The garden improvements which could add the most value to your home
New research from building and renovation expert, Roofing Megastore reveals the top 20 garden improvements that can increase the value of your home the most in 2022, and 15 ‘garden fails’ that can decrease the value of your home by over £80,000 if they’re not fixed before selling.
The findings are taken from Roofing Megastore’s Garden Trends Report where more than 2,000 prospective purchasers were asked about the garden trends they now value the most, and which would cause them to lower their offer on a property they were looking to buy.
Garden improvements that maximise your home’s value
Over the past two years, our outside spaces have become more important than ever, and flexible living and at-home socialising dominate the top 10 most valued garden improvements.
With this in mind, a conservatory is the most prized garden feature, potentially adding almost £8,500 to the value of your home, and home office garden rooms are now second on a buyer’s wish list for things they’d like in a garden, adding over £7,200 to a property’s value. A garden gym room, an outdoor kitchen, an outdoor entertaining area and a hot tub all make the top 10 too.
Just outside the top 10, buyers would now pay £5,600 extra for a home that had a garden bar. A built-in pizza oven would add on £5,100 and a built-in BBQ could increase a home’s value by £5,000.
Top 20 garden trends that increase the value of your home:
| Rank | Garden improvement | Value increase |
| 1 | Conservatory | £8,449 |
| 2 | Home office garden room | £7,261 |
| 3 | Gym/studio room in the garden | £7,124 |
| 4 | Orangery | £6,595 |
| 5 | Outdoor kitchen | £6,385 |
| 6 | Outdoor entertaining/dining area | £6,164 |
| 7 | South facing garden | £6,161 |
| 8 | Hot tub | £5,809 |
| 9 | New paved patio | £5,752 |
| 10 | New decking area | £5,638 |
| 11 | Garden bar | £5,624 |
| 12 | Mature plants/trees/flowers | £5,224 |
| 13 | Children’s treehouse | £5,158 |
| 14 | Greenhouse | £5,157 |
| 15 | Built-in pizza oven | £5,135 |
| 16 | Built-in outdoor BBQ | £5,062 |
| 17 | West facing garden | £5,008 |
| 18 | Astroturf | £4,999 |
| 19 | Pergola | £4,980 |
| 20 | New garden shed | £4,916 |
North, South, East, West
Given the increased time many of us have spent at home and in our gardens during the pandemic, it’s understandable how many buyers are keen to maximise the amount of sunshine they get in their outside space.
South-facing gardens are historically the most prized, with dawn ‘til dusk sunshine on the cards during the summer months, and they could also increase the value of a home by £6,161. A home with a west facing garden would see its value increase by £5,008. But an east-facing garden could knock off £4,984 from a property’s value, and a north-facing garden could reduce a home’s value by £5,318.
Garden fails you should fix before selling
Many of the issues that would see buyers reduce their offers are related to elements of the garden that are in need of repair. If you’re unlucky enough to have all 15 ‘garden fails’ the value of your home could decrease by over £83,364, but many of the issues can either be fixed for free, or for very little investment.
A mouldy conservatory roof was shown to be biggest turn off for potential buyers, knocking off £6,140 from your home’s value. Close behind were damaged garden walls, no lawn, broken guttering and a damaged patio.
A damaged garden wall could see offers reduced by almost £6,000. Broken guttering would decrease a home’s value by £5,800, and broken fences would shave £5,500 off a home’s resale value.
Other fails that could be fixed for free in just a few hours include decking that just needs a clean – this would put buyers off to the tune of £5,700. Having rubbish and debris in the garden would knock off £5,500, and having children’s play equipment and toys on display would see buyers put in an offer that’s £5,000 lower than if they had been neatly tidied away and stored out of sight.
Top 15 ‘garden fails’ most likely to reduce the value of your home:
| Rank | Garden improvement | Value decrease |
| 1 | Mouldy or dirty conservatory or orangery roof | £6,140 |
| 2 | Damaged garden walls | £5,988 |
| 3 | No lawn | £5,871 |
| 4 | Broken guttering | £5,807 |
| 5 | Cracked or damaged patio | £5,804 |
| 6 | Invasive or damaging plants | £5,720 |
| 7 | Old or mouldy decking | £5,712 |
| 8 | Damaged decking | £5,610 |
| 9 | Rubbish or debris in the garden | £5,554 |
| 10 | Broken fences | £5,384 |
| 11 | North facing garden | £5,318 |
| 12 | Dead trees or plants | £5,215 |
| 13 | Overgrown weeds in pathways and borders | £5,155 |
| 14 | Pond | £5,061 |
| 15 | Children’s play equipment and toys everywhere | £5,025 |
Gian-Carlo Grossi, Managing Director at Roofing Megastore, comments:
“It’s so important to maintain your garden because mouldy roofs, damaged decking and broken guttering can all significantly decrease the value of your home.
“Not only can a neglected garden be a health hazard and unappealing to look at, often, basic maintenance or DIY is all that’s needed to fix many of the issues that put buyers off the most.
“So many of us have spent much more time at home since the start of the pandemic, meaning there’s been a massive increase in demand for garden features such as garden offices, garden gym studio spaces, as well as outdoor cooking and entertaining spaces.
“This shift in demand has been reflected in our study, with homeowners willing to pay several thousand pounds more for properties with these items.”
To read the full Garden Trends Report and for a step-by-step guide on easy ways to upgrade your garden, visit here.
Kindly shared by Roofing Megastore
Main photo courtesy of Pixabay
