Would a garden that was too nice put you off?

[BigDahliaFan]

Our garden is my pride and joy, but I think it would look hard work to some - it's not particularly big but there are trees, shrubs, perennials etc. Would that put you off buying it? Or would you just think 'I can always pave it over'.

I think it sounds like a complete joy, I want to cry when people pave paradise (and put up a parking lot).

I think it is difficult to say, without seeing the garden.

I was going to say "no" but then saw the photos on P1, and I thought, 'Yes, that would put me off'.

I think if you are selling a family home, then most buyers want an open expanse of lawn, yes.

As pps have said, a well laid out, mature garden needn't be hard work. I specifically planted shrubs in my border so I didn't have to do much to them. But I would be put off a house where the lawn had been removed and the plants were taking over, yes.

So it just depends on what you mean.

Yes it stopped us buying a house.
the garden had no grass but lots of little areas, paved, with a pond, seating area, masses of beautiful shrubs, bushes, small trees. It really was beautiful and so cared for. We took one look and thought that’s not what we want to spend all our time doing, particularly as the house needed updating.

All gardens should "keep the centre open"...which is basically what a big lawn does.

We bought our home 14 years ago, one of the previous owners was a landscaped gardener. Our back garden sold the house to me. I was only 25, but I have learnt as I’ve gone, and I absolutely love maintaining and adding to both gardens (like you, they are my pride and joy). We similarly have trees, perennial shrubs, hedges, perennial flowers, etc. So yours would not put me off. I also think others would just change it if not as into gardening.

I love mature gardens, it wouldn’t put me off at all.

I love gardening and in London have a small very simple garden. Maybe 5m x 8m. Border beds, some hydrangeas, car mint and some areas that seem to be more successful than others
when I had the house valued the agent said it would pit people off as they’d have no idea what to do with it
on my part I spend at most a total of about 10 hrs a year gardening it

We looked at a wonderful house which needed interior redecorating and had a massive and beautiful garden. And all I could picture was the forest of weeds in 6months and the disappointment from the neighbours. We are not gardens, and the cost of redoing it to something easy care would totally put me off.

My old neighbours had a beautiful garden. New(ish) neighbours had the lot in the skip within a month and slabs and gravel down. They obviously hated the “mature trees and shrubs around a lawn” look but the house sold v quickly.

I don’t know why people are behaving as though lawns are ‘easy care’. Lawns, if you default to the traditional closely-mown ‘ideal’, are pretty time-consuming.

I think you should buy what you like or what suits. So many times,we have neighbours who don't touch their gardens,so I have brambles, dandelions, bindweed, caterpillars, ridiculously overgrown shrubs and huge trees all encroaching onto my plot. We my youngest DD was a baby we had quarter of an acre, dogs,cats, chicken, rabbits and neighbours who did nothing! It was the edge of a village, but had a station,we actually had a stream running through the end of the garden,a little bridge. Fields beyond,horses and cows. It was green belt and conservation area,on the right was the village church.. all changed, our neighbour the other side became a magistrate with the sole intention of being aware of the law to keep as is, and guess what, they sold their house to builders, which was demolished for a road into the new estate. I worked nights and woke up to find the stream gone a whopping great fence where the little metal one had been. We had so many problems with the builders,we moved! I think the idea of a garden being the easiest DIY is hilarious. We're on clay, I wanted a wildflower area around fruit trees, I worked nights in a hospital 100 mile round trip commute (long story) came home and was trying to break up the ground with a pick axe. It's taken us probably 10 years to get to where we are (a lot of DIY as well)

As a very keen gardener.I hope if we ever move a gardener buys our house. I've moved before and the new people have pulled the entire garden up to put astro turf down or patio the lot. I get we are all different but it was home to wildlife nesting birds frogs newts, an owl! I live rural so it does seem odd to me if they don't want that type of garden there are plenty of new builds with low maintenance gardens around.

