The outside appearance of your home can be just as important as the inside. A well maintained exterior can increase the enjoyment of your home while you live there and never more so than when you are selling it. An attractive garden can add value to your home while a poorly maintained garden will detract from it. A well kept, landscaped garden can be worth up to 20% of the value of your property. The value of your garden depends on the property value and the garden features. A patio, garden shed and garden ornaments can substantially increase both the value and the saleability of your property. In terms of size, it is very difficult to say which size of garden will add more or less value. Some buyers don’t want the work entailed in a large garden, while others are looking for the extra space a larger garden affords.

Tidying and doing some basic seasonal maintenance on your garden is a good way to start. It is amazing how much a well cut lawn will lift the appeal of your garden and complement its surroundings. Check if fences and trellises are in need of repair or are they coated in green algae. You would not think twice about freshening up the interior of your property with a coat of paint, so why not do the same outside. Clean and oil any decking you may have and give your fences, garden shed any other wood in the garden a lift with a fresh coat of paint or stain. Trim shrubs and trees, cut away dead growth and clear away dead leaves and any other debris from the winter months.

Once your garden looks tidy, start to add a bit of colour which will catch the eye of potential buyers. Adding inexpensive bedding plants to borders and flower beds always attracts the eye as does hanging baskets or tubs and planters. You can fill your own containers, or if time is short, buy them ready planted from your local garden centre. Spring and summer are great times to show a colourful garden to help maximise your selling price. Autumn with all its spectacular browns, oranges and yellow in the trees can also be a colourful season in the garden.

First impressions actually do count. Never underestimate the value of street appeal. An untidy or badly kept front garden can create a negative image of a property before any prospective buyer even gets through the front door. Tidy also means storing away bicycles, children’s scooters and toys from the garden. A well-kept, colourful, front garden creates the a positive first impression of a property, as does a well maintained front door, so always start with your front garden and entrance area.

Even buyers looking for small gardens want usable space, a garden is not just a place to hang washing out. It’s a place for children to play and adults to relax and unwind. Most of us have sampled the Mediterranean lifestyle whilst on holiday and the idea of being able to use our garden space as an extension to our living space in the same fashion has become very appealing to many people. Larger, good quality patios, or decking areas, populated with patio furniture and a barbeque area, all accessible by way of large sliding glass doors or bi-fold doors, not only enriches your own lifestyle but adds value to the property. Add some outdoor lighting and you have created the perfect area for outdoor entertaining and alfresco dining during warmer summer evenings. Where possible, separate your garden into areas with clear purposes; dining, relaxing, children’s play area, vegetable growing and drying area for laundry.

Few gardens have the luxury of total privacy, but having created a good, usable outside living space, you might want to think about adding some screening to that area. This can be done by adding a screen using wooden trellis, or planting a few well positioned ornamental trees or shrubs. Bamboo is also an option but as it grows and spreads vigorously, this would be best planted in pots to contain it. 

Creating privacy makes a garden more appealing to a prospective buyer and by doing so, adds value to a property. Similarly, security is becoming more of a headline issue. If your potential buyers have pets or small children, a garden that is fully secure will be more appealing to them as they will feel able to allow these to be out in the garden in the knowledge that they are relatively safe and will not need constant supervision. Secure fencing, walls or gates, will make your property more appealing as they will be seen by potential buyers to make the property in general more secure against break-ins. Add padlocks to your gates and sheds to keep them secure. These are sensible measures, which will not put off buyers by giving the impression that you are in an area with a higher than normal risk of break-ins.

A water feature gives a more relaxed ambience to a garden. That could be a pond, a waterfall or fountain style feature. Also worth noting is that regardless of what you do with your garden, you should always attempt to keep it low maintenance so as not to put off buyers. The last thing you should do if you want to add value to your property is to create a garden where people are not able to relax in it as they would be too busy working to keep it tidy.

Never be afraid to use other people’s ideas. If you are looking to landscape your garden you should watch the garden restyling programmes on television and pick ideas or advice from them to help you get your design started. If you feel that you would benefit from more one to one advice, engage the services of a landscape gardener or garden designer

As with all property related projects, always ensure that you check the credentials of any contractor you are about to use. Make sure they have the relevant experience, qualifications and insurances and check if they are members of a trade organisation or are on a Competent Persons Register.

If you are making improvements to your home, you may find some of these services useful: