home values and garden landscaping

phoebe1989seb

IMHO it will only make a house more saleable - our garden was one of the main things that made us buy our current house, although admittedly apart from the attractive characterful exterior complete with thatched roof there wasn't much else to commend it, being a total wreck internally

Stepping down from a terraced area into a real *secret garden* with manicured lawn surrounded by large established trees and shrubs running down to a gently flowing stream was a real antidote to the nasty, cold, bare stone walls and concrete floor interior.......we fell in love immediately, even though it was pouring with rain the day we viewed.

The terraced area was a different story - a sad, Tarmac-ed affair with a corrugated plastic carport and an assortment of plastic trellis and thin patches of horrid grey gravel.

Two years on - and in between restoring the inside - we decided to tackle the terrace. A quote for around £10k from a landscape company was quickly put to one side and we opted to DIY - often the best way, we find

Just under £5000 on materials and several weeks of hard graft later - it's a big area - we have a lovely kitchen garden that finally complements both the house and the lawned area. If we were to sell - and we have no plans to - I think it will make the place even more appealing than we found it

Oh and btw, we also have a discreetly positioned hot tub (but detest chrome & leather furniture, LOL!) - our only vice (well, apart from wine :rotfl:) and a favourite place to relax after a hard day DIYing

Davesnave

Retro_Bunny wrote: »

Sorry to rabbit on, but the key is level.

Off topic, but I disagree.

A gentle slope, preferably to the south or west, has distinct advantages in maximising any sunshine we have and it helps to ensure good drainage, crucial in winters like the one we've just had.

Further, if there are outbuildings, polytunnels etc to be hidden, their impact is much reduced by being placed down the slope. Smaller tress & shrubs can do the hiding and it may be possible to retain a view over them, depending on garden length.

My back garden's like that and I keep a view despite large buildings being between the house and the fields.

At the front, my garden's flat and it can become waterlogged in winter. There, I have another view into a different valley, but only in the winter when a kind farmer cuts his hedge specially low. At this time of year, that view is disappearing fast, thanks to cow parsley etc, but if there was a slope like that at the back, I'd keep the view all year.

Edwardia

Our garden is small for the size of the house, without a lawn and level. Our vendors removed the off road parking but when we sell we'll get PP if needed as an extra selling point.

The house needed so much work that it was good that we didn't need to start excavating with diggers or turfing. There's a park across the road with hectares of grass so I'm not going to bother putting in a lawn. Lawn = mowing = mower = shed = less garden

We've turned the garden into an outdoor Mediterranean style room in effect as it faces South.

Crocus does a design service
http://www.crocus.co.uk/design-service/

Whatever you do in a garden people are likely to rip it all up frankly.

olly300

Rule of thumb I was given -
"If you live in a town make your garden easy to maintain.

If you live in the country make your garden as nice as possible. "

It doesn't add loads of money on to the house but it makes it sell quicker.

Leif

olly300 wrote: »

Rule of thumb I was given -
"If you live in a town make your garden easy to maintain.

If you live in the country make your garden as nice as possible. "

It doesn't add loads of money on to the house but it makes it sell quicker.

And if you have put an offer on a nice house, not having to accept a low offer will in effect add value, or make it more likely you won't lose the house you want before your is sold.

no1catman

To answer the original question - probably not.

It depends IMHO on the value of the house.

I think any area of a property - there is a limit to how much you spend, and how much effect there can be as a result.

That is, if you've got £150k terraced house, spending £5k of the garden is not going to make that much difference, whereas £500 would do!
Or if you have a £400k detached house, then a landscaping investment could give you a return.

Mind you, the reverse is more likely, if it looks unkempt, then people may wonder how much to spend on it - time and money to make it look decent.
My neighbours - have weeds growing at the bottom of the house wall and their drive! A short while ago, I counted 20 dandelion heads!

I think any landscaping or garden improvements, are a matter for your benefit.
We used to live in a terraced house - garden was about 12 ft. long, moved to a semi garden's more like 80ft. The log-roll borders were disintegrating - yes had 'landscaper' in - fitted 24 railway sleepers, plus 4 ton of t/soil. It's a garden I can enjoy more now.