Bigger Gardens a Top Priority for Home-hunters

A survey by Rightmove of over 4,000 home movers has revealed that having a bigger garden, or at least access to one, is now the top priority for both buyers and renters.

With most people now spending more time at home as a result of the lockdown, priorities have changed when home hunting and access to outdoor space has become more important than ever.

63% of buyers and 59% of renters said they now wanted a bigger garden or access to one in their next home, achieving a higher score than any other priority.

Searches by buyers for homes with gardens are up 42% in May 2020 compared to May 2019 and for renters they are up a massive 84%.

Furthermore, of the new life interests that people say they plan to continue after lockdown, 82% said gardening and 89% exercising outdoors.

Clearly the challenging times created by the pandemic and lockdown has reinforced the importance of gardens in enriching our lives and improving our mental health and wellbeing. Whether as a tranquil retreat, for sunbathing, exercising, alfresco dining, connecting with nature, growing food, nurturing plants, increasing bio-diversity or simply listening to bird song, gardens are good for the soul and we need them now more than ever.

Source: Rightmove survey

The Value of a Well-Designed Garden

Spending money to have your garden professionally designed not only enhances your use and enjoyment of your outdoor space but is also a good investment in your property, as revealed by a new survey commissioned by property website Zoopla and the Society of Garden Designers. The survey revealed that half of all Brits say a well-designed garden is as important, or more important, than a designer kitchen or bathroom, when looking for a new home.

The findings show that house hunters are prepared to pay an average premium of nearly £15,000 for a garden when purchasing a property and nearly half (47%) have been put off buying or renting a property because of the condition of the garden.

The poll shows that the desire for good design is not exclusively limited to interiors, with 40% of respondents saying they would consider hiring a professional garden designer in order to transform their outdoor space.

The research also shows that around three quarters (74%) of homeowners have already, or would consider, spending money on their garden to increase the value of their property.

A regional breakdown of the findings showed that those living in the South East are prepared to invest the most for a garden, £21,925 on average, and ranked the importance of a garden the highest at 91%. Meanwhile those living in London would be willing to invest an average of £13,388 to secure their own garden with 79% believing it is important to have private outside space.

The survey also asked respondents to rank the most important design features of a garden and found that ‘having somewhere to sit and relax’ is the most popular element.

The survey was conducted in July 2019 with 2,161 respondents – comprising 1,673 homeowners and 465 renters.

Source: Zoopla