things like de-cluttering, giving the walls a lick of paint and vacuuming away any pesky dust or cobweb collections that have gathered over time can all help, but what about the outside areas?
A 2012 survey by HSBC that polled more than a hundred estate agents and 1300 British homeowners revealed the percentage of each group that thought specific simple home improvements would help homeowners sell their homes.
It comes as no surprise that both the experts and homeowners agreed that basic garden maintenance can reap big rewards.
Showing potential buyers a neat and tidy garden makes buyers lives easier as they don’t need to see past clutter and weeds to see how space available and how they can put their own stamp on it, but just how do you go about it?
A Simple But Good-looking Garden
Step 1 – Plan
Measure out the garden space you have available and work out where each element of the garden will go.
Using the Grono personal lawn planner as a guide, draw out a simple sketch of the area and stick to basic choices like a neat lawn area, gravel paths and a small area of bedding for plants. Make the most of the space you have but don’t go overboard with lots of plants and pots.
Although a simple a low maintenance garden might not look as spectacular as a botanical paradise, the prospect of a tidy looking garden that’ll take less work to maintain will appeal to buyers.
Jo Thompson, who runs her own landscape and garden design business, working on projects across the UK, recommends planting simple hardy plants like the perennial Verbena and climbing rose (Rosa ‘New Dawn’) to add a splash of colour.
Step 2 - De-clutter the garden
Throw away any old plant pots, hanging baskets and tidy away tools and hoses. No one likes to see dead plants or weeds filling a garden so take time to do a spot of weeding.
If you lack storage, a cheap but good looking shed can be a good option for hiding away any tools or garden furniture during the winter and you can always take it with you or sell it when you move.
Step 3 – Get busy
Set aside a weekend to get the work done. Making sure you have the right tools, materials and a couple of willing volunteers will help you get the job done quicker.
Depending on the time of year you’re doing the work, if you’ve already got hangers for hanging baskets, you can buy readymade baskets from garden centres that’ll instantly add some colour. Just remember they’re thirsty and you’ll need to water them regularly.
When the weather starts to warm up around spring time, put out your garden furniture so viewers can see the potential seating and hosting area the garden offers.
Basic Tips
- Neat and tidy but low maintenance – Keep clean straight lines, with maybe a couple of pots but don’t go overboard
- Pick suitable plants – Pick plants based on the time of year, how much sunlight the garden gets and your budget
- Fix rather than replace –Fixing broken fences and gates can be cheaper than replacing them
- A lick of paint or varnish – Touch up tired looking fences, garden furniture and sheds with a lick of paint to give it a new lease of life
- Security – If you do choose to add a shed to the garden, fit a good quality lock and make sure to check your home insurance policy to see that everything is covered in case of theft or damage
These green fingered gardening tips were brought to you by Chris Stillwell from home insurance comparison site Confused.com. Chris has recently taken the plunge to buying his first home and is busy planning an overhaul of the garden.