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Garden Week: Creating Kerb Appeal
Now that spring has finally sprung as they say I thought we would take a look at a few blogs around the subject of gardening. We are kicking off the week in style with Francoise Murat blogging about kerb appeal for your home.
Kerb Appeal (– that means the front & back garden!)
First impressions are very important. Potential buyers often make up their mind within minutes of seeing the front of the house and although selling in a buyer’s market may seem easy- don’t underestimate how demanding buyers can be.
The outside of the house is the first thing they will see so if you front garden or entrance is less than perfect, they will already have made up their mind before they even step through the door. The front sets the scene, frames the house and shows off its best assets.
Easy Tips And Ideas For The Front Garden
•Clear all rubbish – it puts people off and no-one wants to move n and clear someone’s else rubbish.
•Don’t park the car in the drive when you have potential buyer’s visiting, park it in the street. You do not want to obscure the house and it is important to show off the space to its best advantage.
•Keep it simple. Clean and non slippery path, not too many pots or features, not too many colours clashing.
•Edge the path with plants, especially right now, as they will grow very fast at this time of year– larger shrubs are good to fill the space and make it looks more established. It also costs less as you need less plants.
•Evergreens are a good bet for year round greenery. Try evergreens such as Box or Photinia, as they will look architectural and give texture to the design of the front garden.
•Less is more here. Use three to four different plant types only depending on the size of the front garden. Don’t buy every single plant you like or see.
•Gravel is a good option. It’s always an elegant and sustainable feature for paths and driveways. It’s also very cost effective and saves time on weeding. Make sure it is not too deep, 30-60mm is fine. If you use it as a border around the walls it can really make the house stand out.
•By law, if you pave more than 5 square metres of the drive and front garden, you must install permeable paving to ensure adequate water run-off.
Back Gardens
Don’t forget the back garden – you have impressed potential buyers with the front garden and a great interior – now you need to create a lasting impression.
The back garden should be an oasis of peace – a green space that transports you away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Tatty fences and decrepit sheds do not create this serene idyll!
- All fences and sheds should be repaired and re-painted if needed. Enhance the look with soft colours (such as estate colours) for an elegant contemporary feel or wood enhancers for a more natural look.
- Paths, decking and paving should be clean and clear of weeds and moss.
- Borders must be weed-free. Here you can plant some inexpensive shrubs to give interest – once again keeping to three or four varieties and creating blocks of planting.
- If you use too many different flowers and plants in the garden, it creates a busy, jumbled look which is unsettling for potential buyers and screams “maintenance heavy”.
- Choose the size of plants carefully. Make sure the new planting is not all the same size. This shouts out ‘new’ – you want it look natural and like it has always been there. Vary the height of the plants as well. Tall, vertical elements in your design will break up the space, add volume and prevent the garden looking flat and uninteresting.
- Put away the washing line, paddling pool and children’s toys – the garden should not be an obstacle course!
- If you don’t have time for an overhaul of the garden, the least you can do is make sure that you cut the grass and that the paths are free of weeds.
Françoise Murat & Associates specialise in interior, garden & landscape design.
For more garden and interior design ideas check out at www.francoisemurat.com. You can also find her on Twitter here.
By editor|May 4th, 2021|Categories: Garden Blogs, Guest Bloggers, Property Development, Property Related Posts|Tags: francoise murat, garden week, kerb appeal, property, selling|9 Comments
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A great post from Francoise, and some sound and simple advice. It doesn’t take too long to ensure that you have carried out these things, and you can rest assured that it will take even less time for potential buyers to walk away if you don’t!!
Thanks Paul (@PaulWeston33 ),yes tidy front and back gardens really do make a difference to hone sales and rentals. In my opinion it shows the viewer what they are likely to get once inside the property.
Thanks Paul (@PaulWeston33 ),yes tidy front and back gardens really do make a difference to house sales and rentals. In my opinion it shows the viewer what they are likely to get once inside the property.Dont set yourself up for a fail before they even walk in the door.
A great post & great advice. The look and appearance of a house is so dependant on the appearance of the front garden, I only have to look at the bombsite of a house near me to know that; it was once a well tended and cared for garden. The gardens and their appearance can tell you a lot about the persona of the owners and the likely state of the rest of the property.
Great advice that so many people fail to follow (me included probably) So many people spend a fortune on the latest fancy bits n pieces inside the house but forget that they may have lost the buyer before they even get through the front door.
Thank you for your comments everyone- sometimes just a basic tidy up will do the trick, I’m always amazed when I go to client’s home because they need help in selling their house – it’s usually something they can do themselves!
A fantastic blog from a fantastic lady. The front and outside of your property really is so important when selling your property – 1st impressions go a long way in capturing those all important offers.
Would urge everyone to take note of the points raised here and act on them – the improvements can be dramatic!
Francoise is right about it being easy too.It also looks better on pics of the property and it gives you a lift to see it looking good.People have to think of it like a shop window. Would you prefer to see nice things arranged well or dusty old bits of faded merchandise? Principle is the same.Thanks for all the comments folks. Appreciated.
Francoise is right about it being easy too.It also looks better on pics of the property and it gives you a lift to see it looking good.People have to think of it like a shop window. Would you prefer to see nice things arranged well or dusty old bits of faded merchandise? Principle is the same.Thanks for all the comments folks. Appreciated.