Spring is well and truly here and so we’re into the best season for moving house. It’s also the best time to get out into your garden to make the most of the newly-bright evenings and milder weather and to improve your outdoor space. Even better, having an amazing garden can help you to sell sooner and for a good price. Here’s how to spruce up your front and back gardens so you appeal to buyers.
Get rid of any rubbish
If you’ve accumulated a lot of rubbish, including gardening rubbish, old appliances and grubby old furniture, then it’s time to consign it all to the dump.
Clean up paths and patios
Jet-wash any paved areas and make sure they’re accessible by pruning any overhanging branches or encroaching border plants. While you’re there, give the lawn some attention and carry on mowing once every couple of weeks to keep it nice and even.
Open out the space
If your hedges and shrubs are all overgrown it can make your garden feel small and cramped, so give everything a good trim to open out the space more.
Get weeding
One of the most satisfying gardening jobs is attacking those pesky weeds, so what’s stopping you? Be sure to grab them by the roots so that they don’t come creeping back over the summer.
Replace the weeds with some fast-growing flowers
You can’t leave dead spaces where the weeds were, so fill them in with some bright and fast-growing flowers or bedding plants.
Do some DIY
There’s always something to fix after a long hard winter. If some fencing panels are loose, fix them up, make sure there are no wobbly paving slabs and look out for any plants growing out of your gutter.
Let some light in
If you have some taller trees overhanging the house, they might be blocking light and making the interior darker than it needs to be. You can have them cut back and neatened up to brighten up the interior and exterior. You can also invest in some outdoor lighting if you don’t already have any.
Pick up the poo
If you have a dog or a cat, then you need to be vigilant about picking up their poo if they use the garden as a toilet. Make sure you take your dog out for regular walks so that he or she doesn’t urinate on the lawn too much, as this can create yellow patches on the grass.
Tidy up the shed
If you have a fairly new shed, give it a lick of paint and a good old clear-out. If your shed has seen better days, think about a replacement.
Chuck out the decking
Decking has had its day. Nowadays it’s seen as a slipping hazard and buyers might not want the hassle of replacing it themselves. Put down paving instead as it lasts longer and doesn’t cultivate slime, mould and fungi.
Create an outdoor kitchen area
Outdoor kitchens are huge these days. Don’t limit yourself to a little barbecue and a couple of spindly chairs, though. You need to think about a brick barbecue or pizza oven as well as a dedicated seating area, preferably covered, that buyers can imagine themselves in.
Bring in a water feature
Water features are good things to have in any garden, but they’re especially useful if you’re anywhere near a busy road or school as they can create a white noise effect to mask the sounds.
Look out for any strange plants in the garden
Japanese knotweed is becoming more common in the UK and its roots can cause severe structural damage. Many properties with Japanese knotweed have lost up to 25% of their value and anyone selling a house without declaring the presence of this invasive species to buyers could face legal action. If you find it, you’ll need a professional removal service.
