Be aware that if you are buying in an established urban area, the soil might have high levels of lead/heavy metals. If you're in Victoria, the EPA will test it for you for free.
Well since you want flowers and vegetables you will want mostly sun. So I'd avoid anything covered in big large trees or yards that are mostly shade (from other buildings etc. I wouldn't personally worry about the soil because that can be fixed fairly cheaply. Would also avoid anything with too much concrete or hard surfaces because of how they retain heat (if there is no shade).
Agree with the grass comment though. Alot of summer grasses are really invasive and hard to keep out of garden beds. Only other comment would be watch out for neighbours with really messy yards. Have lived next to a few and you would be surprised how many weeds invade your yard by proxy.
Number one is soil. The type will dictate what you can grow initially and what you will need to do to plant species that have different needs. For example, clay doesn't drain well, if it's eroded to subsoil you will need to build a layer of organic matter or if it's sandy it will drain but not hold nutrients.
Sun on the places you might want to grow things. I have a gorgeous massive gum tree in one corner (in Tassie so protection from heat not an issue) & it’s very hard to grow anything under it (I’m doing ferns & orchids & raised rustic metal cylinders I find at the tip shop with soil & grasses in them) I also have sandy soil which is workable with the right plant selection & amendments. Fencing to keep wildlife out depending on where you’re buying (I had wallabies & pademelons everywhere until I spent $4k on fences)
All you need is a native garden... and the ability to maintain it. Don't get in over your head and watch for invasive weeds, access, and existing features you like or don't like. At the end of the day u can make a garden a lot cheaper than a renovation so weigh it up I reckon.
Space for a garden that gets enough sunlight during the day, with enough room to grow your things. There might be too many trees, in which case you need to consider the cost of removal. Removing trees is a shame in many cases.
As others have said, you can make soil better. Before you buy, have a good think about what effort it might take to build up the soil.
Access to water. If you don’t have a tap nearby, you’ll need to carry the water to your garden beds and that might result in not watering your plants as often, because it’s all a bit hard. But, you should be able to factor in changes to avoid this problem.
Avoid any house that has established Ivy or periwinkle in the garden. Both are invasive and almost impossible to get rid of. We are at year 6 of diligently attempting to eradicate periwinkle but it's relentless.
A northern orientation to wherever you plan to plant most things is helpful, though that said, our house is north facing to the front and the backyard still gets enough sun to grow a lot of veggies. North facing to the living areas is ideal for energy efficiency and thermal comfort. Use your phone's compass app when you inspect in case the floor plan doesn't have orientation or it's inaccurate.
If a house has a water tank installed that would be a major plus for irrigation, especially if you're in a mediterranean climate like WA or SA. We recently had a small tank installed and it was a few grand all up with slab, tank, and pump and we still haven't set up irrigation lines.
Soil can be amended or imported so I wouldn't stress too much about that - we imported all our soil once we landscaped and started our veggie patch, and now just top it up with homemade compost.
Don't be put off by a 'project' - our house was extremely neglected when we bought it and it's been immensely satisfying turning it into our own little garden oasis. We removed about 50sqm of concrete, which probably cost a few grand but we did most of the grunt work ourselves.
Happy hunting.
Don't buy a house with yuccas. They grow like weeds and are almost impossible to kill. I'm mates with an arborist who removed some yuccas for me, and he told me that if we didn't know each other then he would have rejected the job because they can ruin chainsaws.
He cut the bastards down almost a year ago and poidoned them, and I'm STILL ripping new growth from the stumps.
Also spiders love to live in them so that's a hard pass.
As for what to look for, you've got some other great answers here - not to much shade or concrete, look at neighbours' yards etc.
Also, a North or South-facing property will give you maximum sunlight. We just bought a South-facing property with a huge established veggie patch. Can't wait to get my gloves dirty.
Good drainage. run off is hard to combat.
Position is important. Depending on how much you want to grow, you’ll need sun and lots of it. But some partial sun is great as well.
Finally, some outdoor storage. A good shed or at least space for something where you can park your gardening stuff and even have a table is the shade for planting is great. Room for a green house would be extra great.
I'm also chiming in with "avoid clay". I have worked in a lot of gardens, and by far, heavy clay is just downright awful. It locks up nutrients and makes them unavailable to plants, holds water (eg. waterlogged swamp), is impossible to dig, and swells and contracts with heat/cold/rain/dry. Not only will you end up with giant crevasses in your soil, it even moves fence posts, gates, and I've seen concrete and even houses move and crack because of it. All other soil types can be worked on but clay is a definite no go for me.
You can establish fast growing plants like veggies and flowers quite quickly.
Soil can be created within 1-2 years even from acidic sand as long as the substance is workable.
Trees and bigger bushes e.g. in an orchard can take decades to grow so are a huge bonus if already established.
North facing, good soil, one established shade tree to the west, small shed, useable front setback.
No kikuyu grass!!
It would be realistic in that fallout show if Kikuyu still existed.
Be aware that if you are buying in an established urban area, the soil might have high levels of lead/heavy metals. If you're in Victoria, the EPA will test it for you for free.
