(Today we are featuring a guest post from a contributor, Dave Limburg. Dave runs www.onlinegardendesign.com.au, which features custom garden designs and DIY garden guides. Thanks, Dave, for contributing with these useful tips for landscaping.)
We are often asked “How can I effectively landscape my garden to add to the value of my property?” This is a question asked by both owners looking to sell and get the best possible sale price, but also my investors looking to increase the appeal and rental yield on their investment property.
Adding value to your property with effective landscaping, for the purpose of both the above, is easy to achieve if you follow a few simple rules. The main elements when looking to add value are aesthetics, budget and low maintenance.
As with any renovation, consider the needs of your key demographic firstly. What would buyers or renters in this area want and need in a garden?
Generally a house will need certain structures and garden areas such as an entertaining area, a lawn area, a storage section for bins, and a place to dry clothes. These functional spaces need to be integrated into the overall design so that they are as attractive and discrete as possible.
As a rule of thumb when looking to renovate for sale and to add value you want to create a low maintenance garden. People want easy care, they don’t want to be mowing the lawn in their free time. Low maintenance gardens will appeal to buyers and renters alike, increasing the value of your property. How do I design a low maintenance garden area? Here are a few landscape design secrets to achieving a satisfying and successful garden design.
Low Maintenance Garden Elements
A practical garden design for a property needs to be thought out carefully. A practical low maintenance garden need not be an ugly garden!
Use hardy, attractive colourful foliage plants for year round appeal.
Plant your plants in groupings to add impact—individual plants look untidy and disjointed. Plant in groups of fives and sevens. Heavily planting narrow garden beds adds depth to the boundaries of the garden, making the fences feel further away and the garden space seem larger.
A seating/dining area is essential in the garden these days.
A simple paved area will make an effective entertaining space, ensure that your entertaining area is close to the house and allows for catching the sunlight at certain parts of the day, but also provides shade on hot days. Pavers will require less maintenance than a deck, so consider that as an alternative for a seating area. All these elements can be easily achieved by a DIY gardener.
Ensure that your garden design is an informal style, informal gardens are low maintenance due to no needing as much upkeep, such as pruning.
Avoid rigid straight lines and formal hedges.
Decide if you even need a lawn at all, a paved courtyard can be warm and inviting if planted out with plenty of foliage.
Add contrasting clumps of foliage to create interest and excitement to the planting design such as lush foliage boundary screening plants eg murrayas and viburnum and plant in front of these colourful ornamental grasses such as fountain grass or colourful flaxes.
Water features tend to require ongoing maintenance, so avoid using these in a low maintenance garden.
Winding, flowing pathways also add a sense of intrigue to any garden. Follow these simple landscaping tips and you can help increase your property value, make a property easier to sell, or increase your rent.
Low Maintenance Garden Plants
All low maintenance gardens are at their best when planted with a full display of garden plants set out in layers including small trees, shrubs, perennials and ground covers, including the following low maintenance plants:
- Crepe Myrtle
- Photinia Buxus
- Viburnum
- Franjipani
- Star Jasmine
- Citrus
- Fountain Grass
- Flaxes
- Palms
- Murrayas
- Camelias
- Liriopes
- Lilly pillys
- Ornamental Grasses
- Ajuga
- Mondo Grass
- Herbs