Making the most of your garden

There has been a rising appreciation for spending time outside and people are wanting to get as much use out of their gardens as possible. There are many different ways to use a garden, which will make living in your home more pleasant and provide opportunities for bonding with family and friends.

As people’s attitude towards gardens has changed over the last 15 years so has that of architects and developers.

Houses are no longer for the most part placed ten feet from the boundary as it used to be, but an effort is made to maximise garden space by designing two storey houses and/or adopting an L shape layout.

Living areas and verandahs are no longer placed along the road boundary, and are now orientated towards an internal patio providing increased privacy. Nowadays most homes place the kitchen, garage and such along the road boundary.

Garden increase the value of a home greatly. Hosting guests and gatherings mostly happens in the garden and not indoors like it used to be.

As bigger outdoor areas as wanted bigger plots of land are needed. Due to the cost of land, a good percentage of homeowners opt to move out of the central areas of towns and move to the periphery, where the land costs less.

The cost of a garden should be taken into consideration, both in terms of initial cost, as well as maintenance.

The most practical thing is to plant trees, such as olive, carob, pine trees and so on, which require little water and are not prone to serious diseased. They also require minimal maintenance.

Avoid the use of grass which requires a lot of water and maintenance and depending.

Besides planting, there are various other uses for your outdoor space.

A barbeque area is great fun. A sink and drainage will be necessary, plus electricity provision. For the more adventurous, there is the traditional oven, which costs approximately €600.

Those who have the space and the money, may wish to have a swimming pool. The cost to have a 4×12 metre pool is around €20,000. This includes the pool (€15,000), the patio around it (€4.000), a shower (€800) and a covered area. Note that if instead of a skimmer type pool, you opt for an overflow type, which looks nicer, this will cost around 50 per cent more. A pool smaller than 4×8 metres is not recommended, and the water depth should be around 1.80 metres and all one level, for safety purposes, especially for children. A diving board should be avoided.

Do not forget lighting for the garden, as well as sockets at intervals. You should budget for a cost of around €4.000 (including fittings).

More active residents may consider the following:

• A basic tennis court with an asphalt surface costs around €20,000 but bear in mind that it will need a plot of its own space wise.
• A basketball court with one basket is around 30-50 square metres, costing around €3,500 for a stone surface.
• Badminton is a game for all ages and a four-player court will would you around €250, whereas a small volleyball court for four to six people would cost around €500.
• An area to golf needs top quality grass or top quality plastic grass, with a cost of around €400.
• Lawn bowling is another option among other.

We hope this article gives you some ideas of how to utilise your garden space for yourself and to spend quality time with family and friends, as well as increase the value of your property.

Antonis Loizou & Associates EPE – Real Estate Valuers, Estate Agents & Property Consultants, www.aloizou.com.cy, [email protected]