It Pays to Improve - Not Move

House prices are said to be sliding again and some are saying Chancellor George Osborne’s  spending review will accelerate the market’s decline.

Even before the Chancellor announced his £81 billion cuts, property prices were coming under severe pressure. The prospect of nearly 500,000 public sector job losses will make things worse by increasing the number of distressed sales.

Last month mortgage lending hit its lowest level for a decade at just £12 billion, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders. This followed shock figures from Halifax showing a record 3.6 per cent drop in house prices in September, the biggest fall in 27 years.  So if ever there was a time to sit tight and ensure you exploit the full potential of the property you already own it’s now. 

"Improve, Don’t Move" has become a tired phrase but it still rings true for many home owners, who may be forced to opt out of the buying / selling chain but nonetheless need to ensure their current home really does tick all the boxes.  And it goes without saying, why move when you can gain extra living accommodation from your outdoor space!   Garden studios and outside offices continue to grow in popularity while decking and patio installations can provide a year round entertainment and / or safe play area.  Speak to us for details of how to design these new features into your existing garden landscape.

Remember, Remember the 5th of November

Many families still choose to celebrate Bonfire Night at home in the privacy of their own garden.  However, according to Environmental Protection UK , lighting up a bonfire should not be something that is done without careful thought and consideration for the environment.  Burning garden waste produces smoke – especially if the waste is green or damp. 

This will emit harmful pollutants including particles and dioxins causing air pollution.  Burning plastic, rubber or painted materials is even worse, since noxious fumes are created which can give off a range of poisonous compounds.  Air pollution can have damaging health effects, and people with existing health problems are especially vulnerable, e.g. asthmatics, bronchitis sufferers, people with heart conditions, children and the elderly.  In addition smoke, smuts and smell from bonfires have long been a source of a significant number of complaints to local authorities every year. Smoke prevents neighbours from enjoying their gardens, opening windows or hanging washing out, and reduces visibility in the neighbourhood and on roads. 

Allotments near homes can cause problems if plot holders persistently burn green waste, and leave fires smouldering. And of course there are important safety issues to consider, fire can spread to fences or buildings and scorch trees and plants. Exploding bottles and cans are a hazard when rubbish is burned. Finally piles of garden waste are often used as a refuge by animals, so look out for hibernating wildlife and sleeping pets before any matches are struck. 

 That said, and contrary to popular belief there are no specific byelaws prohibiting garden bonfires or specifying times they can be lit.  However, this is not a license for indiscriminate burning!  Here are some tips on how to enjoy a safe bonfire this Guy Fawkes!

 -         Warn your neighbours – they are much less likely to complain if you tell them in advance that you are planning a bonfire-

-         Only burn dry material

-         Never burn household rubbish, rubber tyres or anything containing plastic, foam or paint

-         Avoid lighting a fire in unsuitable weather conditions – smoke hangs in the air on damp, still days. If it is too windy, smoke blows into neighbours' gardens and windows and across roads

-         Avoid burning when air pollution levels in your area are high or very high. You can check air quality on 0800 556677 or at www.airquality.co.uk

-         Keep your fire away from trees, fences and buildings

-         Never use oil, petrol or methylated spirits to light a fire – you could damage yourself as well as the environment

Plan Now for Next Year's Dream Garden

Thinking about spending time in the garden may be the furthest thing from your mind as the winter weather sets in and the usual scramble of Christmas chaos starts to gather pace.  But if you are hoping to make some improvements to your outdoor space you really need to start planning this side of Christmas if you want the project completed in time for Spring 2011.

Before you meet with a designer to discuss your dream garden aspirations, you need to review the existing space and identify what you’d like to achieve from your outside living accommodation.  Here are some useful pointers to get yourthinking on track:

-    Ahead of any plotting out of what goes where, make a note of where the sun falls when, so you can plan a dining area in dappled shade; a sun-bathing area in full sun and a children's play area somewhere cool and sheltered

-    Think about privacy. Do you need to work in some tall planting or trellis somewhere so that neighbours can't see into your garden?

