When it comes to adding value to your home, everyone starts by looking inside and wondering what they can do when one of the biggest improvements that can be made are in the garden. Not every improvement that is implemented needs to be expensive. Sometimes the small things really do make a big difference! Having a happy inviting and relaxing garden can add significant value to your home.
Always start with a plan of what must be done and then what you would like to do. Things like replacing broken slabs or fence panels are a must, whereas painting the fence is nice to do. Depending on the state of you garden, you should always try to get the big jobs done first. These can make a very big difference very quickly while helping you to understand what will really work well in your garden space.
Below are some ideas of where to start and also some inspirational ideas of what might work well in the garden.
Garden Lighting
With everyone being energy conscious at the moment, solar powered lighting is always a great idea. Most gardens will have some source of direct sunlight, depending on the direction its facing and the surrounding coverage. Think about where the most sunlight would come into your garden and see if solar lighting is a possibility. An alternative is energy saving LED lights or even battery powered lighting. Explore all options as there are some exciting products available for garden lighting that will add that magical feel to your garden.
Extra Space
One thing that everyone wants is space. Whether its inside or outside, space is one of the main things we search for in a property now. Although its not always possible to physically make your garden bigger, it is possible to utilise what you have in better ways.
An extension on your house is likely to be very expensive and require planning permission and take an extremely long time. A quicker, cheaper and much easier solution is to look at a garden building. The outdoor buildings, usually wooden in construction can create a usable space for a home office or a family bar area or even a home gym. Kitting them up with electricity and other utilities is a fairly simple job too. Some of these garden buildings are prefabricated or come as a kit form and can take from a few hours to a weekend to erect and have them ready to use.
An extension on your house is likely to be very expensive and require planning permission and take an extremely long time. A quicker, cheaper and much easier solution is to look at a garden building. The outdoor buildings, usually wooden in construction can create a usable space for a home office or a family bar area or even a home gym. Kitting them up with electricity and other utilities is a fairly simple job too. Some of these garden buildings are prefabricated or come as a kit form and can take from a few hours to a weekend to erect and have them ready to use.
Landscaping
Gardens are natural. Plants, shrubs, trees are always a great idea to plan into your garden. These can be done by having planted areas of your garden or if you like mixing things up, use pots and large planters. Doing this gives you the flexibility to move things around and change the layout when you desire.
Do you have a garden path? If you have an outbuilding like we mentioned earlier, having a natural flowing garden path to this is essential. This doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult to do either. A simple defined path with gravel or pea shingle is a great way to define a walking area. If you are a bit more adventurous, then making a mosaic style path with broken bricks and stone is another great way. Alternatively laying slabs or cobbles will ensure the pathway stays in good shape and is usable all year round.
Accessorising
Once the bit parts of the garden are done, its time to start thinking about color and accessories. Be bold with your colours. Your in the great outdoors so yellows and reds are bright colours. Sticking with the usual browns and greys will not bring out the full potential of your garden area. Adding a wall mural or even outdoor artwork can be a very good way to make your garden space more relaxing and inviting.
