Making the most of your garden this summer

The market shows no signs of slowing down – fuelled by the ongoing changing priorities, incentives like the 95% mortgage guarantee scheme, strong fundamentals and positive borrowing/lending conditions.

However, if you’re looking to sell this summer, you are likely to face increased competition at present. So how can you ensure your home stands out from the crowd?

Well, garden space – already important pre-pandemic – became ten times so after Covid struck and various lockdowns hit. In the first lockdown in particular, gardens became a haven for many people and their popularity as a must-have soared.

This has been sustained through further lockdowns and restrictions, with people continuing to see a garden as a prized asset.

If you have it, it is certainly the case that you should flaunt it. Here, we outline the ways in which you can use your garden space to improve your chances of selling for asking price or above this summer.

Save the best till last

The two most crucial parts of a house viewing are the first and last impression. You want to leave would-be buyers with a positive last impression, so the memory of your home lingers long after the viewing has finished. Showing them the garden last in the tour can help to achieve this.

Given the current situation, you may not be showing them round yourself, but ask your agent to save your garden until last to round the viewing off nicely.

Of course, it’s vitally important that your garden looks the part – well-looked after and pleasing on the eye – otherwise you risk leaving the wrong last impression.

If you’re not confident in your ability to spruce your garden up to a decent standard, consider hiring in a professional gardener to do the job for you.

Make the most of special features

If you have a real centrepiece to your garden – for example recently installed decking, a spacious BBQ area, a pond or an impressive water feature – don’t be afraid to highlight this to prospective buyers.

Anything that might wow them can only be good for your sales pitch. You can also help them to paint a picture in their minds of how they might use the space after they’ve moved in. They can imagine BBQs with mates, dinner parties with friends, or lazy summer days with the family.

If you don’t already have these special features, you don’t need to go out of your way to purchase them at great expense – you can maximise what you have already. For some, a beautifully manicured and kept garden will be just as appealing as one with new decking or a BBQ area.

A south-facing premium

It’s long been said that homes with south-facing gardens secure higher values than those without, and has therefore long been a key selling technique for sellers and agents.

According to a recent survey from estate agent comparison website GetAgent, some 71% of buyers would be more likely to buy a home with a south-facing garden, while 42% would pay more for a property with a south facing garden. Meanwhile, two fifths of buyers would pay at least £16,000 extra for the privilege.

Since the pandemic, garden space of all kinds has been generating a premium and has become a highly sought-after feature, but it is still the case that a south-facing garden will make your task of selling your home much easier. Again, if you have one, don’t be afraid to let buyers know.

Make it look great

Sounds obvious, right? But it can be easy to get complacent, particularly now that gardens are in such high demand.

A garden on its own won’t improve your chances of selling, it still needs to look the part. Luckily, this isn’t difficult to achieve. You can mow the lawn, trim the hedges, de-weed the plants and prune the flowers. Buying some new hanging baskets, planting some new flowers and giving your garden dashes of colour here and there will help to make it more visually appealing.

If you want to really improve your chances of selling for the best possible price, you may again want to consider hiring in the professionals to really make your garden look the business. But this will come with obvious costs attached.

That said, this could be paid back many times over later down the line.