Zoopla reveals the value of good garden design

6th August 2019

Research reveals 50% of Brits believe a well-designed garden is as important or more important than a well-designed bathroom or kitchen
Nearly half of people (47%) have been put off buying or renting a property because of the condition of the garden
Brits are prepared to pay an average premium of nearly £15,000 for a garden when buying a property
40% of Brits would consider employing a professional garden designer
The Society of Garden Designers reveal the biggest garden design trends this summer

As Britain continues to bask in summer sunshine, new research from property website Zoopla and the Society of Garden Designers, reveals that the nation’s love of gardens is as keen as ever, with 50% of Brits believing a well-designed garden is as important or more important than a well-designed bathroom or kitchen.

The poll of 2,000 Brits found that the desire for good design is not exclusively limited to interiors, with nearly half of respondents having been put off buying or renting a property because of the condition of the garden. A further 40% said they would consider employing a professional garden designer to transform their outside space into the garden of their dreams, suggesting that professional garden designers are no longer just the preserve of property developers or wealthy landowners.

Meanwhile, the research also found that around three quarters (74%) of homeowners either already have or would consider spending money on their garden to increase the value of their property and that, on average, Brits would be willing to spend an extra £14,448 to purchase a home with a garden. Therefore sellers and landlords are right not to overlook the condition of outside space when marketing their home to buyers and renters.

Sarah Morgan, Chair of the Society of Garden Designers, comments: “It’s well known that the Brits have a passion for gardens and gardening so it’s not surprising that so many of us consider a beautiful outside space important in our own home.

“We know from our members that having a garden designed by a professional garden designer can add significant value to a property but, quite apart from the overall ‘wow’ factor, a good garden design can also add something really special to a home.

“Whether it’s a family garden to engage children with the outdoors or a garden room to escape, relax and entertain in, well-designed gardens can truly enrich the lives of the people who live there”.

Breaking down the premiums Brits are willing to pay for outside space regionally, those living in the South East would pay the most for a garden, £21,925 on average, and unsurprisingly its importance also rose to 91% - the highest of those polled. People in Yorkshire and Humber would pay the smallest premium with those there willing to pay £9,068 for a garden with 84% there believing having outside space to be important. Meanwhile those living in London would be willing to invest £13,388 to secure their own garden with 79% believing it is important to have private outside space.

The research also found that Brits spend on average £648 a year to keep their current gardens, terraces and courtyards blooming, with gardening enthusiasts in the South East spending the most (£812) and those living in the North West spending the least (£518), followed closely by those in London (£554).

When it comes to the amount people are willing to spend on getting the garden of their dreams at their existing property, Brits are willing to spend on average £7,339. Those in the East of England are prepared to spend the most (£10,882) whilst those in Wales would spend the least (£5,832) on their outside space.

Laura Howard, spokesperson for Zoopla, comments: “The annual weather in the UK might be changeable but the requirement for a garden is steadfast. A whopping 86% of both renters and homeowners in our survey consider outside space to be very or extremely important. The need for a garden is not just practical either, with both sunshine and relaxation ranking above a space for children and pets.

“The amount of sunshine enjoyed across different areas of the UK appears to influence the importance of a garden, however. For example, while 91% of house-holders in the typically sunnier South East consider outside space to be very important, the number falls to 74% in Scotland. And, at £10,207, the premium buyers in Scotland are prepared to pay for a home with a garden is much lower than in the South East, where £21,925 is average.

“Overall though, it seems that come rain or shine, nothing will stand between UK residents and their very own slice of the outdoors.”

