Gradual growth of new build gardens.
- The demand for gardens and other private outdoor spaces has grown since the pandemic, when we all re-learned their value – whether as a refuge to relax in or an opportunity to extend our homes with garden offices and outdoor entertaining areas.
- There is a popular belief that new build homes come with tiny gardens but the evidence suggests that since 2020, homebuilders have been gradually expanding the size of gardens.
- Compared to 10 years ago, gardens of new build detached homes are 18% larger today. For semi-detached homes they have grown by 20% and in terraced houses, by 10%.
- The number of searches on Google for ‘garden rooms’ has risen by 27% since 2019 and for ‘house for sale garden’ by 47%. Housebuilders, it seems, have tuned in to the zeitgeist. Source: #Dataloft 2023 (https://dataloftinform.co.uk/), Google Trends.
Was it the pandemic & lockdown or something else?
Gradual growth of new build gardens.
The facts are there for all to see but, the increase in garden size has actually been a factor for the last 10 years.
Why? This needs looking at in greater depth.
Growth of garden size has definitely been on the increase for at least 10 years.
There is little or no doubt that the pandemic ‘lockdowns’ have changed a lot of peoples perspectives. However, there is also little or no doubt that new build developments are planned a fair way in advance and the figures above are only up until 2022. The first lockdown happened from March 2020. Most developments already planned for 2021/22 had already been planned. Garden size had already been allocated. While there was some ‘wriggle room’ for some plots on some developments, there has to be another reason.
What we think.
Jukes Estate Agents (Harlow branch), had a long hard look at this.
Co owners Lee Venables & Geoff Flewers (both extremely experienced Harlow Estate Agents), think they have found at least one reason..
“Lockdown changed a lot of peoples perspective as to what they wanted from a home”. says Lee Venables. “We have seen a massive increase in interest of properties with good size gardens. If they have enough space or already have a garden office then then the interest intensifies” he continued.
“However, the gradual growth of new build gardens just happens to coincide with another growth area” says Geoff Flewers.
“Allowing for the ‘lag’ in large developments being planned and subsequently built and occupied, you have to go back to several years prior to 2013” he continued.
“Ground Force became perhaps the first TV programme to air at a peak time on one of the main channels. It made the presenters into household names. Alan Titchmarsh, Charlie Dimmock, and Tommy Walsh captivated the nations hearts and caused an explosion in the gardening industry” replied Lee Venables. “Yes that’s correct” said Geoff Flewers, “Garden Centres, Garden landscapers, etc. seemed to appear almost weekly”. He continues.. “It is surely no coincidence that just a few years after Ground Force started, new developments started to rethink garden size”. “Developers are not silly, and whilst it meant fewer houses, that was obviously factored into the price”.
Venables and Flewers may very well be correct, because Gardening programmes, just like the flowers planted, have continued to grow. There are now many such programmes on UK TV. Gardens are far more important to people today than they were back in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s etc.
When will garden growth stop?
That is the $64,000 question! There will always be those who do not care about garden size. Indeed, there are those who are happy with a ‘postage stamp’ size garden, laid mainly if not entirely in decking or concrete. It is though, encouraging to see the trend of larger gardens in new builds is continuing. With Harlow in the early throes of major development with the long awaited Harlow & Gilston Garden Town development. This is going to be interesting to see if the trend of garden growth continues.
What if you want a larger or much larger garden?
Harlow is a perfect place to find property with larger gardens. Ex local authority properties make up a large percentage of property that comes to market in Harlow each year.
Harlow is a magnet for first time buyers from London as well as local young couples and singletons.
You can buy cracking starter homes in Harlow for around £250,000 – £300,000 that have a decent size gardens.
For more information call Jukes Estate Agents on 01279 295524