Step Outside for Your Next Home

Spring and the start of summer are ideal times to start searching for your next property. The outdoor space is usually at its best, meaning you can see exactly what's achievable and choose the right home for you.

With the longer days and lighter nights, potential house-buyers are out in force. Choosing a home with the perfect outdoor space is often at the top of a wish list, and it can be easier to gauge how a home will suit you when the garden is in full bloom. Whether you're looking for a few acres of land or properties with wrought iron balconies, there are a number of factors you need to consider.

Which Way Does It Face?

There are some areas you can change or improve upon when it comes to the outdoor space, but you obviously can't alter the orientation of the garden. Therefore, you need to consider what you require prior to making a purchase. Otherwise you could get left with a garden that doesn't meet your needs. This is particularly crucial for smaller areas, as you don't want it to be permanently in the shade.

When you're viewing properties, think about when you'd prefer to have the sun in the garden and the times you're most likely to use it. Gardens facing south, south-east or south-west are ideal. They capture the majority of the day's sun and don't tend to have too many issues with shade or waterlogged areas.

The Size

The amount of space that you have available in your new property will affect what you can do with the area. You need to try to see through what's already there, especially if it's a mess, and consider how you can improve upon it. There are many ways of adding value to the property if there is the space available to do so. For instance, you could consider adding to the amount of interior space through an extension or conservatory. Alternatively, you could improve the outdoor areas by looking at wrought iron balconies. On second viewings, take a better look at how much space you have and what you could do to make it better for your family. Having some firm plans in place can help you distinguish between different properties and see which is the better option.

Foliage

Often property buyers are looking for privacy in their home, so they instantly gravitate towards homes that have large trees or hedges around them. However, these can also cause problems for properties, so you should be cautious when viewing. They can block out the light in rooms, making them darker and colder as well as causing damage to the structure of the property with their roots or falling branches. Trees can be costly to remove and some might be protected, so you shouldn't just assume you could chop it down.

If outdoor space is an important factor for you, then it's important that you factor this into your property search.