A third of properties for sale in major towns and cities in the UK have no outside space, new research has found.
The vast majority of homes in Grimsby, some 90.7% have a garden compared to just 38.9% in Salford, the lowest nationwide, according to the study by online estate agent HouseSimple.
It also found that in London an average of 39.2% have an outside space, but just 29.9% of homes for sale in the borough of Islington compared to 85.7% in Bexley.
When it comes to other major cities some 53% of homes in Manchester have a garden, a similar number at 54% in Liverpool yet in Bristol it is 82.1%.
Three places in the East Midlands all have a high number of homes for sale with a garden. In Chesterfield it is 89.8%, in Huntingdon 88.3% and in Mansfield 87.6% while in Solihull in the West Midlands it is 86.4%.
Other boroughs in London with larger numbers of homes for sale with gardens include Hillingdon at 79.3%, Redbridge 80.5%, Bromley 81.8% and Havering with 83.7% while Hackney has just 32.9%, the City of Westminster 37.7%, Tower Hamlets 38.3% and Camden 45.8%.
‘The back garden isn’t on its last legs, but 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,’ said Sam Mitchell, chief executive officer of HouseSimple.
‘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,’ he pointed out.
‘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,’ he added.
