In a competitive property market like Melbourne’s, you would be wise to squeeze every bit of value you can from your yard. How your house looks leaves a definite impression on potential buyers. A messy and chaotic lawn could be enough to turn away even the most eager of prospective buyers.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Using some simple insights from the field of landscaping, anyone can have that picturesque lawn they’ve always dreamed of. And if that isn’t enough on its own, it’s been well known for quite some time that small investments can result in thousands of dollars’ worth in added value!
Basic Lawn Maintenance
Although it can seem tedious, it’s crucial to keep your lawn neat and tidy. Why? It signals to a potential buyer that it’ll be easy to maintain. Trimming grass, pruning trees and hedges, edging boundaries and proper placement of showpiece plants to maximise visibility are all basics. Doing this makes further changes easier down the line.
Buying a house can be difficult enough as it is without factoring in the extra legwork of renovating a yard. Keeping everything neat and tidy is the first step in raising your property’s value.
Matching Architecture
Our brains are hardwired to identify (and prefer) patterns and sequences. This means that a property with a cohesive visual style is going to be valued over others. For instance, if you have a more traditional Victorian style home, opt for conservative garden arrangements consisting of ornamental grass, hedges and trees with deeply textured barks like Birch.
Modern architecture benefits from minimalist styling. This usually requires durable foliage highlighted by expert edging and contouring. Consider a cohesive but small colour palette, with splashes of vibrant colour from perennial flowers.
Mulch and Compost
Properly treating your soil is a guaranteed to bring the best out of your garden and plants. The best part? You have all the necessary ingredients, and it doesn’t have to cost you a thing (aside from a dedicated compost bin).
Leftover organic materials like food scraps and leaves can sit in a compost bin for a season or two, with careful aeration and watering every week or so. Soon, you’ll have environmentally conscious, natural compost!
Composts are crucial because they reintroduce nutrients and minerals back into the soil. They also contain natural pesticides to keep pests from getting at your prized plants.
Mulching similarly needs leftover organic materials, but can be applied directly. A layer of mulch helps the soil retain water and heat, while preventing weeds from growing.
Replace Dying Greenery
There’s nothing as effective at killing interest in a property like dying grass and shrubs. However, this can be fixed both slowly and quickly. Planting lawn seeds will help to start regenerating a lawn, while wholesale turf replacements are just as effective and natural looking.
Ornamental grasses are also fantastic for sharpening up a yard. There are dozens of varieties that will work year round in Victoria, and they’ll perform the same type of role; it’s down to preference for arrangements and colours.
Hardscaping
Hardscaping involves working with stone, marble, tiles or anything of that nature. Introducing stone pavements brings definition and focus to a lawn, and guide a prospective viewer’s attention to parts you may want to show off.
For example, in-setting stone walkways will introduce a cosy aesthetic, and will section the lawn nicely. It also makes navigating a lawn slightly easier, and ensures you’re stretching the value of the property to its maximum.
Outdoor Fixtures
Outdoor fixtures are some of the more ambitious renovations you may consider, but they are worth the investment over and over again. Depending on what you already have, these fixtures become assets that maximise land value and can even introduce new uses for your backyard.
Shade sails are a practical but elegant addition to any outdoor pool or lounge area, ensuring that your backyard is the prime destination for a barbecue and a summer swim. Water fixtures ponds and fountains are slightly more extravagant, but are a calming presence that even the natural wildlife will enjoy.
Pergolas extend the reach of a back porch and can be designed to fit several styles and architectures. Consider these to extract every bit of value from the land, especially when building out to an outdoor lounge.
Think your yard is too small to make an impact? Think again! Here are Landscaping Tips for Small Yards.
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Everlast Services Melbourne is a proudly family owned and operated fencing, landscaping and concreting business.
