Outdoors
The Best Garden Renovations to Add Value to Your Home
When it comes to selling or renting out your home, it’s crucial to add value anywhere you can before your home is valuated. One of the most rewarding ways to add value can be found in the garden, with well-maintained gardens adding up to 20% to the value of your home.
With the average price of a UK home sitting at £305,370 in 2024, a renovated garden could elevate the value of the average-priced property to £366,444.
If you’re aiming to maximise your value gains, you’ll want to choose the garden renovations that are most sought-after by homeowners. Here, Andy Griffiths, Brand Manager at garden renovation experts Instarmac recommends priority tasks for every home seller, with insight from renovations they’ve seen and handled, as well as current value within the industry.
Making the most of your garden
It’s no secret, quality gardens are hard to come by in the UK – especially in cities and new build estates. In fact, one in eight British homes has no private garden.
Plus, garden size disparity is rife in the UK, with houses in the South East boasting an average garden size of 422m², compared to London, where you’d be lucky to bag an average-sized garden of 201m² – if you can find a home with any garden at all.
All in all, this means that your current location might have the odds stacked against it when considering a potential buyer’s dream garden size. This is why the savviest homeowners make the most of their gardens by prioritising the most desirable renovations that deliver the highest added value.
The most sought-after garden renovations
Using Google search data, Griffiths has identified the specific garden features that are most searched in the UK when searching for properties:
“The most popular garden feature, by a long stretch, is the garden shed,” says Griffiths. “Garden shed is searched 110,000 times a month and is currently seeing an increase in searches by 22% when compared to this time last year – meaning they are more in demand than ever.
“To put into context just how desirable garden sheds are, the second most-searched garden feature is garden room, which sees 60,500 monthly searches. That’s almost half of the total searches for garden shed,” Griffiths explains.
“Other notable features with high search volumes are garden bar (22,200 searches), garden trellis (14,800 searches) and garden pond (5,400 searches).”
Which renovations add the most value to your home?
According to Checkatrade, a complete large garden renovation can set you back between £5,000 - £10,000, and a professional landscaper will cost around £100 per square metre. When you start adding more elaborate items, such as garden ponds, the price will begin to rise further – costing up to £900 per m2.
The price of these services stacks up quickly, which is why it is important to prioritise the jobs that will make the biggest impact and give you the most bang for your buck when adding value to your home.
Garden sheds
“Garden sheds have high monthly searches for a reason – they add incredible value thanks to their versatility,” says Griffiths. “They are relatively inexpensive to buy or construct, but they add value in convenience for a potential buyer, becoming a space to store bikes, garden tools and mowers. For any keen gardener, the value of a shed is paramount.”
Sheds have a high return on investment (ROI), with the cost of building or purchasing a shed usually much lower than the increase in property value. Furthermore, a shed large enough to be turned into an office can add an additional £12,000 to your property’s value, according to appraisers.
The average cost of building a shed is £700, but prefabricated sheds can also be bought at varying price points.
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Privacy
Avoiding nosy neighbours is a priority for some, with added privacy a bonus most are willing to pay top dollar for.
Even if your home lacks total privacy – such as sharing garden fences with neighbours – there are plenty of ways you can make your garden private.
“One of the best ways to guarantee privacy year round is by investing in tall, fast-growing hedges that are evergreen year-round,” explains Griffiths. “Leylandaii, cherry laurel and Griselinia come to mind.
Leylandaii thrives in diverse soil conditions and a range of climates, with very fast growth. Cherry laurel is dense and also quick growing, making them very hard to see through. Finally. Griselinia leaves are very thick, making them hard to peep through and ideal as a wind break in coastal areas – perfect for homes by the sea.
“It is worth noting that Leylandaii and cherry laurel are both poisonous to dogs, however they will not actively seek to eat their leaves and branches. Griselinia isn’t poisonous, and is a great option for those who only plant non-toxic plants.”
Instarmac
Patio
According to property management companies, garden patios have a potential ROI of 80-90%, an impressive figure for a renovation which typically costs between £1,100 to £1,800 for a patio of 10m2 and £2,200 to £3,600 for patios of 20m2.
“Garden patios aren’t only stylish, they are a great investment and incredibly low maintenance after installation,” Griffiths adds. “Once installed, your patio simply needs debris brushed away from time to time.
“Stylish patio presents an opportunity for a potential buyer. A bit like a section of blank canvas, a garden patio could become an area for a barbecue, outside furniture or potted plants. Potential buyers can imagine how they would decorate this space, with the groundwork of laying the patio already completed on their behalf.”
“Whatever renovations you choose to make to your garden, a garden that’s well-maintained, thoughtfully designed and usable as an outdoor space – whether that’s through an al-fresco patio area or converted shed office – will add value.
The renovations you choose will come down to size, potential ROI and how much of the handiwork you’re willing to take on yourself to cut down on costs.”
Andy Griffiths, Brand Manager
