Whether you’re looking to revamp your garden with a splash of colour or embark on a total landscaping project, enhancing the overall look of your outdoor living space can do great things for the value of your property. A well-maintained garden can add a huge 20% to its overall selling price, and the more money you spend the greater the outcome.

If you are going for a full makeover, it makes good sense to hire a professional landscape gardener. Not only will handing the job over to an expert save you time and stress, they’ve got all the skill and know-how necessary to create something that will look fantastic for years to come. A good landscape designer will also work with you to assess your requirements and create a mood board based on your personal tastes and lifestyle, suggesting plants that fit in with how much time you have for maintenance. They will also be able to conduct site surveys to assess any potential difficulties that may prove costly further down the line, as well as getting the project finished on time and to budget.

Here are some of the most popular landscaping ideas for creating gardens with the wow factor:

• Al fresco kitchen areas. Much more impressive than a BBQ area, a separate outbuilding with its own kitchen and dining space is a great way to attract buyers.

• Arbors create a cosy, warm outdoor living space that is particularly popular in urban areas. Decorate with fairy lights and plants and add some comfy, colourful seats for added luxury.

• Terraced areas are perfect for extending your living space and creating another area in which you can relax and entertain outdoors.

• Water features remain a popular design choice for landscape gardens and can help create a feeling of tranquility and relaxation. Small fountains and ponds are particularly attractive to house hunters looking at properties in built up areas, because they create a sense of being close to nature that’s rare to find in the city.

Think of your garden as another room and take care of in the same way as you would the rest of your home. Make sure the grass is tidy and the whole area is clean, neat and welcoming.

Most people tend to view properties outside of working hours, so especially in the darker months it makes good sense to invest in some garden lights to make the area look attractive and inviting. Take care of weeds, sweep up and add some extra little touches and you’ll be well on the way towards attracting a sale.

You can make your garden look more attractive yourself by just adding pots and planters and a few fairy lights, but if it’s a big and complex project you’re considering it’s almost always best to go with a professional landscaping service.