So It just depends on the person. I always look at a garden as an exciting opportunity because its my passion but many see it as hard work and don't value plants and wildlife. Or it just doesn't fit their needs at the time but maybe the house does. I do fully get the pond with young children thing although ours have always loved having a pond and pond dipping.

This isn’t my garden, but it’s similar style, mine has lawn too and a patio that seats 8 and a coffee bench….but you get the idea.

We bought a house that had a lovely garden like you describe. Unfortunately we’ve since had to make it a bit more low maintenance as we just didn’t have the time to give it the attention it deserved and it
started to look terrible as a result. Hopefully when our kids are older we’ll get it back up to how it was.

@Nannyfannybanny, I’m currently breaking ground with a pike and gruffán! Glad to hear you managed it eventually.

I think a lovely garden would attract more people than it put off. It would certainly attract me! Many years ago my parents bought a house solely because of the big, beautiful garden. There was an open day for viewings and my dad sat in a chair outside and just said “we’re having it” before he even looked around the house itself!

I did the same with the house we are in now. And the garden only had potential then, it was fairly badly laid out. Honestly it’s a bit too small a garden for me, when we move it’ll be for a bigger garden, room for a veg bed or two. I’ve had an allotment before and that got too much, just want to plant done raspberries, purple sprouting broccoli and courgettes.

I think it will help sell the house. A lot of people (not all) who aren’t gardeners have low understanding of what upkeep gardens need. So they’d see a lovely garden and unconsciously think they are ‘buying’ that. Keen gardeners will love it.

This is the farden I'm stillthinking of (house I didn't buy). Photo is from winter, looked stunning even then.

Not a chance, our garden was lawn and laurels when we bought it and we’ve spent time and money adding lots of plants and bulbs and seating areas. Sounds like looking after yours is probably less work than we’ve had building ours so that would be a bonus

I can't imagine a lovely garden would put anyone off. Those with an interest in plants will greatly appreciate the money and effort put into it and be happy to maintain it.

The type of person who has no appreciation will simply rip it up and shove gravel down.

My grandparents had an absolutely stunning, fairytale garden which won prizes and provided many hours of enjoyment for me as a child, watching the butterflies, playing in the hidden grotto my granny made using shells from the beach, following the winding paths through the woods etc.

The people that bought it 'paved paradise and put up a parking lot' .
Forty years later and it still upsets me!

I’d just assume it would need a Gardner.

the one side of me would be saying great a preplanned garden which will look fab instead of me starting from scratch. the other side would say how on earth will i keep it looking like that? if I fail what will the neighbours say who are used to seeing a lovely garden? not to mention some plants I may really hate so would be wanting to know what on earth to replace them with

I think when (if) we ever sell I'd probably tone it down a bit prior to selling - I'd want to take some plants with me anyway so would pot those up and probably mulch the borders rather than filling with cosmos etc. A lot of it is in (very large) pots anyway - acers etc.

It's a beautiful garden!

My garden in a rented house where we lived for years was beautiful, with mature lilac trees and roses. This, and just grass, when we moved it, but I added lots of shrubs and created borders. It was really the main point of the house, you could see it immediately upon entering the house through a huge window. So when we looked for a house to buy, gardens were very important to me. I can't say I rejected a house only because of the lack of a garden, or because it wasn't what i liked, but it played a big part in taking a decision. I didn't need a very landscaped or manicured garden (they are actually not so much in style around here) but I didn't want one without any mature trees or shrubs. I work a lot, and I know how much time you need to devote to setting up a garden, plus I didn't want to wait several years to enjoy it.

The house we bought has a well planned, extablished garden, probably from 30 years ago when the previous owner bought it. It is not big, ca. 180 m2. The only thing I wish it had is more tall trees - she chose shrubs and small trees, while I'd love some big trees for more scrrening, because we are quite overlooked (all houses here are very tall).

After we bought it, a house down the street came on sale, with a massive garden, three times bigger then ours (meaning very long, as plots are narrow). I still wish we had got this one, because there I could have an orchard, raspberries and anything else I'd want. But on the other hand, I don't think I'd find enough time for maintaing it, so maybe just as well.