Over the past few years, Australians have been more inclined than ever to spend time outdoors and enjoy a more casual lifestyle, meaning greater priority is being given to outdoor areas and landscaping in our homes.
This trend is especially important if you are planning to sell your home, as clever landscaping can have the effect of actually increasing the value of your home and is likely to make a difference for prospective buyers.
How much time, effort and money should you put in to landscaping your home if you’re thinking of selling?
Like any pre-sale improvements, the secret is spending just the right amount to get results. Make a difference, but don’t go over the top.
With this in mind, here are a few simple tips to help improve the landscaping and outdoor area and hopefully make your property more attractive to potential buyers.
1. The first, simple, thing to do is clear away any children’s toys or bikes that are lying around and remove play equipment if it is making the backyard look smaller.
2. Walk down garden pathways and remove any dead, overhanging or dangerous branches. Clean paths if they are mouldy or dirty and replace any broken bricks, pavers or cracks.
3. Check the fencing. Make necessary repairs – replace broken palings, reinforce rickety fencing and repaint as required.
4. If the garden beds or lawn are covered in weeds, have the family spend an hour or two clearing them out. Prune back flowers, trees and bushes to new growth and ‘deadhead’ flowering plants.
5. Remove any unsightly, dead or scrawny trees and shrubs and replace with healthier specimens.
6. Add mulch such as sugarcane, pebbles or pine chips to your garden beds. This will not only help to keep water in and discourage weeds but will also make your garden look neat and well cared for.
7. Remove garden equipment. Put away all garden tools such as the lawn mower, edger and hoses when not in use. Also, if your budget allows, remove that old umbrella-style clothes line and replace with a retractable line in an area that’s not visible from the back of the house.
Finally, make sure your garden includes an outdoor deck or patio area suitable for outdoor eating. A simple and cost effective way to achieve this is to lay a section of paving stones flush up against your home, preferably outside the back entrance. Recycled bricks make perfect pavers and can usually be purchased from your local recycling or garden centre for very little cost.
