Maximising a garden’s potential: Key advice for agents

According to Domain’s The Plant Value Report, a property’s greenery, whether a courtyard, leafy balcony, or garden, has been shown to boost prices and buyer interest, signalling a sign of quality investment and lifestyle appeal.

The report showed that houses with greenery achieved 17.4 per cent higher prices and spent one less day on the market.

Meanwhile, the data found that units with a garden balcony saw prices surge by 16.1 per cent and sold about three days faster.

Regional properties saw the biggest uplift, rising by up to 24 per cent, or about $154,000.

According to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate principal, Tracy Kennedy, agents should advise their sellers on garden upkeep before the sale, making it a standout feature and maximising selling potential.

When viewing a listing, Kennedy said that gardens were one of the first features prospective buyers see, making it essential to give a positive, long-lasting impression.

“Some people will drive past a property and look at the driveway to a property, look at the front yard and drive away. So it's really the very first face of the property,” she told REB.

For buyers, gardens offer a glimpse of their future lifestyle; for investors, Kennedy said, the focus is on outdoor spaces that are easier to keep tidy and appealing in a rental property.

“It needs to be low maintenance so tenants won’t have issues or too much work, therefore make it more appealing to a tenant.”

Kennedy said that agents could suggest easy, inexpensive maintenance, including painting fences, getting driveways washed, or even getting a new letterbox.

She also advised ensuring hedges are done, that the lawns are edged, and that the lines around the gardens are clear.

On the other hand, in addition to helping sellers make their lawn stand out, agents should watch out for damage or features that might deter potential buyers.

She said agents should be mindful of weeds, broken edging, broken fences, patchy lawns, or trees that could pose a potential hazard.

When it comes to getting lawns up to scratch, Kennedy said that home owners should start weeding and watering well ahead of selling the property, ideally three to six months prior.

“So it's lush, healthy, green, not patchy, no weeds coming through it, and that sort of stuff.”

“I wouldn't be the first agent who's gone in and weeded a yard … If I'm standing at an open home or 10 minutes before the open home, I'll walk around and just make sure I pick up anything in the ground or pull any weeds,” she said.

She added that during the marketing campaign, agents could require photographers to make minor touch-ups to the garden to highlight key features while still keeping the image realistic.

“Sometimes we'll ask our photographer to Photoshop the grass a little bit greener because we know that it's going to get watered before it goes on,” she said.

While vendors should primarily focus on their own garden, Kennedy said neighbours’ front lawns can also affect a property’s appeal, influencing whether buyers can picture themselves living in the area.

“It depends on how bad they are. If there are car yards in the yard, car bodies in the yard and unkempt lawns, it does have an effect on the whole street.”

“If I live next door to somebody like that and I wanted to sell, I would probably say, hey, can I pay for a gardener to come around and give your front yard a bit of a once over?”

Additionally, a garden’s appeal can be significantly boosted with seasonal flowers, and agents should advise sellers to consider which flowers will be in bloom during the selling period.

“Frangipani trees can look pretty woody and dull when they're not flowering, so if I had a lot of Frangipanis. I'd probably want to sell when it was flowering.”

Meanwhile, in summer, sellers need to consider that lawns grow faster and require more frequent mowing.

However, Kennedy said that regardless of the season, vendors should sell when they are ready, not wait until spring to make their garden look presentable.

“You just never know that there's going to be an interest rate hike while you're waiting for spring to turn up or that might affect the market.”

According to Domain’s chief of research and economics, Dr Nicola Powell, the findings revealed that green spaces helped to meet buyers’ needs for quality of life and environmental features.

“Greenery is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a clear economic advantage in today’s property market,” she said.

According to interior expert Neale Whitaker, greenery can transform a space and make a home feel welcoming and alive, whether it’s a leafy balcony, well-placed plants, or a landscaped garden.

“What’s great is that anyone can do it, regardless of location, property type or size. A touch of green can instantly elevate atmosphere and connection, making a home feel both more stylish and more liveable,” he concluded.

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