What is a garden really worth?

James Weston, Director of All Seasons Landscape Specialists Ltd, explains why it is worth spending time designing and planning your garden and provides a step by step approach on how you can use professionals to assist you in transforming your outdoor space to ultimately increase the value of your property.

90% of the population reportedly know that a well-tended garden will add value to their property. Indeed, a well-maintained garden can increase not only the value, but also the saleability of a property. Research has shown that a number of key features can attract a buyer to your home and add up to £50,000 to your property value – allocated parking spaces and a good garden being at the top of the list.

So, how do you make the most of your garden in terms of the property value? Estate agents value a well-stocked, mature garden when pricing a home, so it’s a good idea to make designing and stocking your garden an early priority if renovating your home with a view to selling it a few years on. And of-course, you will then have the opportunity to benefit from your investment, having the time to enjoy and utilise the outdoor space that you have created.

Where to start?

Clearance

A good place to start when wanting to transform an underachieving plot into a well considered garden is to get rid of any rubbish lying around. Therefore you should dump that old rusty bike, the broken garden chair and the punctured paddling pool to enable you to have a clear vision of the space that you have.

Once you have undertaken this basic clearance, you should ask: What do you want your garden to do for you and your family?   Some of the things that you should consider are as follows:

Practical requirements

• Parking needs and garage access
• Access routes around the house
• Good views to be accommodated
• Screening requirements
• Compost heaps
• Clothes drying area
• Storage of garden tools and machinery
• Provision for pets

Use of the garden

• Entertainment – space for table and chairs for dining
• Terrace for games or possibly sunbathing.
• Children’s play areas and equipment
• Lawn
• Outdoor lighting – for beauty, access or security
• Vegetable patch or herb gardens

Planned structures

• Garage
• Pergolas/Gazebos
• Summerhouse
• Sheds
• Water features
• Greenhouse and Cold Frames

Special interests:

• Provision for birds, wildlife
• Aromas

Maintenance

• How much time can you devote to the garden?
• Can you afford a gardener?

Once you have spent time considering the desired functions for your ideal garden, it is then essential to spend time considering different styles e.g. traditional versus modern, formal versus informal. A successful garden is above all one that is appropriate – appropriate to the surrounding buildings and to the surrounding landscape, whether rural or urban. At this stage, it is worth going through magazines and books to get different ideas and to identify your likes and dislikes. However, a word of caution: just as when renovating a house for resale in years to come, it is worth ensuring that you don’t consider doing anything too outrageous and too specific to you. It may make you a talking point with the neighbours in the short term, but it may not be to the taste of the majority when it comes to selling.

Design

The next step is to actually design the garden, using the answers to the above.

Designing a garden can be a complex task and whilst there are a number of books available to help you with the task of transforming your identified needs and desires into a practical solution on the ground, you might want to consider employing a professional garden designer. Few amateur gardeners can combine the horticultural, design and construction expertise that a good designer offers.

In the long run, professional advice can mean tremendous savings in time and cost, saving you months or even years of trail and error. The best form of recommendation is, as always, word of mouth, but there are also professional bodies such as the Society of Garden Designers which will be able to recommend an experienced, qualified designer working in your area.

If you do choose to consult a designer, they will usually have an initial meeting with you to establish your requirements and what is feasible to achieve within the space, as well as with the budget that you have. This is where your consideration of what you want your garden to do for you and your family as well as your likes and dislikes will be invaluable to brief the designer. On the basis of this meeting, a designer will quote you a price for the design and, if this is agreed, will supply a contract outlining terms and conditions.

The designer will then organise a survey of the site in order to produce an accurate plan recording all relevant information and existing features of the site and which they can use as the basis to start work on a proposed plan. The designer will work closely with you to finalise the layout plan, which will show:

• Proposed paths, steps, terraces and all hardworks;
• Shrub and flower beds throughout the garden, new tree planting or removal
• Suggestions for trellis, containers, statuary, water features etc.

 

Need help? Call our team on 01799 551130, we are always happy to discuss your project.

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