The past year has seen the value of outdoor space increase as demand rises for properties that are better equipped for outdoor living and entertaining.
In fact, UK residents now value outdoor space so highly that 64% wouldn’t even consider buying a home that didn’t have an outdoor area.
So, if you’re looking to sell and want to maximise the value of your outdoor space, or you’d like to transform your own garden to make the most of the great British summer, our trends research uncovered which garden improvements add the most value to your home in 2021.
The garden improvements that add the most value
Outdoor entertaining areas for socially distanced visits, a home office in the garden and garden gyms for home workouts are amongst the most desired post-pandemic outdoor improvements, adding a combined value of almost £15K to your property.
The top 20 most value-adding garden improvements in 2021 (and how much value they’d add):
| 1 | Swimming pool | £7,707 |
| 2 | Home office garden room | £5,325 |
| 3 | Summerhouse | £5,249 |
| 4 | Gym/studio room in the garden | £5,107 |
| 5 | Bifold doors/French windows to the garden | £4,654 |
| 6 | Outdoor entertaining area | £4,286 |
| 7 | Decked patio | £4,227 |
| 8 | Paved patio | £4,083 |
| 9 | Greenhouse | £3,805 |
| 10 | Mature plants/trees/flowers | £3,716 |
| 11 | Lawned garden | £3,694 |
| 12 | A new shed | £3,595 |
| 13 | Contemporary horizontal slatted fencing | £3,589 |
| 14 | Pond | £3,572 |
| 15 | Astro turf | £3,529 |
| 16 | Kid’s treehouse | £3,519 |
| 17 | Water feature | £3,468 |
| 18 | External lighting | £3,419 |
| 19 | Built-in pizza oven | £3,339 |
| 20 | Built-in outdoor BBQ | £3,320 |
Whilst these improvements may take some time and financial investment, people now value outdoor space more than ever before. 44% of Brits said they wouldn’t have been able to see their family and friends in the past year if it weren’t for their gardens.
In addition, 57% said that having an outdoor space helped them cope through the pandemic, showing the mental health benefits of outdoor space.
The Biggest Garden trends in 2021
By looking at demand for a range of gardening jobs on Rated People, we discovered which garden improvements were increasing in popularity and which are looking like they’ll be key trends for 2021.
Swimming pool maintenance requests rose by a staggering 223% in 2020, suggesting that anyone who’s lucky enough to have a pool in their back garden was keen to use it in place of a holiday abroad.
Demand for local gardeners and tradespeople to build a garden gym increased by 218%. And when it comes to socialising at home, interest in BBQs increased by 111%, fire pits went up by 92% and wooden decking rose by 77%.
The top 10 garden-related jobs rising in popularity most in 2021 (according to demand for tradespeople on our site)
1. Swimming pool maintenance + 223% (YoY 2019 vs 2020)
2. Garden gym +218%
3. Wooden/metal/wire fencing +143%
4. BBQ +111%
5. Fire pit +92%
6. Sprinkler system +82%
7. Wooden decking +77%
8. Log cabins +74%
9. Summerhouse +73%
10. Playhouse/garden shed +71%