While nobody knows what the property market will look like on the other side of COVID-19, now is a good time to add value to your home by re-thinking and re-purposing your outdoor space. Here, Landart Landscapes’ Matt Leacy shares his top tips for adding value to your property.
Look at your kerb appeal
Re-turf your front lawn if the grass hasn’t survived hot summer months and drought conditions – or look at how you can cut back on the turf you have by planting hardy plants and other grass varieties to fill the space and create an appealing front scape to your property. Keep in mind, a garden is less maintenance than lawn.
Consult an expert
To maximise your space and design and to ensure the right plant choice, it is worth speaking to an expert. Many companies are still doing consultations and taking on projects. And what better time to project manage when you’re already at home and can answer questions and watch the progress day by day. This is a particularly great option if you’re still working but are doing so from home. You’re there to oversee everything and give trades access but able to continue working while someone else transforms your outdoor space.
Get ready for summer swimming!
If being locked up at home has made you wish you’d put a pool in years ago – start planning a new pool now. People tend to forget that there’s several stages to a pool build, including ensuring you have local government approvals, design and consideration of where the pool will be placed, the right team in place, and access to the required products.
Prep for winter
Get professionals in to prune and whip your garden into shape for winter, or, if you have the time yourself get on a shovel and get out your secateurs and get working! You should tick off a list that includes weeding, mulching, pruning, and bringing warmth into your garden with features such as fire pits.
Look at planting spinach, onion, lettuce, radishes, Chinese greens, oregano, rosemary, parsley, thyme, sage and even chillies in your vegie patch. Or if you’d like to plant something to bring colour to your garden over the cooler months, look at Salvia and Rhododendron. All of these grow well in cooler conditions and are relatively low-maintenance. For more textural varieties, you might consider the likes of Carex, Helichrysnum, Miscanthus and Westringia. Painting and bringing in warm natural colours is also an effective way to help increase appeal of your outdoor spaces during cooler months.
Structures
Consider what structures you could bring into your outdoor space to add functionality. Pergolas, outdoor kitchens, seating with storage and screens are some of the most obvious. They are also relatively easy structures to tackle yourself, or if you call in an expert, perhaps you could take on the finishing touches like painting and planting surrounding garden beds. Or with more time cooking at home, you might consider adding a pizza oven to the mix.
Frame your view!
If you have a view – whether it be across water, a park or a city scape – now is also the time to consider how you can maximise it.
