How much value does a south-facing garden add?
‘’…And a lovely, south-facing garden’ – we’ve all seen the phrase in many a property listing, but how much does a south-facing garden really add to the price of a house?
South-facing gardens are considered more desirable because they get the most sunlight during the course of the day. And, in urban areas, where gardens are smaller, narrower and more shaded, it’s even more important. It is such a big issue that agents now regularly report people using the compasses on their phones during viewings to check the house’s orientation.
Putting a value on it, however, is not that straightforward. Rightmove, fortunately, has done all the hard work, trawling through their extensive data in their search for answers. So what did they find?
Of the 400,000 homes they analysed, the average increase in value was £25,350, or 7%. In London, you’d expect those figures to be even higher, and they were, in financial terms - £60,593 - but in percentage terms they only ranked third, which suggests there is a ceiling to what people are prepared to pay. The keenest gardeners are to be found in Yorkshire and The Humber, which saw the biggest percentage boost of 14%.
| Region | Asking price premium | Price difference |
| Yorkshire & Humber | 14% | £33,931 |
| North West | 12% | £30,613 |
| London | 9% | £60,593 |
| North East | 8% | £14,546 |
| West Midlands | 8% | £22,626 |
| Wales | 6% | £15,252 |
| South West | 6% | £22,608 |
| East Midlands | 5% | £14,056 |
| Scotland | 3% | £5,573 |
| East of England | 2% | £8,277 |
| South East | 2% | £9,443 |
| Average GB | 7% | £25,350 |
During their research Rightmove discovered that south-facing gardens didn’t just affect the price of a house, it also meant the house sold faster. As you might expect, the biggest impact was found to be in places such as Yorkshire and The Humber, where buyers were most keen on south-facing gardens. Those properties sold 8 days faster than the average. Across the country, the figure was 3 days faster.
| Region | Standard time to find buyer | Days saved |
| Yorkshire & Humber | 62 | 8 |
| North East | 57 | 6 |
| West Midlands | 59 | 5 |
| South West | 62 | 4 |
| East of England | 69 | 4 |
| Scotland | 33 | 3 |
| East Midlands | 68 | 3 |
| Wales | 69 | 1 |
| South East | 67 | 0 |
| London | 67 | 0 |
| North West | 63 | 0 |
| Average GB | 61 | 3 |
Rightmove’s Miles Shipside says,
“For as long as I can remember, south-facing gardens have been viewed as the crème de la crème of outdoor spaces among home-hunters.
“It doesn’t mean your house will automatically be worth £25,350 more if it has a south-facing garden as this is an average and it will also depend on the condition and location of your home, but it’s certainly something to shout about in a listing as it could mean your home makes it on to a buyer’s shortlist over another property down the road, or even on the other side of the street.”
Even if your garden is not south-facing, a decent one will still add to the attraction of your home. Whichever way it faces, though, it’s important to make sure you make the most of your outside spaces when you are trying to sell a property, making them look as attractive as possible. That means mowing the lawn, clearing the weeds and repairing and painting fences and sheds. And, at this time of year, that also includes cutting back any dead plants and sweeping away the dead leaves. Any shots you might have of the garden in summer would be very useful, too, as they will help potential buyers see what it looks like in full bloom.
House price news
After fourteen consecutive rises, the base rate was finally put on hold last month. There is still an outside possibility of one last rise of 0.25%, but all eyes are now on how the housing market will react.
It is too early to see its impact on the various housing indices, as the Bank of England’s announcement didn’t come until the middle of last month. However, as inflation had already shown signs of slowing, confidence in the sector was increasing and there was a slight uptick in asking prices (+0.4%) from the previous month. That is, though, a little below the average for this time of year with prices typically rising by 0.6% as activity ramps up after the summer hiatus. Annually, prices fell from -1.9% to - 0.4%.
It will be some time before all the changes in the base rate fully feed through the system. Many of those with five-year fixed-rate mortgages haven’t experienced any changes whatsoever in their mortgage costs, whereas first-time buyers and anyone coming to the end of their deals have been at the brunt end of it.
In the interim, there has been a bit of a stand-off, with sellers remaining reluctant to offer discounts and buyers waiting for mortgage rates to fall. It means sales volumes were down by 18% this July (latest available figures) when compared to pre-pandemic 2019. Sellers are now finally showing signs of adapting to the situation, with 36.3% of properties currently for sale having had a price reduction, at an average of £22,700 or 6.2%. And, according to another property listings portal, Zoopla, the average discount on the advertised sale price is currently 4.8%.
The price of smaller, more affordable homes is holding up better than it is for larger properties and, as a result, Tim Bannister Rightmove’s Director of Property Science advises:
“Sellers in the middle and upper sectors need to be extra careful not to set their price expectations too high. Plenty of sales are being agreed for properties that are priced at the right level, and those that are selling are still taking five days less than at this time in 2019. We’re also seeing the number of fall-throughs decline as market conditions and mortgage rates stabilise.”
With the economic outlook improving, inflation easing and employment levels high, the pressure to reduce prices much further is limited, so activity may remain a little subdued until the base rate rather than prices start to come down. Most experts believe that may not happen for another 12 months, at which point, we will be in the midst of an election.
HOUSE PRICES AND STATISTICS
Almost all the indices show price falls were moderating in September but, on an annual basis, they continue to slip.
Nationwide: Sept: Avge. price £257,808. Monthly change 0.0%. Annual change -5.3%
Halifax: Aug. Avge. price £278,601. Monthly change -0.4%. Annual change -4.7%
Land Registry: July: Avge. price £289,824. Monthly change +0.5%. Annual change +0.6%
Zoopla: Aug: Avge. price £265,100. Annual change -0.5%
Rightmove: Sept: Avge. price £366,281. Monthly change +0.4%. Annual change -0.4% (asking prices on Rightmove)