Upcycling ideas for your garden
Adding new plants to an outdoor space can make the home feel more inviting and appealing.
Now that summer is here, sellers could make their outdoor spaces more appealing to potential buyers by staging their outdoor spaces with upcycled décor items.
Not only does upcycling reduce waste, but it also aids in cutting costs when redecorating.
For those who want an eco-friendly project to tackle, RE/MAX of Southern Africa shares a few ideas on how to breathe new life into old household items by giving them a thrifty makeover for the garden.
• Salvage old ladders in place of a pergola or trellis
Shaded outdoor entertainment areas can add immense value to any home, but these additions do not need to cost a fortune.
Old wooden ladders or even palette wood can be repurposed into an overhanging pergola-type structure that would need to be suspended from or fastened to supported wooden poles.
Plant some climbing or trailing plants that grow overtop to create natural shade. Just be sure that the addition is structurally sound and well-built; a poorly built structure could otherwise decrease the resale value of the home.
Also read:Â How to downsize your garden
• Get creative with pot plants
Adding new plants to an outdoor space can make the home feel more inviting and appealing to buyers.
But, plants can be expensive, so why not place them into pots so that you can take them with you after you sell them?
The pots themselves can also be pricy (especially the large terracotta pots) so get creative and repurpose the items you probably otherwise would have thrown away.
For example, if you have too many material shopping bags, these are great to repurpose into pot plants and offer good ventilation and draining for the plants to flourish.
You could also repurpose old yoghurt tubs or ice cream tubs into quirky pots by giving them a coat of paint, cutting a few holes in the bottom and adding a few large stones to help with drainage.
• Recycle some outdoor furniture
Used wooden pallets can be upcycled in so many unique ways to create beautiful outdoor furniture sets – just look to social media for some inspiration and how-to videos if you are a DIY enthusiast.
You could also repurpose that old spare tyre as a garden swing before you take it to the local landfill. A strong branch and some rope are all that is needed.
Also read:Â Resident embraces vertical gardening
• Where to find materials for upcycling
There are several places to find items to upcycle into your garden decor at an affordable price or even for free.
Start by looking within your own home. Before throwing anything away, think about how it could be repurposed.
Packaging waste can often easily be repurposed into great pots or garden decorations.
One person’s trash could also be another person’s treasure, so look at online marketplaces to find unwanted items at low costs.
Sometimes, you can even find things to upcycle for free if you’re simply able to collect them from the person looking to get rid of them.
