The first impression a home gives is the exterior. There is no denying you always judge a book by its cover – or in this case a home by its garden!
A well tended and maintained garden speaks volumes about the homeowner. As much as I love decorating indoors, the garden has always been one side of my home skills that are lacking! As much as I love the thought of having flowing hanging baskets and well manicured lawns, my green fingered talents have always lent themselves to gravel and pot plants!
When it comes time for us to move again I have a check list of things I am looking for when it comes to outdoor space. Having lived without a garden for the past year it has made me realise just how much we all enjoy being outside. Working with Chill Insurance has given me a chance to read over their campaign on what you can do to increase your property value by enhancing the outdoor space.
First up would be a patio area. Somewhere to sit and socialise, maybe even have a hot tub area too. There is something so nice about sitting outside with a glass of wine on an evening putting the world to right with friends. Throw in a couple of blankets and some ambient lighting and there is nothing more perfect. A patio area could be simply a few flagstones or a raised decking section, somewhere to add a couple of chairs and small table is enough.
Lighting is a huge thing for me and my home is full of lamps and candles. Why shouldn’t outdoors be the same? There are so many types of standard or decorative wall lamps you can purchase for outdoors. Halogen heaters create a warm and cosy atmosphere for gatherings and of course keep that chill away too. There are so many different types of outdoor suitable candles too, from tiki torches to bug repellent ones!
Flowers or plant areas. I much prefer containers or bedding plants that are in rockeries etc as they are so much easier to maintain. As much as I would love a garden full of rose bushes and fauna, the thought of the upkeep and keeping them alive fills me with dread. I adore looking at well maintained gardens and could quite happily pay someone to come and tend mine for me!
Now that my girls are older the thought of a water feature is something I would consider. You hear so many horror stories about little ones falling into ponds etc or pets finding themselves in danger that it has always put me off. The girls are now 7 and 11 so old enough to know better regarding water safety. I think a pond filled with fish or even a water fall style feature could be something we would consider in the future.
I have so many ideas and I guess that is because we are missing having a garden right now while the weather is nice. #GardenPride
