The hitch is, it is so often the first place where the budget gets reduced or cut altogether. Let that happen to your neighbour, but don’t let it happen to you!
It’s not just the monetary value a garden can add that is worth noting. A beautiful outdoor space can extend the footprint of the home. Done right, it can add the equivalent of another two to three rooms. A garden also invites someone to live their life differently. It gives an opportunity to sit back and literally smell the roses, to enjoy the warm sun on your back, to pause and be still.
Even though this year’s contestants on The Block are renovating houses near incredible beaches, a pool in a luxury holiday home is never not going to be appreciated. Beach in the morning before it’s too hot, and pool in the afternoon – perfection.
Increasingly, a large plunge pool is being considered the Goldilocks of pools these days: not too big and not too small, but just right. The trick is to ensure you have enough decking around the pool, so kids can play and adults can sit back and relax and enjoy what should be a beautiful outdoor space.
I’ve cautioned this year’s Blockheads that, unlike the outdoor spaces of past seasons, these are gardens of holiday houses. So even the most avid green-thumb is not going to want to spend all their time at their holiday house mowing the lawns or weeding. That does not mean you cannot have a beautiful, lush sanctuary, but it does mean you need to be smart about what is planted.
Explore the many wonderful native and ornamental grasses that are available, as well as strap-leaf plants and sedges. Plant these en masse under native trees that are hardy, low-maintenance and drought resistant.
Next up, I’ve suggested they think about creating an oasis, effectively an outdoor living and lounge space that overflows and extends from the main house. A concrete-poured bench seat or an oversized timber bench that greys over the years, an awning to pull out when the sun is in full range, and perhaps a fire pit.
haves for the living and dining room
Think also about features in the garden that help anchor people. A beautiful sundial can become a wonderful talking point as well as a Dobsonian telescope that can be covered and kept outdoors. Plus some big outdoor cushions scattered around for stargazing.
Before you know it, a relatively modest budget that is used in a considered and thoughtful manner can go a long way. And that lifestyle that you’re proposing to a potential buyer may just pull on their heartstrings in the right way.
Source: www.domain.com
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