Gardens 'add value to a home'

In advice which may be useful for those building their own houses and hoping they will fetch a good price if and when they are sold on, a horticulturalist has stated that gardens can help add to the value of a home.

Joe Swift, who presents the BBC TV programme Gardeners' World, said: "Gardens add value - there's no doubt about this, there's been a lot of research into this over the years - and more value than the investment that's gone into the property."

He stated that the things to avoid included ponds because of the potential maintenance issues may put any potential future owner off, while good maintenance and large plants were an advantage.

Mr Swift advised it was "worth the investment of getting a garden designer to come round and give you a few ideas".

A recent survey by Lloyds TSB Insurance found that the top ten items people would like to have in their garden included a hot tub, lighting, a wind turbine and a sun house.



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