home values and garden landscaping

tired_dad

What's the view on weather professional garden landscaping will materially effect the value of your home. I'm talking a proper job - the sort of thing you see Marshals approved installers fit.

theGrinch

I have heard it said more than once that a nice garden can add 10% onto a house.

I_have_spoken

It must help, but only once the kitchen and bathroom are spot-on, fancy gardens are 'nice to have' but the risk is some peeps may just see a never-ending slog of weeding.

Davesnave

It will make the house easier to sell, but it won't add much value, unless the place is a total tip to start with.

PasturesNew

I was watching Phil Spencer on the telly last night - he was doing the usual thing of banging on and on and on about "family homes" (it's as if nobody else in the whole world ever buys houses) ... and made a man remove his low maintenance shingle/pathway/statue garden and lay lawn.

The potential buyers they then showed round were single people without kids.

If I saw a posh garden I'd think: nightmare, nobody has time for that....

theGrinch

A significant number of people like to maintain a garden. its one of the biggest pastimes.

According to the BBC there are 18.5 million gardeners in the country.

If the house is as good as you can make it, then a nice garden will add value.

Leif

I too think nice a garden may add value, unless it is small. A decent sized garden which is overgrown will turn off many people. A tidy decent sized garden will attract people, and add to the overall impression. The basics - nice kitchen, bathroom, location, good sized rooms etc - come first, but the garden will add emotional appeal.

And I don't think you need to get in landscapers, as the cost will perhaps negate any sale gains. It just needs nice beds with nice shrubs and a decent lawn.

Retro_Bunny

Remember that a nice garden is open to interpretation.

For the same reason we painted our houses Magnolia as opposed to Fuchsia Pink, your garden should be just nice.

Spending thousands on meticulous landscaping and ornate fountains is a no-no. Ensuring you've got a level, nicely laid out garden with reasonable grass, reasonable flower beds and possible a veg patch is easily done DIY.

If your house is going to be bought by a true gardener, they will do their own thing with your garden anyway. Value is more in a low maintenance easy garden to attract all buyers.

Retro_Bunny

P.S. A few years back, I've watched my neighbour build up his garden over time to be like a entry good enough to win Chelsea flower shows. Yet when he passed from cancer and the house was sold, the professional man and family who moved in bulldozed the lot, paved most of it and stuck a hot-tub in the middle of it. Fairly heart breaking, but it was his house and that's what he wanted. The beautiful garden was actually an extra payment for him to demolish.

You can't predict who's going to buy it and few people will pay more for fabulous garden. Simply and easy is the way to go.

Retro_Bunny

Sorry to rabbit on, but the key is level.

Mine currently slopes left to right, and is a 16" drop.
£7500 to level it by a landscaper - but this summer I'll be taking one week and mini digger at £300 for me. Then topping and returfing.

Anyway - my point is that had it been exactly the same garden, BUT level - I'd have paid another £1-2000 on the house price.

Leif

My garden has a distinct slope and I have never once thought it would be nicer level. But I think we agree it is not worth spending a lot on the garden. I am spending maybe £500 on sharp sand and rotavator hire to get a decent lawn, rather than the 90% weed mess I had. The kind of people who live in my area like pottering about in nice gardens.

I think a good point is to realise the target market. A young family may not care, an older couple may have more time to garden.

As for a hot tub, they are vile, on a par with chrome and leather furniture.