Finally the survey asked Brits to rank the most important design features of a garden and found that ‘having somewhere to sit and relax’ is the most popular element, whilst surprisingly it would appear we have fallen out of love with a water feature as this came last one this list with less than 1% of the votes:

Somewhere to sit and relax (36%)
Maximum sunlight throughout the day / south facing (15%)
Somewhere for the children to play (12%)
Flowers / shrubs (8%)
A space for pets (7%)
Somewhere to entertain (6%)
Growing my own fruit/vegetables (4%)
Extra storage space/shed (2%)
A water feature (0.4%)

Earlier this week the SGD launched a new film to explain the process of finding and working with a professional garden designer. Aimed at anyone wishing to create a brand new garden or for those simply looking for an inspired planting plan, the film highlights the processes and stages involved from the initial brief through to a finished garden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXRumtDAFoE

	Average premium willing to pay for a garden	Average current spend per year	Average spend transforming current garden
South East	£21,925	£812	£7,822
North West	£18,425	£518	£5,860
East of England	£13,974	£753	£10,822
London	£13,388	£554	£7,434
East Midlands	£12,803	£734	£8,440
South West	£11,935	£674	£6,899
Wales	£11,268	£733	£5,832
North East	£10,569	£732	£7,257
West Midlands	£10,552	£731	£7,812
Scotland	£10,207	£700	£6,646
Yorkshire and Humber	£9,068	£619	£6,435
Britain	£14,448	£678	£7,339

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

2,161 respondents were included in the survey – 1,673 were homeowners, 465 were renters. Survey taken in early July

For further information, please contact:

Tim Vooght at Zoopla on 0203 872 5615 or email pr@zoopla.co.uk

Theresa Osen at Hind + Osen (The SGD) on 07931 335 930 or email Theresa@hindandosen.com

About Zoopla

Zoopla is the UK's most comprehensive property website, helping consumers to research the market and find their next home by combining hundreds of thousands of property listings with market data and local information.

At Zoopla we are fans of transparency and everything we do is aimed at making the market more efficient for both property consumers and advertisers alike. Zoopla has rapidly become the UK’s leading online destination for property consumers to search for homes and do their market research and the favoured online marketing partner for UK estate agents, letting agents and property developers.

Launched in 2008, Zoopla has since been one of the fastest growing websites in the UK, now attracting over 40 million visits per month and we are proud to have collected numerous awards and accolades along the way, including being named one of the Top 10 UK Tech Companies (Guardian) and one of the Top 10 Most Innovative UK Companies (Smarta).

About the Society of Garden Designers

The Society of Garden Designers has been championing excellence in garden design since 1981. It is the only professional association for garden designers in the UK and counts some of the UK’s leading garden and landscape designers among its growing membership.

The SGD provides access to garden designers right across the UK, offering a complete garden design service including planting plans, hard landscape design, construction drawings and specialist design elements. The comprehensive Find A Designer search facility on the SGD website allows you to search by name, postcode, county or country. www.sgd.org.uk

- Ends -

For further information, please contact PR Team on pr@zoopla.co.uk or +44 (0)20 3873 8770.

2,161 respondents were included in the survey – 1,673 were homeowners, 465 were renters. Survey taken in early July

For further information, please contact:

Tim Vooght at Zoopla on 0203 872 5615 or email pr@zoopla.co.uk

Theresa Osen at Hind + Osen (The SGD) on 07931 335 930 or email Theresa@hindandosen.com

About Zoopla

About the Society of Garden Designers

About Zoopla

Hello. We're Zoopla. A property website and app.

We know you're not just looking for a place to live. You're looking for a home.

Yeah, we've got over a million properties for you to browse.

Tools that let you filter them in all kinds of clever ways.

And reliable house price estimates, so you can be sure you aren't paying over the odds.

But we know you're looking for more than that.

Because that first flat won't just be a 'great investment opportunity'.

It'll be the feeling of starting out on your own.

That extra bedroom won't just mean another £20K on the re-sale price, it'll mean having your sister over to stay.

And that bungalow won't just be a way to release some equity, it will be a chance to spend more time with the grandkids.

We know that searching for a home is about more than just checking its price, location and features (important as all those things are).

What really matters is how it makes you feel.

We know what a home is really worth.

So let us help you find yours.

Zoopla is part of Zoopla Limited which was founded in 2007.

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