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If our tenants are to be believed, a bit of garden or outside space is high on the want list when renting. Upad-registered tenants said a picture of the garden was the second most important thing they wanted to see in an advert (top of the list was the living room). But gardening in a rented property can be a challenge. If the average tenant moves on after just 17 months (or 11 months in London), that’s hardly enough time to grow some mustard and cress on a flannel, never mind create a lush green outdoor space.
If you’re a tenant on a budget or a landlord trying to quickly spruce up the outside of a property before you show it, what do you do? Follow our top tips and you won’t go far wrong.
- Consider what you want to use the outside for. Be realistic and honest with yourself, especially about how much time will be spent on maintenance. If what you really want is somewhere to flop with a glass of wine at the end of a long day at work, then don’t create a high-maintenance space with lots of plants that need constant attention.
- Start with the furniture. If you’re going to want to lounge or eat outside, get your furniture first, especially if space is limited. Then you know how much space you have to play with for plants.
- Create instant colour. Use cheaper bedding plants to create instant gardens for very little money (yes, you can nick an idea or two from the local council!). Use beds or pots full of similar plants for stylish blocks of colour – or let things run riot with mixtures, which tend to be even cheaper.
- Invest in pots. Large plants in big, colourful pots can move house with you, so even if you do change property every year, you needn’t leave your garden behind.
- Grow edibles. You don’t need an allotment to grow your own dinner. Pots of herbs around a kitchen door make a beautiful, scented garden in a matter of weeks. But you needn’t stop there: lettuce grow in pots and cherry tomatoes make superb hanging baskets. If you have a little more room, beans will grow up canes planted in a pot and root vegetables can even be grown in well-cleaned dustbins.
James Davis - Upad
A guest post by James Davis, the CEO of Upad.co.uk, the UK’s leading online lettings agent. Upad lists your rental property on 100+ sites and portals – including Rightmove – for just £59: tenant guaranteed. Follow the Upad blog and on Twitter for rental industry news and tips for landlords on making the most of your properties
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I live in fulham and have a large roof garden. I have been growing vegetables for the past 10 years and am now self sufficient as far as veg is concerned. You can really use every inch of space if you plan well.