Favourite Social Space – The Garden?
We’ve all been watching the Chelsea Flower Show, so we are inspired.
We frequently work with people buying and selling property. Many wanting to sell their home spend thier time getting little jobs finished inside the home in order to prepare it for sale.
But what about your garden? Do you look at what your garden could do for you both now and in the future? More and more of us are spending time at home and so want that lovely outdoor space.
One can spend a small fortune in a garden so how much should you spend and where do you start? What sort of garden improvements could you be doing to both improve and add value to your home?
We have taken a step outdoors our day-to-day role and spoke to some of our Estate Agent friends to share some tips on garden improvements you can do which will be lovely to live with now and improve your position in the future should you think of selling. Add value on a couple of different levels…result.
Not all these tips will add monetary value to your home, however they will certainly make your property more attractive to potential buyers.
Fix It: Complete outstanding garden jobs
First of all, fix things. Be it that fence panel you have been meaning to sort or that outside tap with a slight leak? Sort it out. Perhaps you have a cracked paving slab on the patio right by the French doors? People will see it, so best to do it or get someone in to have a look at it!
Seriously, gardens are so important, and they need to look good. If someone sees a messy, overgrown garden, they may have difficulty seeing past the weeds and miss the potential. What a lot tend to see is a lot of hard work and that is not for everyone. Some people just can’t be bothered. It might also make some people wonder just how well you have looked after the rest of your home!
Home Office: Add a Structure
As we have said, more and more of us are spending time at home. Working, but at home. There are pitfalls to working at home, and one of those is finding a balance between work and home life.
The easiest way to separate the two is to – separate the two!
A garden office provides that distance to lock yourself away and work without home life getting in the way. You can also step out of your garden office at the end of the working day, lock up, and then, quite literally, go home.
Costs of installation (and quality) will vary A LOT, so you’ll need to do your homework, get a few quotes and try to see the quality of what other work or structures they have built before.
Dine Out: Create Outdoor Eating Spaces
At Prospect we were split on our favourite space for socialising. For some it was open plan Kitchen / Diner, but for most it was the Garden. We all love being outside. If one is fortunate enough to have the space, dining al fresco is something to cherish.
A nicely maintained garden patio or decked area will work wonders for your home’s appeal to a prospective buyer. If you have garden furniture, arrange it so that people can picture themselves there. Don’t rely on their imagination.
Light it Up: Add Lighting to the Garden
Adding value to your garden could mean making it more appealing. Use lighting to lift darker areas. You could add small solar lights to light up pathways, or a net of twinkling stars woven over a tree’s lower branches. You could have a fixed, electric light too, either for cosmetic purposes or security. It fully depends on your budget.
What is certain is that good use of lighting will benefit you both in your own use making your space more pleasant a spot into the late evenings.
Home Takeaways: Eating Out…at Home!
Eating at home rather than eating out has become very popular, so it’s unsurprising that there are items you can purchase to enhance the outside living experience. Things like a bar area, pizza oven or even an outdoor kitchen!
One of the most popular Gardens at Chelsea this year was the Savills Garden which was certainly a standout design and concept. Worth a look on Google.
When it comes to it potential buyers will love that you have something there for them to make use of.
Outside and In: Merge Them
When you think of the garden, it is worth spending a moment thinking how the garden and the house work in connection with each other.
An example we were given was to think, how do you exit the house to go into the garden? Could you perhaps add bi-fold doors to the property? This kind of change may be relatively costly, but the impact means you are more likely to add real value to the house and certainly add broad appeal.
When you are thinking of garden improvements, you can think big but you should also think small too. You could do some building work, or you could just ensure you get the small things done well. You could install a fake grass landscape, or you could make sure your real grass is cut properly.
Need a Helping Hand?
Whatever you do, or are thinking of doing, here on the lovely Isle of Wight we have a good number of quality trades and services where you can ask for opinions and recommendations.
If you need any help with advice concerning additional borrowing for any Home or Garden Improvement project, please get in touch.
Prospect Mortgage are a family run business based on the Isle of Wight. Call us on 01983 616666 or email info@prospectmortgage.co.uk to chat with a member of our friendly and experienced team.