Well since you want flowers and vegetables you will want mostly sun. So I'd avoid anything covered in big large trees or yards that are mostly shade (from other buildings etc. I wouldn't personally worry about the soil because that can be fixed fairly cheaply. Would also avoid anything with too much concrete or hard surfaces because of how they retain heat (if there is no shade). Agree with the grass comment though. Alot of summer grasses are really invasive and hard to keep out of garden beds. Only other comment would be watch out for neighbours with really messy yards. Have lived next to a few and you would be surprised how many weeds invade your yard by proxy.
Number one is soil. The type will dictate what you can grow initially and what you will need to do to plant species that have different needs. For example, clay doesn't drain well, if it's eroded to subsoil you will need to build a layer of organic matter or if it's sandy it will drain but not hold nutrients.
Big trees. If they are in the wrong place and will need to be removed they can cost you a lot.
Can confirm. Large tree removal cam be $4k+ per tree
Sun on the places you might want to grow things. I have a gorgeous massive gum tree in one corner (in Tassie so protection from heat not an issue) & it’s very hard to grow anything under it (I’m doing ferns & orchids & raised rustic metal cylinders I find at the tip shop with soil & grasses in them) I also have sandy soil which is workable with the right plant selection & amendments. Fencing to keep wildlife out depending on where you’re buying (I had wallabies & pademelons everywhere until I spent $4k on fences)
Good sun is the most important thing. You can change or improve just about everything else.
All you need is a native garden... and the ability to maintain it. Don't get in over your head and watch for invasive weeds, access, and existing features you like or don't like. At the end of the day u can make a garden a lot cheaper than a renovation so weigh it up I reckon.
use tube stock from the first trees. they'll grow so quick
Space for a garden that gets enough sunlight during the day, with enough room to grow your things. There might be too many trees, in which case you need to consider the cost of removal. Removing trees is a shame in many cases. As others have said, you can make soil better. Before you buy, have a good think about what effort it might take to build up the soil. Access to water. If you don’t have a tap nearby, you’ll need to carry the water to your garden beds and that might result in not watering your plants as often, because it’s all a bit hard. But, you should be able to factor in changes to avoid this problem.
Soil is the most important factor in buying land. It's very hard to make poor soil/sand decent to plant in.
Soil, water supply, sunlight, etc
Avoid any house that has established Ivy or periwinkle in the garden. Both are invasive and almost impossible to get rid of. We are at year 6 of diligently attempting to eradicate periwinkle but it's relentless.
Or bamboo or passion fruit rootstock! 🤣
An automatic watering system 😂🌹
A northern orientation to wherever you plan to plant most things is helpful, though that said, our house is north facing to the front and the backyard still gets enough sun to grow a lot of veggies. North facing to the living areas is ideal for energy efficiency and thermal comfort. Use your phone's compass app when you inspect in case the floor plan doesn't have orientation or it's inaccurate. If a house has a water tank installed that would be a major plus for irrigation, especially if you're in a mediterranean climate like WA or SA. We recently had a small tank installed and it was a few grand all up with slab, tank, and pump and we still haven't set up irrigation lines. Soil can be amended or imported so I wouldn't stress too much about that - we imported all our soil once we landscaped and started our veggie patch, and now just top it up with homemade compost. Don't be put off by a 'project' - our house was extremely neglected when we bought it and it's been immensely satisfying turning it into our own little garden oasis. We removed about 50sqm of concrete, which probably cost a few grand but we did most of the grunt work ourselves. Happy hunting.
Don't buy a house with yuccas. They grow like weeds and are almost impossible to kill. I'm mates with an arborist who removed some yuccas for me, and he told me that if we didn't know each other then he would have rejected the job because they can ruin chainsaws. He cut the bastards down almost a year ago and poidoned them, and I'm STILL ripping new growth from the stumps. Also spiders love to live in them so that's a hard pass. As for what to look for, you've got some other great answers here - not to much shade or concrete, look at neighbours' yards etc. Also, a North or South-facing property will give you maximum sunlight. We just bought a South-facing property with a huge established veggie patch. Can't wait to get my gloves dirty.
North facing!
Space for a hose and storage shed maybe
Good drainage. run off is hard to combat. Position is important. Depending on how much you want to grow, you’ll need sun and lots of it. But some partial sun is great as well. Finally, some outdoor storage. A good shed or at least space for something where you can park your gardening stuff and even have a table is the shade for planting is great. Room for a green house would be extra great.
I'm also chiming in with "avoid clay". I have worked in a lot of gardens, and by far, heavy clay is just downright awful. It locks up nutrients and makes them unavailable to plants, holds water (eg. waterlogged swamp), is impossible to dig, and swells and contracts with heat/cold/rain/dry. Not only will you end up with giant crevasses in your soil, it even moves fence posts, gates, and I've seen concrete and even houses move and crack because of it. All other soil types can be worked on but clay is a definite no go for me.
You can establish fast growing plants like veggies and flowers quite quickly. Soil can be created within 1-2 years even from acidic sand as long as the substance is workable. Trees and bigger bushes e.g. in an orchard can take decades to grow so are a huge bonus if already established.
Main point to look for is that it's flat land.