Beautiful garden and home value : up to +43 % in Belgium (study)

What studies say: the quantified added value of a garden

The Immoweb study 2024: up to +43% in Belgium

The most solid Belgian reference to date is theImmoweb study 2024, conducted by hedonic method onmore than 50,000 housesput up for sale in the 12 major Belgian cities (Antwerp, Mechelen, Leuven, Bruges, Ostend, Ghent, Charleroi, Mons, Liège, Hasselt, Namur and the Brussels-Capital Region) since March 2020. Key figures:

The study also reveals marked geographical disparities:the percentage impact is stronger in dense Flemish cities like Bruges and Ghent, where large gardens are rare. In Brussels, the percentage impact is more moderate, butthe absolute impactis the highest in the country, because the price per m² is by far the highest.

The Best Agents study: proximity to a park increases the price

On the French side, theBest Agents study from October 2021covering the 11 largest cities in France completes the picture regardingthe proximity of a green space, even when there is no private garden:

• On average, a flat located5 minutes' walk from a park or gardensells3.3% morethan an equivalent property further away from a green space.

• In Bordeaux, Lille and Toulouse, the gap rises to+12%, +11% and +10.3% respectively.• 78% of French people who wish to move prefer a home closer to nature (post-Covid).

•        78 % des Français qui souhaitent déménager privilégient un logement plus proche de la nature (post-Covid).

Mature trees: +7% validated by scientific research

Academically, ameta-analysis published in the journal Ecological Economics(Siriwardena et al., 2016, US Forest Service) encompassing 21 American studies confirms a finding repeated for thirty years: the presence of mature trees on a residential property increases its valueby 7% on average, with optimal tree cover around 30% of the plot. Beyond that, the effect plateaus or decreases (the shade becomes excessive).

This data also applies in Belgium: a large oak, a lime tree or an adult beech on the plot is a valuable asset. It takes40 to 60 years to grow— this is exactly what makes it rare and desirable. Practical consequence:before any felling, have the tree assessed.. Cutting down a healthy tree can destroy several thousand euros of property value.

And according to Belgian estate agents?

In a survey byLa Libre Immo, two Brussels agents specialising in high-end properties — Aymeric Stévenart fromRenaissance Properties(Woluwe-Saint-Lambert) and Jean Houtart fromViviers Properties— converge on two points:

• "A house without a garden sells very poorly" in the Belgian market.

• A valued garden can increase the sale priceby up to 20 %for mid to high-end properties — the exact value depends on the consistency with the built environment and the quality of the layout.

• The ideal size of an urban garden in Brussels is, according to them, between6 and 10 ares (600 to 1,000 m²). Beyond that, the garden can start to weigh on the decision (fear of maintenance). In the provinces, in Namur or Brabant Wallon, they rather talk about20 to 30 ares.

Why does the garden weigh so much in the buying decision?

The figures alone are not enough to explain the mechanism. What happens during a property visit largely relates to thepsychology of decision-making.. Three factors are documented.

1. The first 90 seconds: the "curb appeal"

Home staging professionals talk about"curb appeal"— the attractiveness of the property from the street. A recent study summarises the phenomenon:the first impression forms in 7 to 10 secondsas soon as a buyer gets out of their car, and the overall decision to like or not like a property crystallises in90 seconds. The garden, or its absence, is often the very first element perceived — especially when it borders the entrance.

An unkempt lawn, dead leaves, a dilapidated garden shed, tools lying around, a messy hedge: all these elements send a very powerful psychological signal —"the house is not maintained". And the buyer will extrapolate: if the exterior is neglected, what is behind the walls?

2. Emotional projection

A French study cited by home staging professionals establishes that80% of buyers cannot project themselves into an empty or overly personalised property. The role of a well-prepared garden is exactly that:to offer easily imaginable usage scenes— a friendly dining area, a terrace for morning coffee, a lawn for the children, a reading nook under a tree. These are not spaces that are looked at: they are spaces that one mentally appropriatesin a few seconds.3. Proof of maintenance

A well-kept garden is

the most visible and immediate signalthat a property is well maintained. It is more effective, in terms of impression, than an energy performance certificate or a serviced boiler report. Conversely, an abandoned exterior makes the buyer fear hidden defects inside — often wrongly, but doubt sets in. qu’un bien est entretenu en profondeur. C’est plus efficace, en termes d’impression, qu’un certificat PEB ou qu’un dossier de chaudière révisée. Inversement, un extérieur abandonné fait redouter à l’acheteur des défauts cachés à l’intérieur — souvent à tort, mais le doute s’installe.

