If you’ve ever prepared a house for sale you know the importance of making everything look clean, bright, spacious and FABulous.
Keeping in mind that ‘first impressions last’, the first thing that a prospective buyer is going to see when they arrive at your property is your beautiful landscaped garden!
The possibilities are endless in terms of the directions you can go with landscaping. Themes are very popular: formal gardens, desertscapes, Japanese gardens, edible gardens (my favourite), Mediterranean, tropical, woodland, xeriscapes (planting drought-tolerant and slow-growing varieties of plants), beach themes, art gardens, and Chinese gardens are just a few of the ideas and options.
Real estate agent Guy Ethell from Ethell Property, says that in his experience landscaping plays a pivotal role. ‘Improved kerb appeal leads to increased marketability which in turn gives your property a competitive advantage compared to other properties for sale,’ he says. ‘And this leads to potential value addition. The key is to keep it as low maintenance as possible while still being attractive enough to inspire an emotional connection with potential buyers.’
‘The first thing that a prospective
buyer is going to see when they arrive at your property is your beautiful landscaped garden’
So what would be best for your garden, and even more important, what will be best for the people who are going to buy your garden?
Nicole and Phil from Gold Leaf Landscaping and Earthworks agree a well-designed garden with thoughtful landscaping can add both value to your home, and ensure that you and your family enjoy your outdoor spaces.
‘With the trends going towards usable outdoor spaces and outdoor living, it is worth engaging the services of a professional landscaper to ensure that your garden does what you want it to,’ they explained.
‘Landscaping is simply the art of designing and constructing a garden. There are two elements to landscaping – hardscaping and softscaping. Hardscaping refers to the inanimate parts of the garden such as retaining walls, decks, water features and so forth. Softscaping is the living part of the garden – the plants, trees, shrubs, etc.’
Nicole and Phil say there are several things to consider before landscaping and gardening.
‘There are things that will affect the way that your garden is designed and planted. These include: if you have pets, if you have children, if you want to entertain or simply relax, if you need a pool or spa, the usability of your garden (growing vegetables and herbs, etc), the amount of maintenance you’re prepared to undertake, and the budget that you have.’
Gold Leaf believes that because the costs of a landscaping project can be quite considerable, a good rule of thumb is to not spend more than ten per cent of the total value of your house and land on the garden.
‘This amount of money includes all of the elements of the garden, not just the plants. If you have a limited budget initially, try to spread the project out over a number of years, as your budget allows.
‘A new garden is a big outlay – try to keep the design as simple and classic as possible, so that it will be lasting and timeless.’
Paul Attwood from Gracewood Landscapes says many people know how challenging a construction or renovation project can be. ‘A landscape improvement project is no different,’ he said.
‘In fact, throw in the challenges of our unique local climate and the broad skillset required to manage a vast array of required contractors and consultants, and the challenges can be overwhelming.’
Paul says the aim is to balance aesthetics with the realities of the land. ‘We look at every project with a “big picture” lens, ensuring that it is future-proofed and has the considerations required to flourish.
‘Your landscape deserves to be beautiful and that beauty deserves to endure.’
Paul says the most underrated aspect of any garden is maintenance. ‘Proper and regular landscape maintenance will see your property (and its value) achieve its full potential.’
‘The rich soils, reliable rainfall and long growing season here in the Northern Rivers can be a blessing or a curse. Our maintenance philosophy is simple – “a little bit, often”. Regularity is the key to keeping overall maintenance costs down and aesthetic quality up.’
At the end of the day, if you are landscaping for yourself, go with something you are happy to live with and something that you have the capacity to maintain. If you are landscaping to make your property more appealing to buyers, it is well worth consulting an expert who will have the latest information on trends and upkeep. Hopefully with a little help, landscaping will be a lot of fun!
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