There's no doubt that an established garden can showcase your property all year round.

There's no doubt that an established garden can showcase your property all year round. Take time to tidy your garden, sweep up leaves, prune back sprawling plants, get rid of weeds, and keep beds healthy and properly mulched. Clear the edges of paths and add an attractive edging to paving, or extend a patio and add well-positioned pot plants.

These are the simple and obvious things to do. You may not add thousands to the value, but you will certainly improve the appearance and first impression, which can only be helpful. But above basic gardening and more sophisticated landscaping and design, there are two other aspects that could very much improve your sale chances - and those are trees and vegetables.

The fashionable addition of a vegetable garden

Nowadays, growing one's own vegetables has seen a huge revival in favour. Cost savings are often a reason, but direct from soil to table is a popular new hobby for many people. However, setting up a vegetable garden is no walk in the park. It's hard work. That's why so many people begin the project with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm, but tend to run out of steam after their first season, or even before.

Vegetables require a lot of care and attention, and cost money to keep at optimum growth and production levels. While it's great to pick your own vegetables - especially to serve up at a dinner party - it takes time, space, water, spraying, etc. But, if you can get it done, and done right, presenting a flourishing, functional vegetable patch in your garden when you want to sell your home, can be a huge plus.

Benefits of showing off a vegetable garden:

• A vegetable garden shows buyers that the hard work has already been done.
• People who love the idea of home-grown veggies, but not the reality of starting a patch from scratch, are certainly persuaded when they see ready-made beds in the yard. A flourishing garden, already seeded with a mix of crops, can be impressive.
• Fruiting plants, such as berry canes or bushes, provide immediate gratification for buyers, because the produce will be waiting for them to harvest when the season arrives.
• A neat appearance is important. Make sure all tools are cleaned and properly housed, hoses rolled up tightly, and any other gardening supplies or clutter stowed safely away.
• Let buyers know your garden is organic and pollinator-friendly, too.
• Add a decorative touch by planting flowering plants along the borders of the vegetable garden area.
• Add name tags to your different crops. This can give your garden a sense of durability and professionalism that adds to the perspective of efficiency, not to mention the potential quality of the vegetables.

The benefit of trees and your property value

• Trees will not only make your home more desirable, but a fully grown and properly placed tree can reduce your cooling costs by as much as 40 percent.
• Trees are a critical element in our collective effort for a more sustainable environment, and most buyers today appreciate this.
• Functioning ecosystems with healthy trees and vegetation will help with storm-water management, pollutant filtration, and soil and water conservation.
• In the summer, the shade provided by trees helps to reduce energy use. In the winter, deciduous trees that have lost their leaves allow sunlight to filter through and warm buildings and homes.
• Trees increase our sense of wellbeing. Trees creatively planted across well-kept landscapes make the places we live, work and play, more attractive - therefore increasing a sense of tranquillity. Trees offer shade, and protection from the wind, noise, and even rain.

There's no doubt that established trees in your garden are a valuable selling point. Properties with mature trees and beautiful landscaping will naturally attract buyers, shoppers, and tenants. Not only are they decorative, but they contribute to a sense of privacy and perspective - adding definitively to the value of your property.

Some trees worth considering include:

• Frangipani: Frangipanis are small succulent deciduous trees with fragrant white, pink or apricot flowers in summer and autumn. They grow best in temperate to tropical climates and will reach 3 - 5 metres in height.
• Evergreen Ash: Evergreen ash is a compact evergreen with light ferny leaves and tassles of flowers. It will grow from 3 - 5 metres in height. An ash tree provides a shady spot to sit on a hot summer's day.
• Magnolias: Evergreen or deciduous, magnolias are elegant trees. Evergreen magnolias flower throughout the year and grow in most areas; deciduous magnolias flower in late winter and are best in cool to temperate zones. Size varies depending on the species of magnolia.
• Citrus Trees: Citrus trees such as lemon, lime, orange or mandarin will be a hit with most buyers. Everyone likes a productive tree and while there are many that do well in gardens (apples, pears, and even nut trees such as macadamias) citrus trees are universally appreciated.

Leapfrog Property Group

Leapfrog Property Group offers a fresh and innovative approach to buying, selling, renting and property investments, ensuring the best property deals for clients across South Africa. Our agents are qualified, trained, experienced; our approach bold and spirited, driven by heart, generosity and honesty. It is our mission to advise,  eliminate obstacles and save you unnecessary expense. Trust is our watchword. And value our motto. Armed with our combined credentials, we are the bright face of excellence in the South African market. 

Find us at: www.leapfrog.co.za

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