Whilst it’s important to spend time making sure the inside of your home is as presentable as possible before opening your doors to potential buyers, it’s often the case that the garden is forgotten about.
When viewing a property, potential buyers will be keen to see everything that’s on offer, that means both the interior and the exterior spaces will be considered. In order for sellers to give themselves the best possible chance of attracting a buyer, it’s essential to make sure the garden is not overlooked.
We’ve included our top tips below to ensure your outside space is ready to wow house hunters.
The lawn
If you’re lucky enough to have a lawn, it’s important to make sure that the grass has been cut and looks cared for. Dedicate a day to mowing the lawn, trimming hedges, weeding, and tidying up any shrubbery. Make sure to water the lawn regularly in summer months to keep the grass looking green and healthy.. Doing this can positively enhance first impressions, regardless of the weather.
It’s important to remember that your front garden, if you have one, is the first and last part of your property that any viewer will see. It’ll also often appear in the main image used for marketing your property, so make sure not to overlook it.
Plants
Whether you have space for plant beds, or if you go with planters and plant pots instead, a bright and fresh garden is always appealing to the eye.
A colourful garden brings a sense of joy and happiness to outside space, and so it’s always a good opportunity to show potential buyers how much they could enjoy themselves in your garden.
If you’re conscious of spending money on plants that you’ll have to leave behind, the best option is to buy planters as they can be taken with you when you move into your new home.
Jet-wash surfaces
If you have plenty of hard surface spaces, whether decking or stone paving, you’ll know that these can get mucky if not cleaned regularly. It’s a good idea to jet-wash these areas before you start viewings to ensure they look clean and fresh (and low maintenance!).
Whilst it can be a messy and tiring job, it can be incredibly satisfying once completed, making your outside space look fresh and new..
Make sure that you leave sufficient time for these surfaces to dry before viewings as outside surfaces can become slippery and dangerous, especially during colder months.
Bins
One thing that’s often forgotten about is making sure to hide the bins ahead of viewings. Whilst it’s important for potential buyers to know where the bins are kept, particularly if your property boasts specially built bin storage, the sight or smell of refuse can be an eyesore which could put off potential buyers.
Garden toys
Large garden toys such as trampolines and swing sets can be left in your garden when holding viewings, but we’d recommend being mindful of having smaller toys dotted around the garden. It’s important to keep your garden tidy so it’s best to keep all smaller toys neatly in one place.
Garden furniture
If you have garden furniture, we’d recommend giving these a thorough clean. As a potential buyer, seeing nice garden furniture in situ can really allow you to imagine yourselves enjoying the space if it were to become your own.
Neighbours’ garden
If your house is situated close to your neighbours’ garden, or perhaps if you have a communal one, the state of the garden will be a key indicator to anyone viewing the property what the neighbours might be like. This can often be enough to put a buyer off if they get a bad impression. Find out which fences your neighbours are responsible for and make sure they are aware of their duty to maintain them. Crumbling, rotting fences will not reflect well on your garden.
Garage
Whilst some see the garage as an extension of their home’s inside space, it’s often a place to store outdoors equipment, whether it be a lawn mower or gardening tools and furniture. Whilst this won’t be a key area of interest for some when viewing the property, it’s still worth making sure that your garage is clean and tidy, as it’ll still be part of the tour.
Finally, once you feel happy with the condition of the outside of your property, it’s time to check over the garden one last time with fresh eyes. Perhaps you could ask a friend or family member to come round and take a look. After all, this is the first thing any potential buyer will see when they arrive at your home.