-    Will you need to put in an outside tap for a hosepipe? Or, perhaps, if you have kids, a hot tap will be handy, too, for the (few) times it's warm enough to fill up the paddling pool in the summer

-    Be realistic about what you can achieve in your garden if you have children and / or pets. There's little point in creating a splendid display of delicate flowers if you live in constant fear of it being destroyed by boisterous kids or a playful pet!

-    Ponds are probably a no no if you have young children due to the obvious safety hazard they represent - with an average of five children under the age of six drowning in garden ponds in the UK each year, according to RoSPA.  If you want water, you could instead consider a pebble pond or a water feature that has no water basin, thereby eliminating any risk to children

-    What storage will you need now and in the future? You should allow space for not just garden tools, but probably DIY tools, too. Plus, garden furniture, children's toys and bikes

-    Do you plan to do much entertaining in the garden?  Think about easy access to the kitchen and a dedicated ‘eating’ zone These are just a sample of some of the questions you need to ask yourself, for more ideas, advice and inspiration visit www.limeorchard.co.uk    

Improve - Don't Move?

Talking to The Telegraph at the end of July, TV property expert Phil Spencer reckons the property market is difficult to read right now “It is very difficult to fathom what is going on at the moment,” he says. “One set of stats says the market is going up and another says it’s going down. “Then you have to look at the year we have had so far. First, there was the snow, then the general election. Next, everyone said wait until the World Cup is over, then everyone said wait until the summer is over.

 “Clearly, the market overall is not going to be rising by 10, 15 or 20 per cent a year, like it has done in the past, but I do believe it will rise by small amounts, maybe two or three per cent a year.

“What this means, of course, is that owning a home is not, in itself, going to earn you enough money to move up to the next price bracket, to the next rung on the property ladder. You can’t just sit back and wait for your house to make you enough money to move on. You are going to have to take active steps to create that extra value for yourself.”  

One of the examples Phil cites as a way to add value to a property investment is to ‘bring the garden into the house … and to view the garden as another room’.   That means extending your indoor living accommodation quite literally to the space outside. According to Phil, transforming the garden into a welcoming outside room, can add two per cent to the house value.  Glass patio doors, outside lighting and a deck are all useful features to incorporate if you want to encourage a seamless transition from indoor to outdoor living – speak to a member of the Lime Orchard design team for more details.

Smart Thinking from Lime Orchard

Nottinghamshire residents will soon be seeing a lot more of Lime Orchard!  Always keen to demonstrate a refreshing new approach to business, we have invested in a customised Smart car sporting the funky bright Lime Orchard logo and will be operating from our head office, near Southwell.  The car, which we unveiled at the Flintham & District Ploughing Match – Agricultural & Horticultural Show (pictured below) and later at the Southwell Ploughing Match & Show in September, is a great example of innovative and highly memorable ambient advertising.

In addition to showcasing the new Smart car, we also exhibited at both shows, with our small but perfectly formed award winning BBC Gardeners’ World Live Show show garden (which won an RHS Commendation - the highest accolade achievable in its category).

Property owners in the region will have to keep their eyes peeled for the Lime Orchard Smart car on the road – a Chelsea Flower Show standard of garden design could be about to arrive in your street!

Gardens that Heal

This year’s RHS Show Tatton Park showcased a number of ‘therapeutic gardens’ - gardens which have been specifically designed to confer a therapeutic effect on the garden owner for whom it has been created.  Elisabeth Daly’s ‘Embracing Tranquility’ garden promoted healing and restoration. The design and colour scheme was calming yet rich and vibrant. A closer look revealed that every plant possessed some sort of healing power. If you want to improve the healing properties of your garden, we’ve taken a look at the top 10 medicinal plants for your outdoor space (according to the Alternative Medicine Zone web site):

1. Aloe Vera
This plant boasts 101 uses including offering effective treatment for minor burns, cuts, eczema and for reducing inflammation. The bottom stalk of aloe vera provides  a soothing balm which can be directly applied to the skin.  Aloe vera can also be taken internally as an aloe vera juice to treat digestive problems, ulcerative colitis, chronic constipation and poor appetite.

