Demand in homes with a garden surges after lockdown
There has been a significant rise in demand for homes with gardens from tenants and buyers since the housing market re-opened in May following lockdown, according to the latest figures.
Fears of a second wave are reportedly fuelling a growing appetite for properties with an outdoor space research from property rental app Movebubble suggests, with searches rising 193% compared to the week before lockdown.
Another study by Rightmove found gardens topped the list of renter ‘must haves’, with 49% of tenants saying their priorities have shifted in recent months and they now value outdoor space above all else.
Two-bedroom houses are now the most sought after rental property, toppling studio flats from the top spot.
Rightmove figures reveal searches for homes with gardens on the portal were up 84% in May compared to the same month last year.
And some renters are prepared to pay more for a property with a sought-after south-facing garden. According to Rightmove homes with an outdoor space that gets the afternoon sun have, on average, an asking price £22,695 higher than those without.
The data looked at around 400,000 three and four bedroom properties across the country and found those listed as having a south-facing garden had an asking price premium of 7%.
“It doesn’t mean your house will automatically be worth £22,000 more if it has a south-facing garden as this is an average and it will also depend on the size, condition, and location of your home,” Rightmove’s property expert Miles Shipside explains.
“But it’s certainly something to shout about in a listing as it could mean your home makes it on to a buyer’s shortlist over another property down the road, or even on the other side of the street.”
The national average asking price of three or four bedroom house with a south-facing garden is £369,365, compared to £346,670 without one.
There are a number of regional variations, with homes in Yorkshire & the Humber commanding the biggest asking price premium, at 14%.
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