As demand for homes with gardens has risen due to the pandemic, landscaping material provider Paving Direct has researched the best places in the UK to invest in buy-to-let.
Paving Direct looked at the average price of renting a three-bed home in each city across the country on Rightmove to determine the changes in rental yields.
This research shows that having a garden adds 25% more to the average rent price, but this varies drastically when broken down city by city.
According to the data, the most expensive gardens in the UK are in Bath, with over 43% added to the average rent price.
The top 10 cities where renters are paying the most for gardens
| Rank | City | Additional Value of garden |
| 1 | Bath | 43.13% |
| 2 | Lancashire | 34.97% |
| 3 | Birmingham | 32.72% |
| 4 | London | 27.07% |
| 5 | Leeds | 25.02% |
| 6 | Wolverhampton | 24.30% |
| 7 | Reading | 22.85% |
| 8 | Newcastle Upon Tyne | 20.48% |
| 9 | Norwich | 19.72% |
| 10 | Portsmouth | 19.03% |
The research also found the areas where gardens are less likely to impact the rental yield. Properties in Kingston Upon Hull, Sheffield and Leicester ranked bottom of the table.
The 10 cities where gardens add the lowest value
| Rank | City | Additional Value of garden |
| 1 | Derby | 5.44% |
| 2 | Sunderland | 5.30% |
| 3 | Southampton | 4.78% |
| 4 | Bradford | 4.33% |
| 5 | Northampton | 3.70% |
| 6 | Cardiff | 2.78% |
| 7 | Liverpool | 1.65% |
| 8 | Leicester | 1.19% |
| 9 | Sheffield | 0.75% |
| 10 | Kingston Upon Hull | 0.48% |
Cass Heaphy, Digital Director at Paving Direct, comments: “Homes in the centre of cities like Bath and Birmingham do not always have a garden, which can drastically increase the price of houses which do benefit from a green space. With the impact of lockdown, we’ve seen demand for paving jump. People have been spending an increasing amount of time in their own homes and want to make the most of their outdoor space.
“The data here shows just how much value a garden can add to a house and why homeowners need to be making the most of their outside space. Likewise, property investors need to be aware of the opportunity cost of upgrading the garden in their properties, as it can add real value, and higher income.
“I think one of the key things to come out of the whole lockdown experience for many people is really valuing their garden. It has underscored our appreciation of all the benefits it provides to happiness, health and well-being. That appreciation is only going to increase demand and therefore, more value, to homes with gardens or outdoor spaces.”
While the data shows gardens add value to homes across the country, the research showed less than a 1% price difference between houses with and without gardens in both Sheffield and Hull.
Daniel Bunting, Estate Agent at Apropos, comments: “From my own stock of managed properties I have noticed that smaller flats and houses with no outside space have received much less interest than usual. Properties with lots of natural light have done well but properties with outside space have seen increases in rent of up to 10% more than equivalent properties without outside space. This is clearly due to people spending more time at home and being restricted on travel.
“We live in a country with high population density so having some outside space to call your own I think is more important here than other countries. Also, we are more limited on suitable weather for being outside so we want to make the most of it when the weather is good.”
View the full report from Paving Direct here: https://www.pavingdirect.com/gardens-and-uk-rental-prices-2021