Buyers look for "decent-sized" gardens

Housebuyers look for a reasonably-sized garden when looking for a new house, even if they are not gardeners, according to one chartered surveyor.

Alex Upson, a partner at chartered surveyor partnership Cluttons, states that garages and gardens constitute around 20 per cent of a property’s overall value.

However, Mr Upson also said that using garden space for outside buildings and extensions, such as conservatories, which take up more than 40 per cent of garden space can actually reduce a property’s value.

"If the conservatory is going to take over more than, say, 40 per cent of the garden space, then it’s probably going to detract from the value of having the garden."

Mr Upson’s comments follow research from Zoomf.com that people living in London will pay 10.8 per cent more for a property with a garden.

The study also revealed that purchasers would fork out an additional 7.5 per cent for a parking space.