Fourways homes verge on greatness

These were Dalveen Brophy of Cedar Lakes and Pat and Tim Spiller of Fairfield Residential Estate. There were also awards for the best complex verges which went to Castellet Estate in Broadacres and Abbington Estate in Magaliessig.

Pam Golding Fourways said when sellers put their home on the market, they usually devoted a lot of time to making their house look appealing to prospective buyers. Yet they often neglect to devote attention to the outside too, forgetting that a well-kept garden can make a world of difference to how quickly they can sell their house, and indeed what price a prospective buyer would pay for it.

“A beautiful garden puts people’s minds at ease, showing prospective buyers that the property as a whole has been taken good care of,” said Jason Shaw, branch manager of Pam Golding Fourways.

The property company holds the verge competition at the end of each year for homes and suburbs spanning from Sunninghill to North Riding.

The Spiller’s who were one of the winners in the home category said they emphasised features such as bird-feeders and wind chimes, and planted only indigenous plants in their garden. They believe that a great garden needn’t cost a fortune. “All the plants in our garden and on our verge are from cuttings which friends gave us,” Pat said. “You can also make very attractive features from inexpensive elements like rocks and pebbles.”

Janine Kusters, a trustee of the Home Owner’s Association of Abbington Estate which was one of the winners of the complex category, said the recipe for an impressive garden or verge was good planning, working closely with your gardening team and a bit of creativity. “There should be a nice mix between the colours, heights and types of plants and flowers planted and layout is key,” she said. “Keep it simple, you don’t have to spend too much to achieve results.”