No garden...

danslenoir

Saw a really lovely detached house yesterday that was pretty much perfect bar the fact it doesn't have a garden (kind of wedged off road between two sets of shops). In much better shape in terms of interior than similar properties around the same price in the same location.

I don't think this is a massive problem for me as I don't have kids and I'm not all that fussed about spending much time in garden space, but it's a pretty big niggle in terms of whether this would present problems down the line if/when I decide to move again. The house is family size and probably out of budget for most first time buyers and young couples without children. I'm guessing lack of garden space would be a bigger problem for people with families? How much harder will a lack of garden make it to sell on again?

rosie383

As someone who viewed many, many properties over the past two years, I wouldn't even go to see a house without a garden. You can always change an interior, but you can't add outside space which isn't there.
If it was a one bedroomed flat, then it isn't as much of an issue, but you will find it harder to sell on if it is a family-sized home.

GoldenShadow

We are mid 20's but have dogs. No garden is a deal breaker and so was a courtyard garden really. Most people I know want some form of garden, but have you got open spaces nearby etc? That might do for some people.

How soon you might want to sell it is a big thing, and if you might want to do so quickly ie. is it a stepping stone house. I know someone who lives in what sounds like a similar house and they ended up moving into rented to make it more appealing ie. chain free as they struggled to sell.

Rosetinted

I'd never buy a house without a garden. I don't have a family nor am I planning one; I just like some kind of outdoor space. That said, there will be others for whom it wouldn't be a big deal (like yourself).

I agree with Rosie that this will make it harder to sell in the future (how much harder isn't easy to judge). A certain percentage of buyers won't ever look at a property without a garden. I expect it would be a requirement for quite a large number of families looking to buy - which appear to be your target market - therefore giving you a smaller pool of potential buyers.

That said, it doesn't make the house unsellable - it just might take a bit longer and you'll have to be realistic with your asking price. A house without garden came up a few months ago in the area I'm buying. It took longer to sell than other houses and the seller did drop their price by £5k, but it did sell in the end, within three months.

ReadingTim

Well, the current vendors bought it. You're thinking of buying it. It's therefore not unreasonable to assume that someone will buy it from you. You're not the first, you won't be the last. You're not a beautiful and unique snowflake.

Yes, the pool of potential buyers may be smaller, and yes, it might sell for less than a similar property with a garden. But as you're likely to have bought it for less than a similar property with a garden, the gain is likely to be the same.

kathrynha

How much out of budget would it be for first time buyers and childless couples? Is there a park really close? Is there any outside space at all?




I know people with kids that have opted for a house with no garden as it was the only way they could afford a big enough one, but there was a park just across the road.


Also if there is no outside space where do bins go?
Is there a garage or outhouse built on whatever outside space there was and could that be knocked down to make a garden?

danslenoir

ReadingTim wrote: »

Well, the current vendors bought it. You're thinking of buying it. It's therefore not unreasonable to assume that someone will buy it from you. You're not the first, you won't be the last. You're not a beautiful and unique snowflake.

Yes, the pool of potential buyers may be smaller, and yes, it might sell for less than a similar property with a garden. But as you're likely to have bought it for less than a similar property with a garden, the gain is likely to be the same.

I wasn't trying to suggest that I am 'unique', merely trying to establish whether reselling in future will be pain in the backside, and if so, how much of one.

Given that the property was marketed last year (and presumably unsold as the vendors said they had been there for years), I don't think this is unreasonable.

r2015

I would buy a house without a garden.

DaftyDuck

I'm a keen gardener. I wouldn't even look at it to buy for myself. Mind you, as an investment property, I'd certainly give it thought. Plenty of people detest gardening, lawnmowing, weeds, insects and worms. Many flat-dwellers may pine for a garden, but some have chosen to avoid all that baggage.

Sure, you may have a slightly smaller pool of buyers looking at it when you eventually sell, but that won;t stop it selling then. You may have to market it slightly sensibly.... not that it will take much effort.

Does no garden mean not even a courtyard. Not a side passage. Nothing..... Or is there a teeny tiny bit, to paraphrase. Even a tiny bit of courtyard can stretch if you know how,

moneyistooshorttomention

I wouldn't buy a house without a garden either. It was bad enough trying to make do with a "courtyard garden" in my starter house - but that was as bad as I was going to let it get and it HAD to be a proper garden for further houses after that.

Looking at houses on the market round here currently - the ones without gardens cost a LOT less than similar ones with. I was quite astonished at just how big the price difference is here for not having a garden. There are a couple of parks pretty nearby - but one is awful and the other "very average/boring". I'm guessing (judging by the level of usage of them) that other people find them as unappealing as I do.

It may vary a bit in different parts of the country. It didn't seem to be that big a difference in my home area and I am guessing that that was down to having some nice parks nearby and the weather was much better. Therefore people could see themselves having a bit of a walk to a park instead. I knew there was 1 attractive park round the corner and a particularly nice one not much further away for instance - but, in this area, I have to walk rather further to get to somewhere "green and attractive" and am more prone to looking at the weather first and therefore its MUCH more important to have a garden on a house here I feel (so it can be made nice and its possible to "duck and dive" in and out as the sun comes out and rain stops). Hence the huge price difference I think between with and without garden.

ReadingTim

danslenoir wrote: »

Given that the property was marketed last year (and presumably unsold as the vendors said they had been there for years), I don't think this is unreasonable.

I wouldn't get too fixated about the lack of garden being the reason for the lack of sale - it could be any number of reasons associated with the vendors, or the buyers, or the property itself.

As you'll see from posts, opinion seems split between "I like gardens/gardening" to "I'm not fussed" - opinion isn't overwhelming one way or another. I'd therefore focus on whether the place is right for you; and if it is, assume that it'll be right for someone similar to you when you come to sell it...