Some 64% of people claimed they wouldn’t buy a property if it didn’t have an outdoor area, with summerhouses, outdoor entertaining areas, external lighting, children’s treehouses, and pizza ovens now among the most value-adding garden improvements, adding almost £20,000 to the value of your home. Other garden add-ons that have gained in popularity over the last year, like a garden home office and a garden gym, could add another £10,000 on top.
The findings are taken from this year’s Home Improvement Trends Report from find-a-tradesperson platform Rated People, where potential homebuyers revealed how much extra they’d pay for different garden improvements.
To mark National Gardening Week (April 26-May 2), here are the top 20 most value-adding garden improvements experts say you can make in 2021, and how much value they’d add.
1. Swimming pool - £7,707
Given the disruption to holidaying abroad last year, and with issues likely to stretch well into this summer, it’s easy to see why the luxury of having your own swimming pool has increased in popularity. Photo: Rated People
2. Home office garden room - £5,325
Whatever the future holds, it’s likely more of us will work from home more than we did before, and a home office in the garden provides a nice separation between work and home life. Photo: Rated People
3. Summer house - £5,249
Summer houses start from around £500, and they help to provide extra living space. An extra room in the garden can also double up as a home office by day, and a bar for a garden party in the evening, so a great investment. Photo: Rated People
4. Gym/studio room in the garden - £5,107
Properties with the option for at-home work outs are now more attractive to potential buyers and a simple timber 8 x 10 ft garden structure, kitted out exactly to your tastes, makes the perfect yoga studio or gym. Photo: Rated People