For many people, selling a house can be an incredibly daunting process! Not only are there several other similar properties in the area to contend with, but there are also evolved décor, features and fixings that have the potential to sway the minds of prospective buyers looking for a simple move.
Many buyers (particularly first-time buyers) want to buy a home that needs very little work done in terms of renovation, so ensuring the house for sale has plenty of these features already installed is a great way to grab the attention of potential buyers and secure the purchase of a property.
For most readers, the mention of these fashionable features will conjure images of interior commodities and fixtures such as open-plan kitchens and cosy living room log burners. The potential for adding mass appeal and value to property doesn’t end with the interior, however, venturing into a property’s outdoor space can unlock a huge range of extra perks you can add to a home to spark extra interest from buyers.
The Facts Speak For Themselves
There are plenty of great reasons why renovating your garden space can add huge amounts of value to your home as well as extra appeal to buyers.
We’re going to delve into some of those reasons below, but for a quick, visual explanation of our reasons for renovation, be sure to check out our latest illustrated infographic, listing all the reasons you need (and more!) to transform your garden before putting your house on the market.
Why the Garden?
A property’s garden is a huge deal-breaker for many house hunters, and one of the few spaces in the house where a potential buyer can really imagine having friends over and hosting parties and BBQs during the warm summer months. While buyers imagine more practical day-to-day uses of a property’s indoor spaces and features, the garden can really take a house hunter by surprise and offer something that other properties on the market do not.
Simply put, renovating your garden gives you an opportunity to create a ‘show stopper’, and really give house hunters something to remember when viewing the property.
Here are some key stats from our infographic that further show why you should give your garden a pre-sale makeover:
- Around 40% of buyers in the UK state they wouldn’t consider making an offer on a house if it didn’t have a garden.
- In summer, it is statistically much easier to sell a house with an attractive garden than one without.
- Briton’s are no strangers to investing in their gardens, with studies suggesting the typical garden is worth an extra £2,000 alone.
What NOT To Do
While renovating your garden is a fantastic way to boost the overall value of the property as well as general interest from potential buyers, there are some pitfalls you’ll want to avoid to ensure you get the best ROI.
Lavish features such as swimming pools may seem like a great investment at the time, but they can be expensive to maintain and require a lot of care from the owner. Buyers who love the house but don’t want additional maintenance costs could be put off by these additions. Oppositely, don’t skimp on quality when it comes to materials and labour costs during a renovation. Typically, you get what you pay for, so using cheap materials and unqualified tradespeople can result in a very unattractive finished product, that won’t do much in the way of adding appeal to the property.
Another thing to keep in mind is protecting your investment in your garden. Spending money on an outdoor renovation will make your garden significantly more valuable, and may result in the addition of valuable features that catch the eye of passing thieves. By extending your insurance to cover the contents of your garden, valuable additions will be covered should the worst happen.
This is also a great reason to ensure your garden space is secured from the hands of thieves, not only will it keep unwanted visitors out, but it will also add another selling point for potential buyers.
How to Add Value
Now we’ve covered what not to do, we’ll share some of the best ways to add tonnes of aesthetic appeal and property value to your home all by renovating the garden!
Adding quality decking to your outdoor space is a popular and cost-effective way to transform a standard garden space into an accessible area to enjoy the outdoors. From enjoying a quiet breakfast in the sun to throwing legendary BBQs and garden parties, spacious quality decking creates an area that you and your guests can use to enjoy all that summer has to offer.
At Ecoscape we specialise in providing the highest quality composite decking to customers, (as well as a first-class fitting and installation service for customers in the Manchester area!). If adding decking to your garden is the option for you, be sure to give our expert team a call on 0845 901 1988.
Adding other popular garden features such as stonewalling, outhouses, water features and flower beds are all great ways to catch the eyes (and bids) of potential buyers, so be sure to brush up on what’s hot this year in garden design and landscaping.
Finally, a very effective yet underutilised strategy is simply maintaining, tidying and cleaning up your garden. Features that have been in place for some years may be covered in a light layer of moss or mildew, paving stones may be making way for unsightly weeds, and grass and bushes may be overgrown. By tidying up the appearance of your existing features and plant life, the overall appearance of the garden will increase considerably, and paint the property as a whole in a much better light.
So there we have our top tips on increasing the appeal and value of your home through the garden, be sure to check back with the Ecoscape blog soon for more great guides, tips and tricks! Don’t forget to read and share our illustrated infographic for a more compact guide.
Infographic Sources:
- The Telegraph
- Homebuilding
- Phil Spencer in The Telegraph
- Saga
