Garden preparation for auction campaigns.
The garden is often the first thing buyers see at auction. We prepare and maintain it for the entire campaign, timed to your photography and inspection dates.
Well Tended provides pre-sale garden preparation for residential auction campaigns in Melbourne's inner east: Toorak, South Yarra, Armadale, Malvern, Hawthorn and Kew. Programs are scheduled around your photography date and continue through every inspection until the auction. New clients begin with a complimentary on-site consultation. Call 03 9961 6078, Monday to Friday.
The garden is the first impression.
Most buyers form an opinion of a property before they reach the front door. The garden sets the tone. Mature trees, defined edges, healthy plants and a sense of care signal that the rest of the property has been looked after too.
A campaign is also unforgiving. Photography day looks good. Two open inspections later, the garden has dropped. We treat preparation as a programme, not a single visit: get it to peak for photography and hold it there through every inspection.
First impression. Then every impression after.
What pre-sale preparation covers.
Each campaign is structured around your photography date and the inspection schedule. Standard inclusions:
Garden intensive
- Deep pruning, deadheading and edge work
- Mulching to depth across all beds
- Selective replanting of bare or stressed patches
- Lawn dressing, fertilising and detail edging
- Hedge re-shaping if needed
Inspection-day top-ups
- Quick visit before each inspection to restore peak
- Weeding, deadheading, lawn dressing
- Path sweeping and bin presentation
- Bed touch-ups if any plants have struggled
Working with your campaign
- Aligned with your agent's photography date
- Scheduled around weekly and twilight inspection slots
- Coordinated with stylists and property managers
- Transition to recurring care after settlement
Properties that benefit from pre-sale preparation.
Pre-sale care suits properties where the garden is part of the value proposition.
Heritage and period properties
Victorian terraces, Federation homes, Edwardian gardens. The mature plantings are part of the property's story and need to look established, not unkempt.
Substantial family homes
Large grounds, formal hedges, lawns. Gardens that signal scale and care. We get them to peak and hold them there for the duration.
Boutique developments and renovations
New homes presented to market often have fresh but unestablished gardens. We work with what's there to make it look intentional and complete.
From first call to auction day.
Three steps from your initial enquiry to a garden that's at peak through every inspection.
Garden consultation.
We visit the property with you and your agent if helpful, walk the garden, identify what needs work and when, and align with your photography and inspection schedule.
Photography prep.
We do the intensive work in the week before photography: pruning, mulching, edge work, selective replanting, hedge shaping. The garden is at peak for the photographer.
Campaign maintenance.
Quick top-up visits before each inspection so the garden looks the way it did in the photos. After auction, we can transition to recurring care for new owners if requested.
Questions about pre-sale care.
Common questions from agents, stylists and vendors about preparing a garden for sale.
How early in the campaign should we start?
Two to three weeks before photography is ideal. That gives time for plants to respond to pruning, mulching to settle, and any remedial work to look natural by photography day. We can work faster if needed, but earlier is always better, especially for hedge work.
Do you work with the property's agent and stylist?
Yes. Most campaigns involve coordination across multiple parties. We work directly with your agent on photography and inspection timing, and with stylists if they're styling the exterior or coordinating presentation. One point of contact on the garden side keeps things simple.
What if the garden has been neglected?
We'll be honest about what's achievable. Two weeks isn't enough to undo two years of neglect, but it's usually enough to get a garden to a state that supports rather than detracts from the property. We'll tell you exactly what's possible at the consultation.
Can you continue after settlement for the new owners?
Often, yes. New owners frequently ask us to continue once they take possession, especially if they've inherited a heritage garden with formal elements. We transition seamlessly from campaign mode to a standard recurring program.
How is pre-sale care invoiced?
We invoice as a fixed campaign fee or per-visit, whichever suits the vendor. The consultation produces a written program with all costs clear upfront. No surprises at settlement.
Serving Melbourne's inner east
Garden, ready for the campaign.
Start with a no-obligation consultation. We'll walk the property with you and your agent, agree the program, and have the garden at peak for photography. If you're three weeks out from auction, now is the right time to call.
Request a garden consultationOr call 03 9961 6078 · Monday to Friday · 7:30 am to 5:00 pm