When selling your home, property viewings are often the key to showcasing it in its best light in order to achieve a successful sale. While it may seem obvious that having a clean and tidy house will help to increase its appeal, it is always important to remember the garden too.
Gardens are often seen as one of the most essential parts of a home in the summer months, but it can be easy to neglect them once the weather starts to turn colder. While this may not bother you, it could be a make or break factor for a potential buyer, so it’s crucial to keep it looking its best. To help get you started, here are a few tips for preparing your garden for property viewings in winter.
Rake fallen leaves
Even if there aren’t many trees within your garden, windy weather can still lead to large piles of leaves being dropped on the grass and paving. Raking these up will help to make sure your garden is tidy and being shown to its full potential, so people can see the true selling points, like the large lawn for playing with the kids or the stylish patio perfect for entertaining.
Weed flowerbeds and patios
While many of your own plants won’t be growing during the winter, weeds will have continued to grow in the flowerbeds and out of cracks in the pavement. Although this could be seen as a welcome pop of green in an otherwise bland garden, they are an obvious sign of a garden that has not been maintained and could be off-putting for a number of buyers.
Remove dead plants
Although it may be tempting to keep dead or dying plants to stop a flower bed or pot from looking empty, or you may simply feel like you don’t have the time to do anything with them, removing them will ensure your garden is looking fresh. If you have the time, replacing them with new winter plants or bulbs ready for spring will help bring life back into the garden.
Clean garden furniture
If your garden furniture has been sitting unused since the nights began drawing in, it will likely be in need of a bit of TLC. Brushing off any cobwebs and cleaning mildew left from damp autumn weather is a quick and easy way to make it look fresh and inviting. For a more permanent solution for old or tired-looking furniture, staining or painting wooden tables and chairs can help to give them a new lease of life.
Clean any water features
Outdoor water features such as pools and ponds that may not see as much use in the winter can easily become dirty. Removing any algae or overgrown plants from ponds, and cleaning debris and rainwater from pool covers are simple solutions that will do wonders for your garden, allowing potential buyers to imagine themselves using these features in the warmer season.
For many people, the garden is just as important as the house when it comes to buying a new home, with gardens being one of the most searched for property features on Zoopla in 2019, so it’s vital that you give it just as much attention as the inside of your house. For more advice on how to make sure your home is ready for property viewings, get in touch or visit your nearest branch to talk to a member of our expert team.