How to improve your kerb appeal
Two thirds of Brits (67 per cent) would be put off buying or renting a potential property if it had an unattractive garden, according to new research released today (31 March 2010).
The survey*, commissioned by multimedia retailer QVC, quizzed over 2,000 British homeowners on the state of their gardens, revealing that 61 per cent of Brits would not be prepared to pay as much for a house with an unattractive garden. Half of those surveyed (48 per cent) would expect to be able to negotiate at least £50 per month off the cost of a rental property while 45 per cent would anticipate a drop of at least £5,000 on a house purchase to compensate for an untidy garden.
QVC gardening expert presenter Richard Jackson says, “There’s no excuse for allowing your garden to become unruly, especially when it comes to selling your home. Simple and inexpensive maintenance and weeding plus the addition of a few colourful plants and flowers make all the difference and could save you thousands of pounds."
First impressions are very important when selling or renting a property – 55 per cent of home buyers rated the state of a prospective property’s garden to be as important as the inside of the house, with 71 per cent revealing that they are more likely to notice and be put off by an unkempt garden than low level damp (57 per cent) or peeling paintwork on window sills (69 per cent).
However many homeowners are not tending to their gardens regularly with 71 per cent admitting they do not weed and 45 per cent revealing that they do not grow any plants or flowers. In fact two fifths (41 per cent) admit to spending absolutely no time gardening at all!
Top of the pops when it comes to things home buyers look for in a garden is privacy (61 per cent), followed by a patio (54 per cent) and a lawn (50 per cent).
The nation’s top ten garden gripes are:
- Junk in the garden such as old fridges, mattresses and toys (71 per cent)
- Animal faeces in lawns, patios and beds (63 per cent)
- Overflowing rubbish bins (54 per cent)
- Damaging plants in the walls of the house (53 per cent)
- Ugly or falling down shed (52 per cent)
- Dilapidated, splintered or rotting decking (50 per cent)
- Lots of weeds (47 per cent)
- Uneven or grubby patio (46 per cent)
- Wild overgrown lawns (42 per cent)
- Monstrous unruly trees (41 per cent)
* 2,003 respondents took part in The QVC Gardening Survey which was hosted online by 72 Point, part of SWNS News, in March 2010
