Pottering in the garden on a sunny afternoon is one of those little joys in life, but did you know having a well-kept outdoor space can add as much as 20 per cent to the value of your home?
Research by My Tool Shed has discovered that by simply sprucing up your garden, the average UK house price could increase by up to a whopping £46,552, especially in urban areas, such as London. So when prospective buyers view a house, what's outside can count almost as much as what's inside!
Related: Small garden ideas to make the most of a tiny outdoor space
Here are the top 15 ways to increase your property value by looking after your garden. Trowels at the ready...
Maintain your garden
1. Keep the lawn smart by cutting the grass regularly. No one wants a jungle in their back yard!
2. Weed the flower beds to keep them looking neat.
3. Give the fence a fresh coat of paint or varnish – Cuprinol has lots of shades to choose from and grey is particularly fashionable right now, allowing your flowers and foliage to truly pop.
4. Treat the decking with a protective wood stain and remove any dirt or moss
Invest in some hard landscaping
5. Separate your garden into zones with clear purposes – for example, dining, relaxing, vegetable growing...
6. Install a water feature for a more relaxed ambience.
7. Keep it low maintenance so as not to put off buyers.
8. Patch up any cracks or gaps in the patio or pavement.
Buy these extras for an easy win
9. Add outdoor furniture so viewers can imagine themselves relaxing in the space
10. Introduce colour and interest with potted plants
11. Buy a shed as an additional storage feature
12. If there's space, add an outbuilding that can be used as an office or playroom
Think about privacy and safety
13. Keep the space secure by adding locks to gates and sheds.
14. Include outdoor lighting – fix a security light or hang some solar lights for ambience.
15. Keep the space private by making sure fences are in place or planting shrubs so the area isn't overlooked.
A further study by Foxtons Estate Agents has shown that 62 per cent of their customers said that a garden was important to them with a further 72 per cent saying they'd pay more for a property with outdoor space. In fact, simply just having an outdoor space in London can increase the value of your property by £90,000.
So where are the hot spots for adding value in London? Islington tops the chart at an enormous extra £90K simply for having an outdoor space. Merton is in second at £60,000 and Haringey a close third at £55,000. Further East, Greenwich and Lewisham both have the potential for increases of £50K.
Get ready to channel your inner Alan Titchmarsh!
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