Out There Blog

A private pool is no longer a rarity and, strangely, nowhere is this more evident than in Central London where there has been a huge increase in demand at all levels of the market.

Stuart Overington of Rainbow Pools notes:

In the past five years we've seen a tremendous surge in interest. We're not talking about the kidney shape pools you look down on when you land at Gatwick. Our London clients are very design and engineering-led. They want something sympathetic to their existing architecture, which will add to, rather than detract from, the value of their property.

Continue reading "Splash out with a pool at home" »

Posted by at 02:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Investing a little time in tending your garden can really pay dividends when you come to sell your home, according to the latest research by propertyfinder.com.  Home buyers and sellers believe that a garden can add as much as 17% to the value of a property – on an average property this is an excess of more than £35,000.

Gardens really add to a property’s appeal, and it is not just families who desire outside space.  57% of all people rate a garden as essential in their choice of a property, whilst a further 26% said it was highly preferable.  Only 3% of people would rather not have a garden of any kind.
 

Continue reading "Property values enhanced by outside space" »

Posted by at 03:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

60% of Britain's home owners could be undervaluing the potential benefit of a well-maintained garden that could add up to £30,000 for the average home, according to a national survey commissioned by Flymo Love Your Lawn Week.

Nick Leeming, our resident property expert says that simply having a garden will on average, increase the value of the property by up to 15%, and there is a huge green value bonus available to most home owners.

Vendors need to be aware that first impressions count when selling a property. Propertyfinder.com has found that 66% of house hunters are most attracted by well tended gardens.

Continue reading "Britons turn out a large potential house price bonus" »

Posted by Bronwyn at 02:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With the first signs of spring here there's probably one thing that will inevitably top most of our 'to do lists', and that's to have a barbecue!

Quite simply, BBQs mark the start of finer weather but how do you make sure yours goes with a sizzle?

Continue reading "It's Barbecue Time!" »

Posted by at 01:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Going by the recent spell of sunshine we’ve seen over the past week, it’s fair to say that warmer weather is just around the corner, and with the lighter evenings what better time to get back in the garden and revitalise the place.

March is the perfect time for ‘springing’ life back in to the garden by planting early flowering shrubs, clearing out the pond and of making up hanging baskets.

It’s also a time for maintenance so don’t forget to cut back last year’s rose stems, dead head daffodils by removing all faded flowers and clear up the borders whilst turning the soil.

Continue reading "Essential Garden Maintenance Tips & Advice" »

Posted by at 02:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The advent of spring always marks a busy time for the vegetable gardener.

As the temperatures slowly rise, it becomes possible to plant a selection of seeds direct in their growing positions, meaning you are spared the effort of growing on, hardening off and transplanting seedlings. Direct-sown plants need regular weeding and care.

Continue reading "Plot to plate" »

Posted by Bronwyn at 05:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Continue reading "One-pot gardener" »

Posted by Bronwyn at 02:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Too many people assume that the garden closes down at this time of year, but late autumn is when a whole different aspect begins to come to life. Shrubs and climbers that look insignificant in summer offer winter displays of flowers, fruit and bark and are frequently set off by a fragrance that is emphasised by the winter sun.

In milder months, try Camellia Sasanqua ‘Narumigata’ with its white, pink-tinted cup flowers. Enjoy the fragrance but check your soil type before planting. Wintersweet (Chimonanthus Praecox) offers scented yellow flowers on willowy stems and resembles the later flowering Forsythia that will follow it in the early spring. Witch Hazel (choose Hamamelis Mollis Pallida), shows a similar display of scented flowers on bare branches, and has further splendour in autumn when the leaves turn a bright yellow.

Continue reading "Create a winter wonderland in your garden" »

Posted by Bronwyn at 02:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you are in the market for a garden shed or happen to have a bit of an obsession, then you have to visit www.readersheds.co.uk - the ultimate site for shed heads. People post images of their own sheds, describing features and the origins and other sheddi vote and comment on what they see. Some of them are quite funny like this:

My relationship with my shed has led me to believe it actually has feelings because one cold and windy night I was sure I heard it communicate in its own rattley way with the neighbours wooden shed which is just the other side of the fence. All we heard all night was clanking and rattling followed by the creaking of the neighbours in some sort of reply. I am positive that if it was not for the obstacle of the fence that Mr Rattler would be up for it and we would then be the proud owners of a mixed material shed.

Posted by Bronwyn at 05:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)