New research by home buying company Quick Move Now, found that 58% felt the pandemic had made their gardens more of a priority over the last year.
It seems people have been willing to increase their budget over the last year, in response to changing priorities. When asked how much money they spend on their garden each year, just 12% of homeowners said they usually spent more than £600. When asked how much they had spent on their garden in 2020, this number rose to 22%. Looking ahead to the rest of 2021, 27% say they expect to spend more than £600 on their garden this year.
The most common work carried out in gardens since the start of 2020 has been the addition of new plants, which 50% of those questioned had done. Other popular garden investments included buying new garden furniture (44%), new outdoor lighting (24%), new garden fencing (21%), children’s play equipment (20%), growing their own fruit or vegetables for the first time (20%) and purchasing new outdoor cooking equipment, such as a new barbecue or pizza oven (18%). It seems homeowners also haven’t been afraid to try their hand at a bit of DIY during lockdown, with 8% of respondents saying they’ve made some new garden furniture and 5% having built a garden bar.
So why have homeowners been so keen to invest in their outdoor space over the last year? For most people lockdowns and travel, restrictions have resulted in significantly more time at home. 60% of respondents said they had carried out the work for their own enjoyment as they are spending more time at home, 10% said it was for entertaining family and friends and 8% said their main motivation was to add value to their property.
Danny Luke, Quick Move Now’s managing director, commented: “It’s widely accepted that UK homeowners have been spending more time in their gardens as a result of Covid-19 and the associated lockdowns, but the results of the research, regarding the number of people who feel the pandemic has made investing in their garden more of a priority, and how much more they are investing financially, are quite surprising.
“Lockdown rules about meeting outside mean that gardens have become even more of a social entertaining space than they have been previously, and therefore homeowners are choosing to invest in items such as new seating and new lighting to be able to maximise their garden as an extension to their living space, where they can relax and socialise with their loved ones.
“Despite the economic uncertainty that Covid-19 has brought, it seems homeowners are viewings their outdoor space as a worthwhile investment, with many spending significantly more on their gardens than they would normally do.”
