Believe it or not but the way that you design your garden can actually make you money.
Actually that is only when you come to sell your house! If, like millions, you are worried about your property during the credit crunch, Yorkshire Bank has an encouraging new report showing that adding style to your garden can add something else - up to £9,000 in value.
A recent survey discovered than even in this economic climate, homebuyers without a garden are willing to pay a lot more to acquire one.
First-time buyers would, on average, be willing to budget for an extra £4,000 to clinch a property with a private space, while established homeowners would find an additional £12,000.
People in their forties seem to value a garden the most and (generally speaking) those living in the South-east.
People in the North-East, North-west and Scotland show the least desire to pay extra for green space.
But it has to be quality outdoor space.
If you want to increase your house price via your garden, the minimum you need to deliver is a well-maintained lawn (laying new turf if yours is a bit bald and bare) and either solid and well-kept fencing or ugly walls and fences hidden behind plants and climbers.
For maximum impact it's good to chose a particular colour theme that gives a sense of unity to the garden and to invest in some high-quality furniture (remember, you get to take that with you, it's the impression that it gives that you're striving for).
You may want to add a gazebo or summerhouse to show your prospective buyer that the garden counts as another 'room' because the British have such an affinity with their greenery that being able to sit in the midst of it is something that we are prepared to pay for.