Garden Week: Creating Kerb Appeal

Now that spring has finally sprung as they say I thought we would take a look at a few blogs around the subject of gardening. We are kicking off the week in style with Francoise Murat blogging about kerb appeal for your home.

Kerb Appeal (– that means the front & back garden!)

First impressions are very important. Potential buyers often make up their mind within minutes of seeing the front of the house and although selling in a buyer’s market may seem easy- don’t underestimate how demanding buyers can be.

The outside of the house is the first thing they will see so if you front garden or entrance is less than perfect, they will already have made up their mind before they even step through the door. The front sets the scene, frames the house and shows off its best assets.

Easy Tips And Ideas For The Front Garden

• Clear all rubbish – it puts people off and no-one wants to move n and clear someone’s else rubbish.
• Don’t park the car in the drive when you have potential buyer’s visiting, park it in the street. You do not want to obscure the house and it is important to show off the space to its best advantage.
• Keep it simple. Clean and non slippery path, not too many pots or features, not too many colours clashing.
• Edge the path with plants, especially right now, as they will grow very fast at this time of year– larger shrubs are good to fill the space and make it looks more established. It also costs less as you need less plants.
• Evergreens are a good bet for year round greenery. Try evergreens such as Box or Photinia, as they will look architectural and give texture to the design of the front garden.
• Less is more here. Use three to four different plant types only depending on the size of the front garden. Don’t buy every single plant you like or see.
• Gravel is a good option. It’s always an elegant and sustainable feature for paths and driveways. It’s also very cost effective and saves time on weeding. Make sure it is not too deep, 30-60mm is fine. If you use it as a border around the walls it can really make the house stand out.
• By law, if you pave more than 5 square metres of the drive and front garden, you must install permeable paving to ensure adequate water run-off.

Back Gardens

Don’t forget the back garden – you have impressed potential buyers with the front garden and a great interior – now you need to create a lasting impression.
The back garden should be an oasis of peace – a green space that transports you away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Tatty fences and decrepit sheds do not create this serene idyll!

1. All fences and sheds should be repaired and re-painted if needed. Enhance the look with soft colours (such as estate colours) for an elegant contemporary feel or wood enhancers for a more natural look.
2. Paths, decking and paving should be clean and clear of weeds and moss.
3. Borders must be weed-free. Here you can plant some inexpensive shrubs to give interest – once again keeping to three or four varieties and creating blocks of planting.
4. If you use too many different flowers and plants in the garden, it creates a busy, jumbled look which is unsettling for potential buyers and screams “maintenance heavy”.
5. Choose the size of plants carefully. Make sure the new planting is not all the same size. This shouts out ‘new’ – you want it look natural and like it has always been there. Vary the height of the plants as well. Tall, vertical elements in your design will break up the space, add volume and prevent the garden looking flat and uninteresting.
6. Put away the washing line, paddling pool and children’s toys – the garden should not be an obstacle course!
7. If you don’t have time for an overhaul of the garden, the least you can do is make sure that you cut the grass and that the paths are free of weeds.

Françoise Murat & Associates specialise in interior, garden & landscape design.

For more garden and interior design ideas check out at www.francoisemurat.com. You can also find her on Twitter here.

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