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4 August 2016
Major Makeovers Planned for Aussie Gardens, Houzz Survey Finds
A desire for outdoor living drives Australian landscape design


Australians’ love affair with entertaining and the outdoors shows no signs of slowing, with 93% of homeowners making substantial updates or completely overhauling their landscaping projects, according to the 2016 Houzz Australia Landscape Trends survey of more than 1,700 Australian homeowners using Houzz who are in the midst of, planning, or recently completed an outdoor project.
Houzz Inc., the world’s largest platform for home renovation and design, found that outdoor living is the top design priority among outdoor renovators (55%), with 79% reporting that they now enjoy spending more time outside as a direct result of their upgrades. Relaxing (79%), entertaining (64%) and eating (63%) are the other top increases in uses of the newly landscaped spaces. While gardening remains a top activity1 (59%), more than three-quarters opt for gardens that are easy-to-maintain (77%)

To further enhance time spent outdoors, homeowners who are renovating their outdoor space, are investing in outdoor products such as outdoor furniture (54%), barbecues (45%), benches (32%), fire pits (30%), built-in seating (28%) and patio heaters (21%). Of those who incorporate lighting in the renovation of their outdoor space, 75% say they do so to illuminate features and create a better ambiance, while 67% say they want to create a more enjoyable and relaxing space.

Significantly, the survey also reveals that for the 87% of homeowners updating their outdoor systems during their outdoor renovations, sprinklers and irrigation systems are leading the way (41%). LED lighting, composting and rainwater harvesting are other popular system upgrades (38%, 31% and 28% respectively).

“Two-thirds (66%) of outdoor renovators spend more than four hours a week in their gardens, motivating them to invest in major features that transform the outdoors into additional living spaces,” said Nino Sitchinava, principal economist at Houzz.
Additional findings include:

  • Money, Money, Money – The top trigger for outdoor upgrades is finally having the finances (32%), followed by a recent home purchase (30%), finally having the time (29%) and responding to a deteriorated space (23%).
  • Projects Span All Budgets – Substantial projects require higher budgets and 73% plan to spend or spent above $3,000. Eight in ten homeowners renovating their outdoor space, (79%) spent or plan to spend above $5,000 on complete overhauls, with over half of those (53%) spending or planning to spend more than $15,000.
  • Paw Perfect - Outdoor updates which take pets into consideration are important, with 49% making pet-related upgrades in their outdoor space renovation,. Creating space for animals to run and play (43%), fenced off areas (27%) and planting toxin-free plants (26%) were the top considerations.
  • Child Friendly - Almost half of outdoor renovators are making child-related updates (46%). Practicalities such as space to run and play (46%), edible plants (37%), and fencing around the garden (21%) are prioritised.
  • Autumn is the Time for Action - June is the most popular month for Aussie homeowners to embark on an outdoor project (12%), though Autumn proved to be the most popular season overall (34% collectively). The majority of homeowners who renovated their outdoor space planned their projects for more than 6 months before breaking ground (57%).
  • Pretty and Low Maintenance – Aussie homeowners are prioritising ease of maintenance (69%) in their plant choices during upgrades, followed by plants that are flowering (55%), edible (51%) and drought resistant (50%).
  • Lawn Action - Homeowners who are renovating their outdoor space with an existing lawn are making big changes to their green spaces, with 28% reducing their lawn size and 6% removing it altogether in favour of garden beds (64%), ground cover/ornamental grass (55%) and hardscaping (55%).



You can download the full 2016 Houzz Australia Landscaping Trends Study here.

Houzz has over 11 million photos of professional designed interiors and exteriors, and more than 35,000 active, Australian home renovation and design professionals including landscape contractors and landscape architects.

The “Houzz Australia Landscaping Trends Study” is an online survey of Australian homeowners on Houzz conducted in July 2016. n=1,754.


  1. 2015 Houzz Australia Landscaping Trends Study: The majority of the respondents (56%) agreed that tending to their plants was the number one thing they enjoyed doing in their garden, ahead of relaxing (55%) and eating (51%).


About Houzz
Houzz is the leading platform for home renovation and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish – online or from a mobile device. From decorating a small room to building a custom home and everything in between, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community empowered by technology, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin, Sydney, Moscow and Tokyo. Houzz and the Houzz logo are registered trademarks of Houzz Inc. worldwide. For more information, visit houzz.com.au.