How does your garden grow… in value?

Gardens and balconies have never been in more demand so if you have one of these aspects and are thinking of selling, you’ll already have the upper hand and should be able to command a higher sale price. 

TV star and property expert Phil Spencer has been quoted as saying a well-kept garden can boost a home’s value by as much as 20%, while installers Bespoke Frameless Glass claim a balcony can add as much as 12% to a property’s price. Even the orientation of your outside space matters, with a south facing garden adding over £6,000 in value.

While you can’t usually change the type of outside space you have – or which way your garden faces – you can control the elements that are within. Roofing Megastore identified which garden features add the most value to a property so movers can make shrewd outdoor changes before the ‘for sale’ sign goes up.

Top 10 garden features that add value

1.     Conservatory                                      +£8,449
2.     Home office garden room                +£7,261
3.     Gym/studio room in the garden      +£7,124
4.     Orangery                                             +£6,595
5.     Outdoor kitchen                                 +£6,385
6.     Outdoor entertaining/dining area  +£6,164
7.     Hot tub                                                +£5,809
8.     New paved patio                                +£5,752
9.     New decking area                              +£5,638
10.     Garden bar                                         +£5,624

If you want to make smaller changes to your garden but you’d still like to improve your home’s value, why not choose one of these? A built-in pizza oven; a built-in outdoor BBQ; a children’s treehouse; a greenhouse, and mature plants, trees and flowers can increase a property’s worth by more than £5,000. 

The experts have even identified which plants will make buyers part with more pounds. When GetAgent asked gardener Craig Wilson from Gardener’s Dream for his top three value-adding plants, hydrangeas, peonies and eucalyptus were singled out as money-making species.  

10 garden mistakes that can devalue your property

Roofing Megastore also collated data on the garden aspects that can knock thousands of pounds off a home’s value. If you want to attract the highest offers, sellers should avoid, fix or eradicate the following: 

1.     A mouldy or dirty conservatory roof
2.     Damaged garden walls
3.     A lack of a lawn
4.     Broken guttering
5.     Cracked or damaged patio
6.     Invasive or damaging plants
7.     Old or mouldy decking
8.     Damaged decking
9.     Rubbish or debris in the garden
10.     Broken fences

Each of the above could wipe more than £5,000 off your home’s selling price, so if any of these apply, put them on your maintenance list ahead of a sale.

If you have a garden or balcony and are looking to sell this summer, ensure you keep your outdoor space neat, weed-free and ready to show at a moment’s notice. Ensure garden furniture is set out attractively, keep lawns mowed, and tidy away toys before photographs are taken and ahead of viewings. If you’d like more detailed moving advice, don’t hesitate to get in touch.