Here's how to make a garden add to your Sheffield property price

Adrian Richardson, from Roy Ashton Garden Services, joined us as estate agents stress the value of gardens. Ivan Fewtrell, Local Property Expert for Purplebricks in Sheffield, said: “Covid and the associated lockdowns have made many home owners rethink about their priorities.

"I have seen a distinct change in buying trends, with an uplift in demand for homes with larger and more desirable outside spaces.”

Adrian’s tips start with providing instant curb appeal. “Most vendors selling a property will give the back garden their full attention and they tend to neglect the importance of the front garden.

"Most buyers make up their mind whether to purchase or not, before they even step foot in the house, so creating that all important first impression is key. Think about planting bedding plants and shrubs that will produce a splash of colour throughout the year.

"Ornamental trees and shrubs will also provide a warm welcome to your front garden during the growing season.”

The firm has been maintaining gardens and grounds across Sheffield since 1976 and Adrian says it is important to get your lawn looking lush and weed free.

He said: “Lawns provide the main focal point of most gardens and a little bit of work prior to placing your house on the market will pay dividends.

"Sharpen your mower blades and cut your lawn at least once a week to keep it looking well manicured. A weed and feed treatment will kill back weeds and the fertiliser will help green up and thicken the grass within a few weeks of treatment.

"If you are placing your house on the market during the spring or autumn then scarifying will help to reduce the thatch and help drainage, which in turn will reduce the amount of moss. A lawn mower with a roller will provide attractive stripes and if possible they should run in the direction of the windows of the property.

"If your lawnmower doesn’t have a roller, then for smaller to medium sized lawns a yard brush can be dragged in opposite directions to create stripes. Using a strimmer or lawn edgers will create a sharp finish to the edge of your lawn.”

Adrian added keep hedges should be regularly trimmed. He said: “Hedges often provide privacy and security for houses. Depending on the hedge they will need to be cut regularly throughout the growing season to keep them looking neat and tidy.

"Often, if hedge trimming has been skipped, the hedges will have increased in width and height over the years. Cutting them back and even lowering them will increase the size of your garden, whilst also lowering maintenance. Just be mindful of keeping privacy from neighbouring houses that may have windows overlooking your garden as privacy is often high up on a potential buyers checklist.”

Another tip is to shape shrubs and separate them from running into each other. “This will instantly neaten up each shrub and create a more uniform and manicured look to your garden,” says Adrian.

"Try and cut shrubs before they come into flower and be careful around the colder months as trimming close to cold spells will make shrubs more susceptible to frost.”

Finally, maintain borders, driveways, paths and patios. “Borders and hard landscaped areas are prone to weeds making them look unkempt. Keeping weeds to a minimum will make a big difference to the overall look of your garden,” says Adrian.

"Remove weeds and self set plants from your borders and then put down a weed block membrane and cover with bark chippings or pebbles as this will reduce the number of weeds from growing back and therefore lower the amount maintenance that the garden will require. Driveways, paths and patios will also benefit from being jet washed and if necessary re-pointed to make them look newly installed.”

Find Roy Ashton Garden Services at www.RAGS1976.com or on Instagram as sheffield_gardener. Here are three properties on the market with Purplebricks with great gardens.