2. Great Burdock
This stunning plant with its purple and green thorny flowers, is also known as Edible Burdock or Lappa Burdock and is used as a root vegetable. Referred to in traditional medicine, the Great Burdock is used as a blood purifying agent, a diuretic and a diaphoretic. Other uses for this medicinal plant include boils, rashes, bruises, burns, acne, ringworm and bites.

3. Pot Marigold
Pot Marigold can help heal bites, stings, sprains, sore eyes, wounds and even varicose veins. When taken internally, this medicinal plant can be used to treat chronic infections and fever.

4. Chamomile
Chamomile can help treat more than 100 separate ailments and conditions including the common cold, digestive problems, diarrhea, eczema, gastrointestinal conditions,  toothache, earache, shoulder pain and basic wounds.

5. Echinacea
The legendary healing powers of the Echinacea plant make it a handy medicinal plant to include in the garden.  It has a wide array of uses, including the treatment of sores, burns, wounds, allergy relief, insect bites, stings and snakebites. It also has the ability to help relieve allergies by strengthening the immune system.

6.  Great Yellow Gentian
This medicinal plant is actually a bitter herb which is used in traditional medicine, and its main function includes the treatment of digestive problems. It also aids the relief of exhaustion from chronic diseases, by stimulating the gall bladder and liver while at the same time strengthening the body.

7. Tea Tree
Renown for its healing properties, tea tree oil comes from the leaves and twigs of the tea tree plant. It has a great many uses, including the treatment of acne,  athlete’s foot, warts, insect bites, cold sores, minor burns, thrush and chronic fatigue syndrome.

8. Peppermint
The remedial properties of Peppermint have been well documented.  Naturally rich in vitamins A and C and manganese, it helps reduce a number of symptoms including irritable bowel syndrome, upset stomachs, fevers, flatulence and spastic colon.

9. Ginseng
Ginseng is hugely popular in eastern countries but is being increasingly recognized in the UK for its ability to promote general health (instead of just being useful for a particular type of ailment.) It’s the root of the ginseng which is particularly useful in relaxing the nervous system. It also helps reduce cholesterol levels, improve your immune system and stamina, and helps treat lack of appetite and sleep disorders.

10. Sage
Sage is a great salve for insect bites, skin infections, gum infections and mouth infections. It can also help with indigestion, flatulence, depression and even menopausal problems.

Courting Kerb Appeal

September often marks a window of opportunity in the property market, capitalizing on the period when the mayhem of summer is over and the chaos of Christmas still looms in the future.  If you are thinking of putting your house on the market, remember the importance of ‘kerb appeal’ if you want your property to attract potential buyers. 

Initial impressions really do matter so if the first feature that catches a prospective purchaser’s eye is an unkempt front garden, scruffy path and battered gate – there is a good chance they may just drive on!  Property Ladder TV presenter Sarah Beeny advises "Imagine if the garden was over run with brambles and there was rubbish blocking the pathway. First impressions count for a lot. A bad appearance can do a lot of damage." It doesn't take a great deal of effort to change this though, Sarah suggests

 "However small the space is, add some greenery. You don't need a big garden to plant a creeper, and houses look beautiful with plants trailing up them. And you can easily make window boxes yourself. Just paint a plastic planter and plant it with some draping ivy. Landscaped beds with colourful planting and box hedges set off the front of a house; or for smaller spaces, such as either side of the front door, think about investing in some planters with box topiary.” 

Why not talk to a member of our design team to find out how you can enhance your property’s kerb appeal!