Fake grass deters property buyers - claim

Fake grass can impact the value of a vendor’s property and turn off prospective buyers, Winkworth claims.

In a gardening special, the agency franchise brand’s Property Exchange Podcast reveals that fake grass, apart from its aesthetic and environmental impact, may even damage a property.   

Charles Erwin, of Winkwoth Notting Hill, told the podcast: “It’s on the way out. On roof terraces, we have found that it could be a nightmare as it acts like a sponge and sucks up water, which then leaks into your house, causing roof damage. 

“The day of the mindless garden with just a roll of easy grass is gone. It’s also difficult to keep clean. For those selling,  it is better to stage the garden properly for sale with planting, pots and furniture.  The house is likely to receive more traction than an uninteresting garden with fake grass.”

London garden designer Joanna Archer also told the podcast: “We are seeing a huge shift away from these very minimalist sterile gardens, with wall to wall paving, artificial grass and little rows of lollipop trees. 

“The Society of Garden Designers campaign ‘Say No To Plastic Grass and Plants’ is making people think about their fake grass. We have removed it from clients’ gardens. One client still wanted to keep a cricket pitch so we replaced the fake with a good hard-wearing turf with a mixture of grass species. Another client has asked for the fake lawn to be ripped up and placed with whimsical planting of soft borders, grasses and perennials.”

She added: “People are really embracing gardens as a space not just for themselves but for wildlife too. If the garden is filled with plants and birds and buzzing bees, you going to feel so much better sitting in it. People love having meadows in their London gardens, using wild flower turf. It springs to life and is full of colour and you only have to cut it once a year.”

In the smartest districts of the capital, a view over a leafy garden square is the London equivalent of the sea view, said Winkworth’s chief executive Dominic Agace. 

He told the podcast: “A house on one of the larger and historic squares with a view over the garden will go for a significant premium and they are a pretty safe asset. The garden square is definitely the jewel in the crown of London property.”

The latest episode is on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-property-exchange/id1569362828?i=1000656353507