A well-kept garden can clinch a property sale

A well-kept garden isn’t just a growing investment, it can also be the determining factor in clinching a sale.

If you’re prepping your house for sale, bringing your outdoor space up to scratch is time well spent, but what do you do if your backyard is more wild and free ‘nature reserve’ than Hampton Court off-shoot? Try the following easy-care tips for a pristine patch:

Keep it simple – garden design these days is a lot more wholesome than it used to be. Vegetables and fruit now shine as the decorative border stars among the flowering shrubs – aping centuries-old cottage garden traditions. So make the backbone of your garden hardy perennials like Vibernum, Ceanothus and Escallonia that take care of themselves. As for the veggies, start with good plants or seeds, give them what they want: food, water and light and they’ll do all the hard work for you.

Think vertically as well as horizontally - use trellising or fences to create a more private space and boost your bloom count. Structures such as pergolas and gazebos can also provide planting opportunities for climbers. For year round interest, use an evergreen favourite such as ivy and intersperse with flowering species such as jasmine, clematis or honeysuckle. Alternately, create interest at eye level by mounting planters filled with trailing flowers.

Furnish the outdoors – al fresco dining gives you the perfect excuse to big-up your terrace/patio area. Barring a roof, you essentially have all the features of a room to play with including flooring, walls and furniture. Treat walls and fences in the same way as your interior – give them a lick of paint or add texture by covering them with willow, heather or bamboo screening. Keep floors natural – try limestone, granite, or high-grade sustainable timber. Always go for the best you can afford with outdoor furniture - wrought iron, teak and cedar are timeless and hard wearing and will keep their lustre for years. As for barbecues – try a fun alternative like a Chiminea. They’ll keep you warm you as the daytime temperature drops and grill your supper in style at the same time.

Bottom Line: Think of your garden as an outdoor room – you not only get a nice green-fix, you’ve also got an ‘oven-ready’ lifestyle asset to add to your sales pitch.