The first rule of buying a residential property, according to the professionals, is that of the three Ps — position, position, and position! Thereafter much depends on personal taste, fashion and whim, apart from practicalities such as size, layout, configuration and, of course, cost.

The kitchen is critical, as are bathrooms and toilets. These days open-plan is in, as is outdoor living. But from a seller’s point of view, what is really important in order to achieve near-to asking price relatively quickly in what is fast becoming a buyers’ market?

Pam Golding says unequivocally: "First impressions, of course."

Oddly enough, a lasting first impression can often be a wall. But beyond that is the all important garden, an often ignored asset when buyers compute value. Usually when you meet someone who can talk rands and sense about the cost of creating a garden they’ll have gone through the hoop of having bought a vacant plot and started one from scratch.

"Gardens sell houses," says Pam Golding emphatically. "The first thing I do when I get a house to sell is to look at the garden. Today relaxed living has become so important — open plan kitchens, family rooms onto covered patios to pools, all set off by a beautiful garden filled with trees, shrubs and flowers.

A garden for all seasons

There are, of course, all sorts of gardens, from informal and rambling through to landscaped and — very popular these days — indigenous. Herb gardens have become an integral part of the modern garden, while vegetables are making a comeback, usually planted in colourful harmony in flower beds.

Acclaimed Cape Town garden fundi June Commerell echoes Pam Golding's sentiments that gardens sell houses, but adds that the advent of high security walls has made a difference to both design and planting.

"For instance, plants near a high wall don’t enjoy the same air circulation as they would if the boundary was a traditional hedge."

She adds that no amount of money spent on garden design or content can make up for good soil preparation. “It’s absolutely vital,” she adds.

There is general agreement within the green industry that a really wonderful garden is worth 20 percent of the value of a residential property. In the United States, the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers states that well-maintained, mature, healthy trees, for example, can increase the value of your property by 25 percent!

Do you insure your trees?

Trees are so important that in the US homeowners insure them, as they do their homes. The value of trees has been quantified to the last centimetre for loss and damage.

Appraisers apply basic formulae based on trunk circumference, plus a species percentage rating. An additional value is also placed on feature or historic trees, and their location. There is a classic legal case in Virginia of one century-old black oak, the loss of which was accepted as being worth nine percent of the value of the total property!

In South Africa insuring gardens is virtually unheard of. Most householders’ policies include a clause which covers damage to trees, shrubs, plants and irrigation systems up to a maximum of R5000 — and then only if the damage is caused by fire or explosion. Brokers say that there is growing demand for commercial policies but, says one, "You’d have to get specialist cover, probably through Lloyd’s of London."

More than just a pretty face

Interestingly, trees can be worth more for the shade they provide. That’s because they help reduce temperatures in and around buildings. According to the US Forestry Department, three well-placed trees can cut air-conditioning costs by 10-15 percent. It is further claimed that properly placed shade trees can reduce energy consumption by as much as 30 percent!

Moreover, creating or improving a garden need not cost the earth (no pun intended), even if one uses a professional landscape architect.

Cape Town based designer Shane Shewan says: "There are a lot of advantages in using a professional landscape architect. You should really approach the issue of the garden as you would deal with the house architect. “We will draw up conceptions, fine tune them in discussions, check soils, create landscape development plans, design irrigation and drainage — and prepare and plant.”

Consulting the professionals

The Institute of Landscape Architects of South Africa (Ilasa) says: “Landscape Architects are trained to evaluate the natural characteristics of a site. This environmental expertise is unique among design consultants. It enables them to plan a site to make the most of its natural resources.”

Adds Shane Shewan: “Generally, the cost-to-value ratio of improving an existing garden within reasonable bounds can be as little as five percent — or around R40 a square metre, which is roughly equivalent to inexpensive tiling. For a more up-market job look at R200 a square metre. So if you take a home worth R2-million on a reasonably sized plot you could establish a really nice garden for R200 000, including a pool and paving.”


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