A Good Garden Boosts Property Price More than Extending

UK homeowners that have taken to improving their gardens have invested wisely as they see their own property values increase greater than building an extension or fitting a new kitchen, experts reveal.

According to the Post Office Money Survey, landscaping your garden could potentially increase the value of your property by 77 per cent. This means garden landscaping provides a greater return on investment than extending or adding a swimming pool. Moreover the research found that garden landscaping and new kitchens are the home improvements most likely to offer the biggest return on investment, adding between one-quarter and three-quarters to the value of the property for between £2,750 and £7,500 worth of work.

The first study conducted six years ago was based on the mid-range asking price of a three-bed semi-detached home across the UK. It found that properties with garden landscaping added the most value to a home. Garden landscaping was proven to be the most cost-effective form of home improvement when selling while providing the best return on investment (ROI) compared to other types of home improvement projects. A home improvement like a new kitchen was found to add a property value increase of only 25 per cent, while a building extension saw a 37 per cent increase and a low seven per cent increase after adding a wet room.

Trudi Lovell, Marketing Manager at Bannister Hall Plants Nurseries and Landscaping Supplies in Higher Walton, Preston, said: "Our consumer trends data supports that garden landscaping continues to be a significant growth area with homeowners, especially with the increase in property demand and the prolific housebuilding we have seen over the last few years. Bannister Hall has seen a sales surge in both natural stone and porcelain paving, as well as sales growth in other areas such as plants, turf, topsoil, aggregates and even in garden-lighting products."

Other research supporting the financial rewards from improving your garden comes from Foxtons estate agents, which reveals that simply having a garden will generally increase a property's value by 20 per cent. Moreover, 72 per cent of house buyers were prepared to pay more for a property with a garden, according to Foxtons. Similarly, data by Rightmove revealed that access to a garden was a priority for over 60 per cent of buyers searching for a new home.

Bannister Hall CEO, Jon C Hollywood said: "As the North West's largest single source supplier of plants and landscaping materials, these research findings are clearly a win-win for landscaping suppliers, landscaping professionals and homeowners alike. In fact, in March we were thrilled to win another commercial contract to supply plants and landscaping materials to one of the UK's best-known major property developers who are actively building sites across the region."

"Sourced from a variety of UK industries, the above research clearly indicates that many UK homeowners who have invested in landscaping garden improvements have benefitted from a quantifiable increase in the saleable value of their property."