My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Property/DIY

Quick (cheap) front garden fixes

18 replies

noitsnotteatimeyet · 09/11/2017 09:19

Our front garden is a bit of a disaster zone. We’re thinking of moving in 18 months’ time and need to tart up the garden to increase ‘kerb appeal’.

The house is a late Victorian semi-detached - the garden’s about 4-5 metres from the house to front wall

The good bits: we have a lovely (and intact) black and white tile Victorian path to the front door with lavender bushes to the side and a mature passion fruit creeper around the porch. The front door has the original stained glass.

The bad: the rest of it ... horrible, cheap terracotta tiles underneath the front bay window and on the path from the back garden door; the bulk of the garden itself is gravel; the front wall is the original but it’s the type of ‘builders’ rubble’ wall, rendered and painted white with red brick gate posts (not original) and cheap cast iron gates. There’s a vent just behind the wall which according to the water company is no longer connected to anything so we can cut it down/cap it but nothing grows in the soil immediately around it. We got fed up of the sickly privet which was behind the wall so got rid of that a while ago and haven’t worked out how to replace it.

We don’t want to spend a fortune on it so would love some inspiration please (gardening is so not my thing ,,)

OP posts:
Report
LaurieFairyCake · 09/11/2017 09:27

A pic would really help Smile

Are you quite sure the terracotta tiles aren’t Victorian originals? They’re very desirable and sell for about £2 each. If they’re a cm thick then they’re likely to be original

Report
JT05 · 09/11/2017 09:33

Just for starters you could change the gate for a wooden one or more in keeping metal one.
How about making a raised bed with relaimed bricks in the middle and planting a topiary tree.
Without a picture is difficult to imagine.
Alternatively look on Pinterest, search for front gardens. Lots of good ideas there.

Report
JustAnotherManicUsername · 09/11/2017 10:01

Yes, definitely need pics! Is there parking? If not and you can make a parking space my guess is that will make more difference to saleability /price than making it prettier.

Report
SilverSpot · 09/11/2017 12:46

Have you got a pic?

Probably just some nice plants in big pretty pots on top of the grave would look good? And you can take them with you when you move!

Report
JoJoSM2 · 09/11/2017 13:41

It does sound quite ok. I reckon just keep everything clean - tiles washed, front wall freshly painted, fresh gravel with no messy bits in it and it will look lovely.

Report
noitsnotteatimeyet · 09/11/2017 14:18

Photos (hopefully non-identifying!). Having looked a bit more carefully it’s only 3m from house to wall and the terracotta tiles are quite thick (at least 1cm) so they may well be original - yay

Quick (cheap) front garden fixes
Quick (cheap) front garden fixes
OP posts:
Report
LaurieFairyCake · 09/11/2017 14:37

Yep those are the real deal and lovely !

Report
LaurieFairyCake · 09/11/2017 14:41

I would weed the garden and top up the gravel as a quick fix.

The wall is the worst but, I’d point it with cement, let it dry and repaint it white.

Get a very nice outdoor doormat for your step and a nice plant pot next to it - I can’t see the front door properly but clean the brass/silverware.

The house terracotta detail above the front window is lovely.

Buy a couple of decent pots with Standard bushes in them - olives, bay or an evergreen - by decent pots I mean the pewter effect
Square ones that are about £30 each. Put in front garden framing window

Report
LaurieFairyCake · 09/11/2017 14:42

Move bins or buy nicer ones.

I really think you can make it fabulous for about £250-£300

Report
LaurieFairyCake · 09/11/2017 14:43

The gates fine - it’s not ‘naice’ but it’s fine

Report
LaurieFairyCake · 09/11/2017 14:44

Pots for £12.99

Quick (cheap) front garden fixes
Report
emsyj37 · 09/11/2017 14:45

I would get some pots as others have said (maybe glazed pots in naice colours as it isnt really flower season and a bit of colour would be lovely). I would repair and repaint the wall in a less harsh colour - maybe buff/brown/sage green to help it blend in.

Report
Joinourclub · 09/11/2017 14:48

I think it's pretty much fine. I'd paint the wall, and maybe put down

Report
Joinourclub · 09/11/2017 14:49

.... slate chippings or just new gravel.

Report
noitsnotteatimeyet · 09/11/2017 14:53

Thanks everyone - the house itself is lovely (I know I’m biased but it really is!) but I didn’t want the front garden to ‘let it down’ if you see what I mean. One of my friends had her front garden done up by one of those garden companies specialising in Victorian front gardens - it cost her £10K and it’s only half the size of ours...

We’ll do a bit of painting/pot planting and keep our fingers crossed!

OP posts:
Report
LaurieFairyCake · 09/11/2017 15:01

Yes, you could spend a fortune on it to make it lovely

If you’re not selling for 18 months there’s no point in weeding and topping up the gravel until about a month before - if you do it you will have to keep on top of it as unless you add a membrane under the gravel properly it will keep growing through.

A nice new gate would cost about £1k, a new wall in reclaimed brick (which would be lovely obviously) about £5k -would match the house

All of the expensive stuff might be really worth it if the house is already expensive

Report
JoJoSM2 · 09/11/2017 15:22

It does look unloved but it won’t take too much work or money to make it lovely. You don’t need an expensive contractor either. I’d do the following:
tidy up the wall-fill in + repaint and keep moss/mess free
Top up the gravel and keep it weeded and free of dead leaves etc
Add a bin enclosure- looks like your bins are on show at the mo?
Add a bit of greenery - a hedge right behind the wall to add height and make the house look less exposed, add a hedge/lavender etc along the path + space permitting, a bay tree underplanted with some pretty seasonal stuff (change mine 3 times a year - not much faff but it looks smart and fresh).
Some picks to illustrate the ideas

Quick (cheap) front garden fixes
Quick (cheap) front garden fixes
Quick (cheap) front garden fixes
Report
JoJoSM2 · 09/11/2017 15:23

And a low wall + hedge

Quick (cheap) front garden fixes
Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.