Glorious Garden: Well-kept gardens can add up to £2k value to British homes

Homes with well-kept gardens are believed to be worth £1954 more in value – that’s over four times the £473 the average person spent on their garden in the past year. However, many are not inclined to hire tradespeople to carry out tasks, and would only pay £364 for a tradesperson to build a fence, £290 to install a pond and £390 to design a new garden.
Most gardeners are keen on DIY, with 90 per cent planting their own flowers, 74 per cent power washing their patios and 51 per cent building garden furniture. AXA investigates the jobs that we love to do ourselves and when it may be best to get in touch with a professional.

AXA has revealed that the nation believes a well-kept garden adds just under £2k (£1954) to the value of their homes. The research, which follows AXA’s sponsorship of the Grand Shed Project at Grand Designs Live, highlights how even though the UK values a well-kept garden, we do not always want to pay to keep it up to scratch.

The average person spent £473 on garden upkeep last year, less than four times the amount a well-kept garden is believed to add to the value of a home. Twenty-four per cent of people said they only spent between £1 and £100 last year on their gardens, whilst 18 per cent spent between £101 and £200 and 14 per cent between £201 and £400.

To DIY or not to DIY?
With the nation reluctant to part with their cash when it comes to their gardens, it’s no surprise that many of us turn to DIY. Jobs often completed by homeowners include planting flowers (90 per cent), power washing patios (74 per cent) and building garden furniture (51 per cent) and sheds (40 per cent).

Jobs that people would hire a tradesperson to complete are often larger, and include building garden walls (64 per cent), terraces (61 per cent), new fences from scratch (58 per cent) and felling trees (59 per cent). This can only be a good thing when you consider that 44 per cent of people would not check planning permission before performing garden tasks including those listed above.

24% of people said they only spent between £1 and £100 last year on their gardens

However, not to be outdone, there are a number of tasks that the nation would like to learn, including designing a new garden (41 per cent), building a garden wall (37 per cent), installing a water feature (36 per cent) and building terraces (34 per cent).

The cost of gardening
Most people spend around nine hours a month working on their gardens, however if they were to hire a gardener they would only need them to work six hours – a third less time. They would also pay £10 an hour for a gardener, making it around £60 a month to look after the average garden, plus any additional time spent on doing smaller jobs.

For larger jobs, many people would only want to part with less than £500 per task, even though we now know this could add up to four times the value to a home.

Gareth Howell, Managing Director of AXA Insurance, said: “Over the past year our research has shown that the UK is a nation of keen hobbyists, with 40 per cent of people claiming gardening to be their main hobby. However, whilst learning a new skill is important, there are also times when it may be best to hire a professional.

“The fact that 44 per cent of people don’t consider planning permission when carrying out relatively large gardening jobs highlights just how important it is to ask for expert help every now and again.

Whilst we are encouraging the nation to enjoy DIY and the great outdoors, when it comes to certain tasks you may want to brush up on your skills and knowledge first!”

For ideas on how to make the most out of your garden, regardless of size, visit: www.axa.co.uk/help-and-advice/my-home/quirky-design-ideas-for-smaller-gardens/