Make the most of your outdoor living space this summer
Our homes are our castles, which also includes the outside space. As the British summer heats up, we flock to buy new garden furniture, BBQs and fire pits so we can soak up every last drop of British sunshine.
The great British summertime is wonderful but fleeting. Our winter seems to be a long slog of grey skies and chilly, frosty mornings. Then we suddenly move into spring, and the gardens come to life with flowers, insects, and lush green leaves appearing on the trees. As lovely as Springtime is, the temperatures are not quite hot enough to sit out all day, and there is usually a little more rain than we'd like.
Finally, for a few short months, we have summer. Our gardens become an extension of our homes, and we live both inside and out daily. Doors and windows stay open, and the summer breeze wafts through our homes. Al fresco meals are frequently enjoyed on patios, and weekends are for fun-filled BBQs with friends until long after the sun has set.
This prolonged time spent in our gardens means that in more recent years, we have begun to style our outside space with as much attention to detail as our interiors. We have comfortable seating areas to lounge throughout the days and fire pits to light when the evening temperatures drop.
Ever conscious of the cooler air after the sun sets, there are options to heat our patio areas so that we can stay out for longer. Patio heaters and fire pits to gather around so that the conversations don't have to end too soon.
And this attempt to prolong the summer days has led us to build structures in our gardens. Summer houses decorated with festoon lighting and filled with cushions and chairs to enjoy the gardens. Gazebos with trailing Clematis or Wisteria dangling colourfully, allowing dappled shade from the afternoon sun. It's as if we don't want the days to end. We want to spend as much time outside as humanly possible before we're forced back indoors in Autumn and the woolly jumpers are pulled back out of the back of the wardrobes.
No longer are our gardens used just for gardening, growing plants and vegetables. Outdoor space with a property is now additional living space, ready to be enjoyed. Property searchers want to know how the garden can be used. Where is the sun throughout the day? Where does the sun set in the evening? What time of the morning does the sun reach into the patio area? What types of trees, flowers or wildlife do you have?
These questions help to build a picture of the lifestyle of living in the property - will the buyer be able to enjoy a morning cup of tea in the sun, or will the sun not reach the patio until lunchtime? By showing a buyer how you utilise the outside space in your property, you can be sure to appeal to them and ensure offers come flying in.
The flexibility and use of the outside space with your property increase the saleability of the home. From garden rooms, garden offices, 'man caves' and 'she sheds', or summer houses, they all create an additional space to enjoy in our homes. It also creates interest and a fantastic opportunity for staging and photography in the marketing of the property to demonstrate the lifestyle that your home will offer a buyer.
To find out more about how you can highlight the key features of your property when selling, get in touch with our team of property professionals, who are very happy to help and advise where necessary.
