The Most Desirable Outdoor Plants That Increase House Interest
- 78% of buyers ranked hydrangeas as the most desirable front garden plants
- The second most admired plant are lilies, with 71% of votes
- Plants that contribute to feng shui are favoured, as six rank in the top 10
- Although exotic plants are aesthetic on the eye, buyers prefer low maintenance plants
Top 10 Outdoor plants – OnBuy’s Garden Furniture sector found that 67% of people are more inclined to view a house if the garden is up to scratch, as it means less work and better views. Following this information, they were keen to discover which outdoor plants make potential buyers more likely to purchase a house.
Surveying 3,400 people, OnBuy’s Garden Furniture sector presented images of 20 similar-looking houses with different plants in the front garden and asked respondents to rank the houses from most to least desirable. The most desirable front garden plants are as follows:
- Hydrangeas – 78%
- Lilies – 71%
- Lavender – 64%
- Shrub Roses – 57%
- Mimosa/Acacia dealbata – 51%
- Petunia – 42%
- Lilac dwarf flowerfest – 35%
- Buxus topiary – 28%
- Orchid – 23%
- Rosemary – 21%
Hydrangeas rank first, with 78% choosing them as most desirable! The bold flowers are perfect as the ever-changing blooms bring a new sense of character to the front garden. Although their gorgeous appearance can seem high maintenance, with the correct care, they are fairly easy to grow.
In second place are lilies; these minimal effort flowers caught the eye of 71% of potential buyers, who think it makes a home’s exterior more attractive. The flowers return year after year and require minimal care, so they’re definitely worth planting.
Lavender is the third most desired choice, with the fragrant flowering plant attracting 64% of respondents’ attention. The Mediterranean evergreen shrub repels bugs due to its fragrance and it’s easy to grow, as long as it is kept away from moist, wet areas.
Another popular choice was shrub roses as they bring a country feel to the home, ranking as the fourth most desirable front garden plant. Following them were mimosa/acacia dealbata in fifth (51%), petunia in sixth (42%) and lilac dwarf flowerfest in seventh (35%).
Feng Shui and Garden Plants
Interestingly, six out of the top 10 front garden plants are recommended by feng shui experts due to their positive effects on the home and body. It appears that Brits have jumped on the trend, as Feng Shui related google searches have increased by 1,450% in the last 12 months.
OnBuy’s Garden Furniture sector spoke to housing experts at SellHouseFast who described the importance of feng shui placement within the garden!
“Clutter is the biggest obstacle to the smooth flow of chi – without a clear space the flow is unbalanced and will not travel freely, reversing any feng shui progress made inside of your home. Although many people recognise the rules indoors, there are those who seem to neglect outdoor space where the principles of harmonising individuals with their surrounding environment are just as important.
Having the correct plants in the correct places is a major key to encouraging good energy into your life. Colourful plants are welcoming, and each colour has individual meaning so you must pay close attention when purchasing. For example, red can strengthen loving relationships, passion and desire, however it can also evoke bursts of anger and overstimulation if overdone.
It is important to encourage a large variety of plants in your front garden to balance out nature’s five elements, not letting one type outweigh another. The shapes and sizes of leaves, plants and spikes all contribute to different aspects of feng shui and are necessary to keep in mind when gardening.
Plants are proven to be a great addition to your home, even if they are outdoors. When decorating, you must take into account the five elements, types of plants and the directions of plant placement. OnBuy’s research shows plants that encourage good chi are favoured by potential house buyers, so it’s definitely something to dive deeper into!”
Buyer Preferences Survey Results
As we have been confined to our homes for months, more people than ever are discovering how important private outdoor space is to your home.
OnBuy found that 67% are more inclined to view a house if the garden is up to scratch and 1 in 5 believe it is among the most important features of a home!
When asking what they look for in a front garden, 53% stated that easily maintained plants are important as it can be difficult to keep on top of. Only 24% would be willing to upkeep their garden more than once per week.
Methodology
OnBuy asked 3,400 people to choose their top five favourite front garden flowers out of shrub roses, marigold, sweet asylum, hydrangea, ferns, buxus topiary, dwarf butterfly bush, lavender, boxwood, arborvitae, petunia, calibrachoa, acacia dealbata, acer palmatum, dwarf oriental thuja, lilac dwarf flowerfest pink, orchid, lily, pine tree and rosemary.
