Green with Envy - homes with gardens are lifting the London market
Fri 14 Jun 2019
Paul Bennett, Director
Having access to a private garden in Central London is proving to be a prize asset, with homes that have outdoor spaces commanding attention - especially with the height of summer just around the corner and a reconnection with gardening thanks to the glorious flower shows at Chelsea and Hampton Court.
You might think it would be a struggle to find properties in the very heart of the capital with their own outside oasis but many properties for sale and to rent in the St. John’s Wood, Regent’s Park and Marylebone areas have hidden ‘green’ gems – verdant spaces that you wouldn’t expect to find in bustling business districts or behind rows of terraced properties.
Garden game changer - let in less than a day
Properties with gardens always hold their appeal and we find a well maintained, low maintenance garden can be a deal clincher when tenants are faced with two properties to choose from. Richard Greene, Behr & Butchoff’s Lettings Manager, comments: “We recently completed on a let house in the heart of St. John’s Wood in less than 24 hours of it coming to market - largely in part due to its generous and well-designed garden.”
A smart garden is a seller’s advantage
As well as giving London lettings a boost, we are finding the sales market is becoming more garden-centric, with buyers increasingly impressed by properties where the owner presents a garden that has been professionally designed or landscaped. It’s also worth remembering that private outdoor space can add value of up to £90,000 to a London property – a point that comes back in to play when an owner decides to sell in the future.
Making your garden appealing to movers
Research by House Beautiful revealed what garden features added the most value to a property, proving that a wise choice can make financial sense as well as improve the appeal and aesthetics of an outside area. Adding an outside room or shed, installing good quality decking or a patio, providing secure fencing and walls, and incorporating outdoor lighting were all listed as value-adding aspects. It is worth remembering, however, that merely keeping a garden neat and tidy can add as much as £2,000 to a property’s value.
Currently for sale
If you are looking for a property to buy with a garden, Behr & Butchoff is currently marketing Queens Grove in St. John’s Wood - an exceptional refurbished period house with six bedrooms, five bathrooms, four reception rooms and a rear garden of 75 ft, which is offered as a modern blank canvas with grass and mature trees.
Green fingered tenants may like to consider Boundary Road in NW8, available to rent with five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a beautiful private garden and a new conservatory from which to admire the flora and fauna.
Whether you are looking to buy or rent in St. John’s Wood, Regent’s Park or Maida Vale Behr & Butchoff can help. Please contact us today for our current listings with gardens, patios and rooftop terraces.