A lot of people think that estate agents mainly search for square meters, wooden floors, and energy efficiency when estimating the price of a property. But it’s worth remembering that good outdoor investments can really pull up the value of a property.
Although internal and foundational factors do make up a large majority of the est. price, there are other factors than bricks, mortar and open living spaces that weigh in when setting a price for a property.
Your use of outdoor space can boost the curb appeal, and add significant value to your property if you use it right. In this blog, I’ll have a look at a few outdoor investments you can make to add value to your property.
Nail the kerb appeal
If you are looking to sell or rent your property, then you need to nail your kerb appeal. The kerb appeal is often described as the initial view of the home when pulling up in a car outside it. The first impression if you will. You’d be surprised to see how many people leave a property before even setting a foot inside it.
If you want to ensure that your prospective buyers don’t turn away before they’ve had the full tour – you’ve got to make your garden and kerb appeal look sparkling clean and appeal to the widest audience possible.
So stash away the collection of porcelain toads, tidy the plastic toys and take away things that are edging on odd – even if just for the day. If you have too much stuff (often the reason for relocating), find another place to store it temporarily. Whether it’s at your mum and dads, in a storage unit, or with friends doesn’t really matter as long as it’s not adding to the clutter in or around the home.
The kerb appeal is a relatively easy/ cheap win (depending on how messy/ negligent you’ve been..) all you’ve got to do is make sure that the exterior/ garden/ drive/ carport are all clean, look like they’ve been well maintained, and that they’re tidy.
Although not adding a tremendous value in terms of numbers, it adds to the first impression. And if the first impression is good enough, your chances of selling off your property for the price you want increases.
The exterior overhaul
In nailing the kerb appeal, there’s often a little maintenance that needs to be done before you should invite people over for a viewing.
If your brickwork is crumbling, windows dirty and flower beds filled with weeds then you need to get it fixed.
Make sure that any paintwork looks good, wooden materials are well maintained and that windows etc have been cleaned in the run-up.
When hosting a viewing (or just having friends or family over) your garden should look good! That said, you can’t make flowers grow in the snow, so do the best with what you’ve got and the season/ climate you’re in.
Although a mowed lawn, a planted flower bed and a trimmed hedge doesn’t come with a double-digit return on investment – it helps prospective buyers make up a positive first impression.
Actually, even if you’re not thinking of selling your property – having a well maintained and tidy garden is nice on the eye and bumps up the attractiveness of the neighbourhood. When the attractiveness of the neighbourhood increases, the property prices usually follow.
Outdoor living
You might’ve not heard of the phrase al- fresco living, but you probably know it anyway. People are spending more time outdoors, regardless of what climate they’re living in.
In 2018, a modern garden needs space for al fresco dining. Whether that’s a deck, a garden terrace or a pool is less important. As long as you feel encouraged to grab a seat and read a book while you enjoy the fresh air or serve up an outdoor meal.
If you’re designing your garden and outdoor space with an intention of selling your home, then make sure that your upgrades are in a simple style and good quality. Again, make sure that your style isn’t too niche as this can put potential buyers off.
Space for parking the car
First thing first. If you’ve only got a smaller garden – then using it up for a parking space perhaps isn’t the best idea.
But if you’ve got plenty of space, or if your front garden is rather useless – then adding off street parking to your property can really boost attractiveness and the value of your property.
Urban parking is often restricted, so having private parking is a superb benefit.
For a lot of people, a low maintenance space is much more appealing than a front garden. City front gardens are often useless. If you look around you’ll see front ‘gardens’ just standing empty with a few sad bushes and weeds coming up.
Before you start digging up the garden to make a driveway be sure to double check with the local authorities. Double check that you’re allowed to create a new vehicular access onto/ off your land.
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