When homeowners look at ways of improving the value of their properties before selling, they will primarily invest in indoor improvements. Examples of such improvements might be renovation work, including upgrades to electrical and heating systems but sometimes the most effective way is to improve your garden.
The thing is, exterior improvements such as in the garden can also improve the future value of a house. That’s because many house buyers prefer to make their mark on an already landscaped and cultivated garden. With that in mind, which changes should you make?
Patio
The first area to consider when looking at ways of improving your garden is the patio. If your patio area looks lacklustre and is a mess of broken concrete, for example, it can negatively impact your home’s value.
As you probably know, there are many ways you can upgrade the ground on your patio. For instance, you could have contemporary outdoor floor tiles installed. Or, you might wish to opt for wood decking or even block paving.
Something else you can do is add some decorative touches to your patio. For instance, you might wish to get a pergola installed and have some climbing plants grow on it to create a serene and romantic outdoor space and one that offers some shade.
Another idea might be to section the patio area off with some decorative fencing. Creating “zones” in a garden makes the outdoor space more attractive to prospective buyers as it makes them feel you’ve invested a lot of time and effort in your home.
Lawn
The next area that requires your attention is the lawn. You can probably ignore this section if you have an immaculate lawn in your garden. However, if your lawn contains more weeds than grass or hardly any grass at all, you need to bring your lawn back to life.
There are two ways to achieve that goal. Firstly, you could spread some grass seed over the top of your lawn and grow new grass. Secondly, it might make more sense to have ready-grown turf laid out on a cleared and level lawn.
If you’ve got an extremely small outdoor space, it could make more sense to have astroturf laid out across the lawn area. However, it’s not the usual practice to do this, and it may put some buyers off your home.
When your lawn is weed-free, and the grass is growing well, you should ensure that it gets maintained well at all times. That means cutting the grass regularly or paying a gardener to do the work for you.
Fencing
Last but not least, you need to ensure that your fence panels are in good condition and well-maintained. Fence panels can cost upwards of £40 each, and if there are several broken ones in your garden, it can put off some potential buyers due to the added cost.
Each year, you should apply a stain coating to your fences so they remain well-preserved and won’t disintegrate during bad weather or strong winds. Avoid staining your fences with bright and bold colours, as some buyers may have more conventional tastes.