The grounds for a quick sale
MILLCROFT in Ledbury, Herefordshire, is a four-bedroom thatched cottage with a landscapted garden in about two acres of land. It has three bathrooms and three reception rooms while outside there is a tennis court and club house, nine hole pitch and putt, sun terraces and a woodland walk. On the market for £695,000 (01432 818795; knightfrank.co.uk)
IT’S Easter weekend and the favourite time of the year for estate agents as people looking to buy a new home beat a path to their doors. “People tend to have a positive mindset at this time of year, pleased that winter is over and excited for the summer months ahead,” says Richard Speedy, Head of Strutt & Parker Exeter.
“A buyer can walk through the door on a viewing and take just 30 seconds to decide if they like the house. With this in mind, why not show buyers round now during Easter when properties look their best, the sun is out, leaves are on the trees and gardens are in bloom.”
So if you need to sell your home but have been putting off the decision, now’s the time to make the call and if you’re already on the market but still haven’t sold then take note of Speedy’s most important piece of advice: “Don’t underestimate the importance of these crucial first impressions.”
How to make a good impression, though? Perhaps you should spend this long weekend on a mini makeover. According to TV property expert Sarah Beeny, updating your kitchen and bathroom is the key but if you want a quick fix she suggests just tidying up outside.
“The Easter weekend is a great time to get out and tidy up your garden and really give your home the fabulous first impression that buyers look for,” says Beeny, who runs online estate agency Tepilo.com. “Trim back bushes and trees, WOODMAN’S LODGE near Chippenham, Wiltshire, is a Gothic-style house with a bell tower, spiral staircase and a garden divided into rooms. It has two bedrooms, a large drawing room and garden room next to the kitchen/breakfast room and separate dining room and is for sale at £650,000 (01285 627684; struttandparker.com) get rid of any dead plants, de-weed and mow your lawn. Give all exterior woodwork and paving a good clean, too, a pressure washer can transform a dirty surface in minutes – and paint windows and doors if they’re in need of some TLC.”
Garden designer and TV presenter Ann-Marie Powell also has some tips for instant results in the garden, such as mulching flower beds to cover up weeds. And if you haven’t got time to mow the lawn just trimming the edges will make it look tidier.
“Clean your patio just as you would your house,” she says. “Clear away the clutter, give it a good brush and get it looking pristine with a pressure washer or a bowl of soapy water and a scrubbing brush.” Bedding plants will also give your garden an instant lift, adds Powell. “Choose longflowering varieties like geraniums, nasturtiums and petunias and plant them in anything from planters to hanging baskets.”
Jake Russell, director at estate agent Russell Simpson in Chelsea, adds: “It is estimated that a well-kept garden can add an impressive 20 per cent to the value of a home. Properties with some form of outside space, including balconies, patios and roof terraces, can command a significant price premium compared to properties of a similar size with little or no outdoor amenity space.
“Before placing their home on the market, a seller should keep even the smallest of gardens neat and under control to help secure a swift sale. Buyers can be easily put off by the prospect of having to spend hours tidying unruly hedges or flowerbeds.”
This Easter weekend have your gardening gloves ready between the bouts of April showers of a typical British bank holiday.