Third of homes on sale have no outside space, claims online agency

Research  by HouseSimple suggests that over 31 per cent of homes currently on sale in major UK towns and cities have no outside space for their buyers.

The online firm looked at properties currently on the market in more than 100 major UK towns and cities and found - perhaps unexpectedly - that Grimsby has the most outside space with 90.7 per cent of homes listed for sale having a garden. 

Bristol has 82.1 per cent of properties currently on the market having outside space, compared to just 53 per cent in Manchester and 54 per cent in Liverpool.

Six in every 10 London properties currently for sale have no garden space although there are exceptions - Bexley has 85.7 per cent of properties having a garden of some description.

”The relentless pursuit of profit has seen outside space sacrificed, particularly in densely populated areas. Developers are building upwards to squeeze every pound of profit out of a plot of land, and gardens take up valuable square footage. Something has to give” claims Sam Mitchell, chief executive of the agency.

“Sadly, it’s a similar trend with new build family homes. Houses no longer have the expansive back gardens you might have seen 30 to 40 years ago, as developers look to pack as many properties as possible onto new estates. Big three and four bedroom houses with postage stamp sized gardens are becoming the norm, and although a new build might be family-friendly on the inside, the small gardens are not children friendly.

“If a large garden is top of your wish list, search for older properties in areas that are well established. Many period properties have beautiful, mature gardens, and although the property itself might need some updating, particularly if it’s been in the same family for years, it will be worth the extra expense if it’s on a large plot of land.”