The search for a home with a beautiful garden makes many buyers look outside the city but for garden lovers buying in London a little outside space could make all the difference, experts say.
“In prime London, a flat, square, well-screened garden facing west or south west, with the width of the house opening directly onto it, makes the perfect arrangement, ” Sara Ransom of Stacks Property Search says and advises:
“If you’re buying a new-build property in London, the outside space could be the differentiating factor that sets your property apart from the many other identical units. A great terrace with a good view may add significantly to the price, but it will always represent a saleable asset.
“Check the rules and regulations relating to communal gardens. Many don’t allow dogs, barbecues, music, and all the other things that most people want to do in gardens!
“A north-facing London garden surrounded by tall buildings will never get any light.
“When basing your out-of-London buying decisions on your young children’s requirement for large quantities of outside space, remember that they will soon be teenagers and will prefer to spend their leisure time a little further from home, returning only to be fed or driven to a sports fixture, skate park or distant party.”
Big properties come with big commitments
While it is lovely to be able to afford a big house with a large garden, buyers should be aware what responsibilities that involves.
Bill Spreckley of Stacks Property Search comments:
“Buyers with children under the age of 10 will put a requirement for a large garden as one of the top three reasons for their move. So these buyers are more likely to compromise on the house itself than on the size, shape and aspect of the garden.
“Buyers with a budget of upwards of £2 million want land for privacy, ponies and cachet, so three or four acres will be the minimum that they’re prepared to consider.
“But be careful what you wish for. I recently showed clients an over-£3 million house near Winchester that had eleven acres including croquet lawn, woodland, tennis court, swimming pool and paddock. There was a resident gardener who was employed for six hours every day. My buyers were utterly shocked by the commitment it represented, in financial and attention terms, and were put off the property. They couldn’t bear the idea of letting it all go, a bit like ripping out and replacing a brand new kitchen that a buyer doesn’t like.”
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