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. » Read more: Garden Style Can Make You Money