Great gardens: How much value will green spaces add to a Canberra home?

Gardens, green spaces, whatever the size, we love them. They provide a vital connection with nature and enhance a feeling of relaxation and well-being.

Jonathan Charles of the Independent Property Group, says gardens add significant value to a home – not just in price, but in enjoyment.

“We all love a patch of nature; some enjoy working in the garden while others prize it as an entertaining space,” he says.

“A well-presented and maintained garden also adds significantly to the value of a home. Buyers will compare its presentation to others in the street to get a sense of how the property has been cared for.

“Top presentation also gives a potential buyer a chance to imagine themselves enjoying that space with family and friends.”

Green spaces are no longer just the province of homeowners with developers now ensuring that apartment dwellers can enjoy their own little patch of paradise.

Geocon sales manager, Matt Nicholls, says breakout zones – spaces where apartment residents can relax outside of their units – are increasingly being incorporated in new developments.

“We’re constantly improving our products and responding to needs like green outdoor spaces where residents can relax,” he says.

“In the future we may well see the incorporation of features like roof-top veggie patches and other zones that reinforce that connection with nature.”

This ideal is being expressed in Geocon’s Belconnen High Society development that features a rooftop sky park with open and covered spaces and soft and hard landscaping.

• Plan. Garden presentation should be planned well-ahead of a home going onto the market. Reseeded lawns on freshly planted shrubs and flowers need time to settle and flourish to be at their best.
• Maintain. Nature needs a helping hand to present at its best and requires regular mowing, weeding, edging, pruning and raking. An automated irrigation system is a sound investment and a selling benefit.
• Enjoy. Green spaces are there to be enjoyed, but that level of enjoyment is up to the individual – perhaps a spot of meditative gardening or a relaxing space to entertain family and friends.

Allhomes’ top pick of homes with great gardens for sale:

Reid (also pictured above)

12 Allambee Street

Price guide: $1.6 million +

4 bed, 3 bath, 2 parking

Meticulously landscaped grounds that offer a sense of welcome seclusion characterise this 1927 residence that has been thoughtfully extended and updated to contemporary standards.

This beautiful home celebrates Canberra’s early architecture and is highlighted by double brick walls, a terracotta tiled roof and primrose render.

It is absolutely packed with character features including picture rails, art deco light fittings, sash timber windows, high ceilings, cedar doors, hardwood flooring and an open fireplace.

Other highlights include a generous family room with century-old polished timber floors repurposed from Sydney’s King Street wharves. There’s also a classic sun room and a spacious study with bay window seating.

Home chefs will relish the remodelled classic kitchen with granite bench tops and a free-standing AGA-style twin stove.

The minor bedrooms are generous with ample storage and are served by an updated, art deco-styled bathroom with deep bathtub.

The master suite enjoys a hotel-quality en suite and dressing room while double French doors open onto an expansive spotted gum timber deck.

The front and rear gardens are shielded by towering hedging, abundant mature trees and shrubs, lush green lawns, extensive brick paving and water features.

A renovated self-contained studio with separate entrance is perfect as a teenager’s retreat or as au pair accommodation.

This distinctive residence also includes a double garage with internal access, automatic door, rear trailer access and plenty of storage.

AGENT: Independent Property Group Woden and Weston Creek, Jonathan Charles 0413 909 158

AUCTION: 10am, November 3

Or try these:

Torrens

23 Beasley Street 

Price guide: $1 million +

4 bed, 3 bath, 2 parking

Hughes

9 Jensen Place

Price guide: $850,000 +

3 bed, 1 bath, 2 parking

City

13/1 Gordon Street

Price guide: $400,000

1 bed, 1 bath, 1 parking