Whatever the size of your property, its outdoor space will always be a major selling feature. Whether you have a private rear garden packed with wildlife, a small but charming patio, or even just an apartment balcony overlooking the quiet suburb – that outdoor area is a place to unwind, socialise, and make the most of the summer weather.
Of course, many properties in and around London have somewhat limited outdoor space, but that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve the desired result. With the right design and planning, you can maximise and transform your outdoor area so it becomes a place to enjoy with family and friends – and can even add significant market value to your property.
In fact, a nicely presented garden alone can be seen to add 20% to your property’s value, and past research has shown that approximately 70% of home buyers would be willing to pay more for a property with an outdoor green space.
Here are some of our tips and tricks to turn any outdoor area into a quiet oasis for you and others to enjoy.
Experiment with trailing plants
No outdoor space is complete without an abundance of greenery and plants. It brings the beauty of the countryside to the bustling suburbs of London, allowing people to escape from the busyness and indulge in some much-needed tranquillity.
However, if you have limited space to work with, expansive flower beds, shrubs and trees often aren’t an option. So how do you create the same effect without sacrificing ground space? Make use of existing fences, ladders, or walls with a variety of climbing plants to add a splash of colour and greenery to your outdoor area, without using up lots of space.
If you’re unsure where to start, it’s worth browsing one of your local garden centres to try and visualise the effect you are wanting to achieve. Croxted Road Garden Centre in Herne Hill, and The Nunhead Gardener in Camberwell are two highly renowned garden centres in South London that offer a wide range of plants for indoor and outdoor use.
Focus on flexible furniture
Outdoor furniture can completely transform your garden. It turns it into a functional, practical, enjoyable living area, surrounded by plants and nature. However, it’s also only usable at certain times of the year, meaning you don’t want to invest in furniture that overcrowds or clutters a small area when not in use.
Instead, opt for space-saving, flexible garden furniture. Think stackable chairs, small outdoor stools and foldable tables that can easily be stored away or moved to one side when not in use.
Work vertically
What your outdoor space might lack in depth or width, you can make up for in height. When it comes to your garden, the sky is quite literally your limit (within reason, of course). When square footage is restricted, consider how you can create the illusion of more space by working vertically.
Garden pallets, ladders and fences all make great foundations for foliage, from climbing plants to herbs and leafy greens. You can also use them for storage, hanging garden tools and smaller garden accessories without using up precious ground space.
Build layers
One of the best ways to maximise outdoor space is to create more depth. Sometimes it’s not about the actual size of the space you have, but the effect you create with it. By layering plants, you can give the illusion of much more foliage than there actually is. Experiment with heights of flower beds, pathways and planters to create a layered effect that showcases a variety of colours and styles without sacrificing lots of space.
Divide and conquer
A small space can still serve a whole host of purposes. By dividing your outdoor area into separate ‘zones’, you can make the space feel considerably larger. What you do with these zones is entirely up to you, but you can consider incorporating a reading nook with pillows and throws, an outdoor kitchen, a children’s corner with a sand pit, or even a shed converted into an outdoor bar for summer parties.
Make the most of pots and containers
As much as large flower beds and plant patches add a certain aesthetic to your garden, they also take up considerable amounts of floor space. But with a selection of pots and planters, you can create a very similar effect with the added flexibility of being able to relocate and move them as you please – also allowing you to protect them from poor weather when needed.
Using pots of varying sizes and styles, you can create a sense of enclosure while also adding some colour and greenery back into the space, all while using minimal amounts of space.
Go multi-purpose
Getting the most out of limited space means being prepared to make what you have work harder. That means a shed doesn’t have to just be a shed but can also serve as an outdoor bar in the summer months. Or invest in a storage box that doubles up as a seating area.
Get creative with your outdoor space and consider ways you can make things multifunctional so you can reap the benefits without sacrificing the space.
Maximise space to maximise value
Giving your property a makeover is always an exciting experience – and whether you’re doing it for your own enjoyment, or to prepare for selling or letting, it can add significant value to your house, especially in the South London area.
If you’re looking for advice on how to add value to your property or prepare it to go on the market, our team at Urban Village can help. Get in touch today: 020 3519 9121