Garden staging: preparing the garden for sale

Thegarden staging— the equivalent of home staging applied to exteriors — is not renovation. It is atactical and temporary preparationof the garden before putting it on the market, designed to maximise the impact of listing photos and the first viewings. The aim is not to redo everything, but toreveal the existing potentialand eliminate what hinders the decision.

What budget for what ROI?

French professionals in the sector agree on the following order of magnitude:

• Garden staging budget:0.5% to 1.5%of the sale price of the property (depending on the extent of the work and the initial condition of the garden).

• For a property at €600,000 (typical in Brabant Wallon), this represents a budget of€3,000 to €9,000.

• Average ROI observed by home/garden staging professionals:3 to 5 times the initial investment, mainly throughreduction of the selling timeandlimiting downward negotiations(typically 1-3% instead of 5-10% discount).

According to the French agency VIP Immo,a prepared property sells on average in 19 days compared to 50 to 70 days for an unvalued property.. On a property at €600,000, saving two months of carrying costs already represents €4,000 to €6,000 in expenses (loan interest, taxes, energy) — not to mention the psychological cost of a sale that drag on.

The 7 high-impact actions, ranked by ROI

Here is the order in which we proceed when a client calls us to prepare a garden before sale. From least expensive to most structural.

1.Deep cleaning and decluttering.Mow the lawn, trim the hedges, weed the flower beds, clean the patios (pressure washer), remove damaged garden furniture, tidy the tools, remove toys and overly personalised decorative items (statues, gnomes, Buddha). This isthe item with the highest ROI: almost no cost, maximum visual impact.

2.Renewal of potted plants and borders.A few flowering perennials, potted grasses, clean filled planters. Prefer plantswith long-lasting and resilient blooms(lavenders, panicle hydrangeas, perennial geraniums, sedum). Budget: €200 to €800.

3.Staging a terrace or living area.A neutral garden lounge, a parasol, an open book on a sun lounger, coordinated cushions. This isthe usage scenethat helps the buyer to envision themselves. If you do not have the appropriate furniture,renting for the duration of the sale is an economical option(€200-400/month for a complete set).

4.Repair of the driveway and entrance threshold.The access path is the very first element seen. A few loose paving stones, weeds between the joints, an empty planter next to the door: all negative signals. Re-pointing an existing path costs €200-500; replacing a dated mailbox, €50.

5.Hide what needs to be hidden.Visible electric meter, bins, rainwater tank, outdoor air conditioner: to be concealed with wooden screening panels, reed screens, or a temporary green veil. Investment: €100-400.

6.Pruning and structural trimming.A geometrically trimmed hedge, neatly pruned trees, a readable garden silhouette: this is what transforms a garden from 'neglected' to 'managed'. For a standard garden in Brabant Wallon, expect€400 to €1,200for a complete intervention by a landscaping team.

7.Minor structural work if necessary.Repairing a wooden terrace, sanding and staining a garden shed, painting a gate. This is the most variable item depending on the initial condition: €500 to €3,000 depending on needs. Beyond that, we enter into renovation, which generally does not pay off before the sale.

Mistakes to avoid before selling

•        Engaging in heavy renovation of the garden.A joint Immoweb-ImmoPass study in Wallonia showed thatit is not profitable to renovate a property just before selling it.: you typically have to wait 5 years to recoup the investment. This also applies to the garden. You prepare, refresh, stage — but you do not redo a complete landscaping project 3 months before the sale.

•        Oversizing the plantings.A garden that is too dense, too bushy, too well-maintained can scare off the buyer who imagines the maintenance burden. Sobriety reassures more than abundance.

•        Cutting down a large tree to 'clear the view'.A mature oak or lime tree represents up to 7% of the property's value (meta-analysis Ecological Economics). To be assessed before any felling.

•        Forgetting the listing photo.90% of property searches start online; the main photo determines 90% of the click-through rate. Photograph the gardenat the right time of day(soft light in the late afternoon in summer, golden light in the morning) andat the right time of year(June for hydrangeas, September for grasses). If the sale coincides with a bad time, have the photos taken in advance and keep them for the listing.

•        Neglecting the outside in winter.A sale between November and February is a challenge: fallen leaves, bare branches, wet terrace. This is precisely where astructured garden— evergreen hedges, topiaries, blue stone structures — makes a difference. If you know you will be selling in 6 to 12 months, this is also an argument for investing in evergreens.

