For many homebuyers, this month’s Chelsea Flower Show has once again turned the spotlight on the garden. Dominic Agace, Chief Executive of Winkworth, Charles Erwin of Winkworth Notting Hill, and Joanna Archer of Joanna Archer Garden Design discuss the importance of gardens to homebuyers.
Fake grass can impact the value of your property and turn off prospective buyers, according to leading estate agents Winkworth. In a gardening special to celebrate the Chelsea Flower Show this week, the Winkworth Property Exchange Podcast reveals that fake grass, apart from its aesthetic and environmental impact, may even damage a property. Charles Erwin, of Winkworth Notting Hill, told the podcast: “It’s on the way out. On roof terraces, we have found that it could be a nightmare as it acts like a sponge and sucks up water, which then leaks into your house, causing roof damage. The day of the mindless garden with just a roll of easy grass is gone. It’s also difficult to keep clean. For those selling, it is better to stage the garden properly for sale with planting, pots and furniture. The house is likely to receive more traction than an uninteresting garden with fake grass.”
Leading London garden designer Joanna Archer told the podcast: “We are seeing a huge shift away from these very minimalist sterile gardens, with wall to wall paving, artificial grass and little rows of lollipop trees. The Society of Garden Designers campaign ‘Say No to Plastic Grass and Plants’ is making people think about their fake grass. We have removed it from clients’ gardens. One client still wanted to keep a cricket pitch, so we replaced the fake with a good hard-wearing turf with a mixture of grass species. Another client has asked for the fake lawn to be ripped up and placed with whimsical planting of soft borders, grasses and perennials.”
She added: “People are really embracing gardens as a space not just for themselves but for wildlife too. If the garden is filled with plants and birds and buzzing bees, you going to feel so much better sitting in it. People love having meadows in their London gardens, using wild flower turf. It springs to life and is full of colour and you only have to cut it once a year.”
For those looking for a quick uplift for their gardens, Joanna recommends focusing on the boundaries. She told the podcast: “These are an absolute priority. You must crack on and replace that dilapidated fence or crumbling brick wall. It’s like not bothering to paint or wallpaper your sitting room. Also, ditch lots of pots. Save your best three and plant something really big and bold and exciting. I love it when people want an outside kitchen because it means they’re going to be in the garden even more. We are seeing lots of garden buildings, which may be a home office or a gym, guest suite or a den for the children to hide in.”
In the smartest districts of the capital, a view over a leafy garden square is the London equivalent of the sea view, according to Winkworth’s Chief Executive Dominic Agace. He told the podcast: “A house on one of the larger and historic squares with a view over the garden will go for a significant premium and they are a pretty safe asset. The garden square is definitely the jewel in the crown of London property.”
Charles Erwin, of Winkworth Notting Hill, added: “The last house to sell on Ladbroke Square in Notting Hill sold for £16m. However, you could buy a studio flat or a one bedroom flat on the square for around £500,000 and you get all the benefits of access to the garden square at a fraction of the price.”
As the summer months grow hotter, Winkworth predicts a growing trend for North-west facing gardens rather than South-facing plots. Dominic Agace told the podcast: “As summers get hotter, those who have extended their houses with conservatories, glass roofs and side returns, it’s good not to have the baking sun all day long.” Charles Erwin, of Winkworth Notting Hill, added: “The last house to sell on Ladbroke Square in Notting Hill sold for £16m. However, you could buy a studio flat or a one bedroom flat on the square for around £500,000 and you get all the benefits of access to the garden square at a fraction of the price.” As the summer months grow hotter, Winkworth predicts a growing trend for North-west facing gardens rather than South-facing plots. Dominic Agace told the podcast: “As summers get hotter, those who have extended their houses with conservatories, glass roofs and side returns, it’s good not to have the baking sun all day long.”
