INCREASE THE VALUE OF YOUR PROPERTY BY UP TO £10,000 WITH YOUR GARDEN  (28/07/2006)

All you need is a weekend to dramatically transform your garden and with not much money.  Follow these 10 garden essentials and increase the value of your property by up to £10,000

• Curb Appeal – Colour is the key so go for hanging baskets, tubs and window boxes filled with colour.  Pick up a load from your garden centre and fill front and back gardens with bright colours.
• Borders – These have got to look good and be weed and debris free.  Bark chip your borders to make them look fresh and appealing.  It costs about £5.00 for 100 litres.
• Touching Up – Fences, sheds, garage doors – anything that is painted – touch it up.  Cuprinol spray makes a garden look manicured.
• Set Dressing – Get that garden furniture out.  Get out the parasol, the chairs, to get buyers’ imagination going.  Get them fired up and thinking of summer even if its winter.
• Stash – Get everything out of the garden – kid’s toys, wheelie bins, bikes and washing lines.  Doggie doo’s are a definite no-no.
• Scent – Get those fragrances going – lavender, roses, honeysuckle, jasmine – buy them in tubs from the garden centre if you have to.  At the very least mow the lawn for that fresh cut grass scent.
• Jet Wash – They cost £10 per day to hire and will bring your patio up a treat.  Use them on paths, paving, drives and garage roofs.
• Gravel – Anywhere you’ve got gravelscrape off the old stuff and put down crushed aggregate.  Cotswold Gold or Granite Blue is only £5 per bag, but looks like a million dollars.
• Haircut – If you have any overgrown Buddleia, any privet or Leylandii hedges, give them a manicure to bring them up to shape, they don’t need long technical pruning.