A third of properties (31.4%) currently for sale in major UK towns and cities don’t have any outside space, according to research by Housesimple. The online estate agent looked at properties currently on the market in more than 100 major UK towns and cities.
Grimsby is the UK's greenest town with nine out of every ten of properties (90.7%) listed for sale having a garden, compared to just over a third (38.9%) in Salford, home to MediaCityUK, and the BBC’s headquarters in the north.
Of the UK’s largest cities by population, Bristol is the greenest, with 82.1% of properties currently on the market having outside space, compared to just 53% in Manchester and 54% in Liverpool.
Outside space is on many London buyers’ wish lists, but not surprisingly it’s at a premium in the capital, with six in every ten properties (39.2%) currently for sale not having any garden space. The greenest borough is Bexley, with 85.7% of properties having a garden of some description, compared to just 29.9% in Islington.
The following table shows the bottom and top five greenest UK towns and cities based on the percentage of properties for sale with gardens:
The following table shows the bottom and top five greenest UK towns and cities based on the percentage of properties for sale with gardens:
| Town/City | Region | Total number of properties for sale | % of properties on the market with a garden |
| Salford | North West | 383 | 38.9% |
| Gateshead | North East | 136 | 48.9% |
| Manchester | North West | 1,658 | 53.0% |
| Liverpool | North West | 2,936 | 54.0% |
| London | London | 38,707 | 60.8% |
| Grimsby | Yorkshire and the Humber | 388 | 90.7% |
| Chesterfield | East Midlands | 942 | 89.8% |
| Huntingdon | East Midlands | 915 | 88.3% |
| Mansfield | East Midlands | 485 | 87.6% |
| Solihull | West Midlands | 418 | 86.4% |
The following table shows the bottom and top five greenest London boroughs based on the percentage of properties for sale with gardens:
| Borough | Total number of properties for sale | % of properties on the market with a garden |
| Islington | 609 | 29.9% |
| Hackney | 588 | 32.9% |
| Westminster (City of) | 1,489 | 37.7% |
| Tower Hamlets | 1,305 | 38.3% |
| Camden | 994 | 45.8% |
| Bexley | 835 | 85.7% |
| Havering | 1,210 | 83.7% |
| Bromley | 1,417 | 81.8% |
| Redbridge | 999 | 80.5% |
| Hillingdon | 1,401 | 79.3% |
Sam Mitchell, CEO of online estate agents Housesimple comments: “The back garden isn’t on its last legs, but the relentless pursuit of profit has seen outside space sacrificed, particularly in densely populated areas. Developers are building upwards to squeeze every pound of profit out of a plot of land, and gardens take up valuable square footage. Something has to give.
“Sadly, it’s a similar trend with new build family homes. Houses no longer have the expansive back gardens you might have seen 30 to 40 years ago, as developers look to pack as many properties as possible onto new estates. Big three and four bedroom houses with postage stamp sized gardens are becoming the norm, and although a new build might be family-friendly on the inside, the small gardens are not children friendly.
“If a large garden is top of your wish list, search for older properties in areas that are well established. Many period properties have beautiful, mature gardens, and although the property itself might need some updating, particularly if it’s been in the same family for years, it will be worth the extra expense if it’s on a large plot of land.”
