The sun has finally arrived and the gardens are blooming in full spring. Here’s why investing time and money in your outdoor space could add thousands of dollars to a property if you’re looking to sell.
wisteria hysteria
Cost: £100 or more
Added value: £10,000
Watch as Instagram users flock to take social media photos outside properties filled with wisteria’s distinctive lilac, pink or purple flowers, and you can see just how attractive the perennial climbing plant is.
If you sell a house with wisteria adorning the facade or garden, it is more likely to be visited, according to Philip Mount, branch manager at the Churchill Estates agency in South Woodford, east London. He says: “It has the timeless appeal of a traditional English country house which should get people knocking on the front door.”
Philip believes wisteria could be equivalent to the difference between a brick-fronted house and one with shingle, which he says could be around £10,000.
If you sell a house with wisteria adorning the facade or garden, you are more likely to be visited, according to our experts.
Philip Mount, branch manager at Churchill Estates agency in South Woodford, east London, says: “Wisteria has the timeless appeal of a traditional English cottage which should get people knocking on the front door.”
The touch of climbing color provides a luxurious exterior shine, but requires maintenance. Guy Barter, senior horticultural adviser at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), says: ‘Wisteria is easy to plant, but needs to be placed carefully along walls. A ladder may be necessary to keep it looking clean and tidy.
Wisterias can grow up to 3 meters a year, but Martyn Cox, garden columnist for The Mail on Sunday, says it can take up to two decades for a seed to mature and flower.
For this reason, it is advisable to avoid buying a small plant in a four-inch pot and, instead, buy a more mature specimen, already in flower, that will soon establish itself on a wall. For a 5ft wisteria, expect to pay £100 or more.
Garden pleasing to the eye
Cost: Free – up to £10,000
Added value: £50,000
Research by online estate agent Sold.co.uk reveals that a well-tended garden can add up to 20 per cent to the value of a property and, with the average house price of £285,000, you could expect to add around £50,000. .
Martyn Cox says: “If you see a property with a well-designed, visually pleasing garden, with geometric shapes, borders and flower beds, you are more likely to buy it than one you have seen with a scruffy garden that needs cleaning and weeding.
Although you can spend thousands of dollars paying a professional landscaper to design your dream garden (and look after it), if you do some homework and aren’t afraid of hard work, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) can provide you with inspiration and guidance on your website.
Cox adds: “Some plants look expensive, such as magnolia in full bloom in spring and camellia, which are a real pleasure to behold.”
A well-maintained yard can add 20 percent to the value of your home.
Nearly pruned evergreens add an air of formality to a home
For added luxury in city gardens, she suggests folded trees (which look like hedges on stilts), as well as clipped trees such as boxwood and laurel, if you want to create a formal, immaculate space.
Water features, such as a stream (small water channel), can also add value, as can outdoor lighting if placed subtly around the garden.
“When you look at a property and see all these expensive features in place, it’s one less thing you have to spend money and time to expect to see reflected in the sales price,” adds Cox. According to Sold.co.uk, a professionally designed and planted garden could cost £10,000.
Olive tree and lavender
Cost: £200
Added value: Priceless
If you’re looking to sell your home quickly, the instant solution is curb appeal. This adds sophistication to the front of your property, making it pleasing to the sight and smell of potential visitors. Guy Barter, of the RHS, says: ‘The front of the house is the showpiece that provides that first impression. Potted trees, such as olive trees, and conifers, such as junipers, add value because they are considered aspirational statement pieces.’
Exterior rooms
Cost: £500 – £15,000
Added value: £12,000
Garden-related outdoor rooms have great appeal: from the humble garden shed to the conservatory and even a greenhouse for growing apricots and peaches.
Estate agent Parkers says these types of outbuildings can add £12,000 to the value of a house. If you have the space, 8 feet by 6 feet is a good minimum size. Guy Barter says: “Aluminium is the material of choice for most greenhouses as it does not rust or require much maintenance.”
Martyn Cox says outdoor kitchens are popular additions that increase space for entertaining.
Devoting a corner of your garden to a seating area with plants cleverly arranged to enclose the space would be a more economical way to create an outdoor room.
According to trader search website Checkatrade, the average cost is £20,000. The reason for this relatively high price is that work surfaces and oven areas must be built to withstand changes in temperature and weather.
They usually include not only a grill with an oven, but also pipes for the sink, as well as kitchen cabinets and shelves. Many include a refrigerator and pizza oven. According to lending company ABC Finance, such a build can add 5 percent to the value of your home.
Vegetable garden
Cost: £200
Added value: £1,500
Homegrown herbs, fruits and vegetables in a garden are not the exclusive property of luxury hotels. According to the National Society of Garden and Leisure Gardeners, you can spend £200 a year growing fruit and vegetables that would cost £1,500 in the shops. Show buyers that there is an established orchard and you will broaden the property’s appeal.
The value of your garden increases if you play to its strengths, says Martyn Cox.
In a rural idyll, you may want to create a wildflower meadow or add a natural swimming pond to increase the feeling of being in harmony with nature.
The RHS offers advice on growing fruit and vegetables on its website. rhs.org.uk
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