Specific cases depending on your situation

You have a large plot (over 1,000 m²)

According to the Immoweb study, this is where the potential added value is the highest (+17% to +28%). But the large plot also carries arisk of maintenance impression.Strategy: maintain a very well-kept area close to the house(impeccable lawn, structured flower beds), and leave the distant areas in amore free management— meadows mown once a year, groves — which suggest a realistic maintenance, not a permanent chore.You have a small city garden (less than 100 m²).

Structure takes precedence over vegetation. A clean blue stone terrace, a carefully painted or green wall, two or three large pots with structured plants (olive trees, grasses, panicle hydrangeas in pots), discreet lighting: that’s enough. Don’t try to recreate a miniature park — you will saturate the space and drive away the buyer.

You are selling

transparency). On site, take care of the persistent elements: neatly trimmed hedges, cleaned terrace, pots filled with winter cyclamen or heather, warm lighting for evening visits.You have time before selling (12 to 24 months).

This is the ideal situation. With 12 to 24 months of visibility, one can

plant mature evergreens(hornbeam hedges, trimmed yews, grass beds) and achieve a stabilised structural effect at the time of sale. It’s also the right time to invest in blue stone for the terrace — which will be a strong visual argument in the listing, and an investment that ages gracefully even if you change your mind and stay in the house. (haies de hêtre carpinifolié, ifs taillés, massifs de graminées) et obtenir un effet de structure stabilisé au moment de la vente. C’est aussi le bon moment pour investir dans une pierre bleue pour la terrasse — qui sera un argument visuel fort dans l’annonce, et un investissement qui vieillit dignement même si vous changez d’avis et restez dans la maison.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should you invest in a garden before selling?

Between0.5% and 1.5% of the selling pricefor a classic garden staging. Beyond that, you enter into landscape renovation, which does not pay off in less than 5 years according to Belgian studies. For a house priced at €500,000, the useful budget is between €2,500 and €7,500.

How long before the sale should you start?

Ideally,3 to 6 months before going on the market. This allows time for new plantings to take root, for reseeded lawns to settle, and for structural interventions (hedge trimming, pruning) to heal. An intervention 2 weeks before viewings is too late — potted plants are of course useful at any time, but planted shrubs appear "young" for several months.

Should you hire a landscaper or do it yourself?

For cleaning, decluttering, and staging: doable by yourself in 2 to 4 days of work. For structural pruning, trimming, plant selection, and especially forthe diagnosis of the strengths and weaknesses of the existing garden: a landscaper brings real added value. Aconsultation visit of 1 to 2 hoursis often enough to identify high ROI actions. Here, it's a format we regularly offer to homeowners in Brabant Wallon or Brussels who are preparing for a sale.

What to do with an elaborate landscaped garden that took 10 years to build?

A truly landscaped garden isa strong selling point.— provided you enhance it. Have it photographed at the peak of the season, mention it explicitly in the advertisement ("garden designed by a landscape architect"), prepare a smallpresentation filewith the list of main species and the required care. This is the type of element that creates a love at first sight and limits negotiation.

And what if I sell to a developer or a buyer who is going to demolish everything?

In that case, garden staging has little interest — you are selling the land, not the building. Just ensure minimal cleaning to avoid giving the impression of an abandoned plot. The enhancement will rely on other levers (buildability, urban planning, viability).

Conclusion: the garden as a rational lever, not as an emotional expense

The most common mistake is tooverspend for the exit— completely redo a terrace, replant large trees, create a fountain. What works commercially is the exact opposite of the grand landscaping project: cleaning, staging, readable structure, signs of good maintenance. The figures are there: a measured budget (1% of the sale price) well spent results in a selling time reduced by 2 to 3 and a limited discount — equivalent to 3 to 5 times the investment. : nettoyage, mise en scène, structure lisible, signaux de bon entretien. Les chiffres sont là : un budget mesuré (1 % du prix de vente) bien dépensé, c’est un délai de vente divisé par 2 à 3 et une décote limitée — soit l’équivalent de 3 à 5 fois la mise.

If you live in La Hulpe, Lasne, Rixensart, Uccle, Watermael-Boitsfort, Tervuren or elsewhere in Walloon Brabant or the southern outskirts of Brussels, and you are considering selling within 6 to 24 months, aconsultation visitHaving a landscape architect on site is probably the best first euro invested. It allows for prioritising actions, avoiding unnecessary expenses, and framing a realistic budget before putting the property on the market.

Are you preparing to sell a property?

We offer a garden staging consultation visit tailored to your project: audit of the existing garden, identification of actions with the highest ROI, detailed intervention plan, and coordination with your estate agent if you wish. For high-end properties in Brabant Wallon and the south of Brussels, we regularly work with specialised local agencies.