The ‘relentless pursuit of profit has seen outside ...

With savers continuing to receive poor returns from banks and building societies, many people continue to turn to residential property as a means of supplementing their income, and that has contributed to a reduction in properties with outside space, particularly in densely populated areas, according to a new study.

The research by online estate agents Housesimple, which looked at properties currently on the market in more than 100 major UK towns and cities, found that a third of properties in major towns and cities have no outside space.

In Salford, for instance, just 38.9% of properties on the market have a garden, which is the lowest of any UK town or city.

In London, just 29.9% of homes for sale in the borough of Islington have any outside space.

Sam Mitchell, CEO of online estate agents Housesimple, commented: “The back garden isn’t on its last legs, but the relentless pursuit of profit has seen outside space sacrificed, particularly in densely populated areas.

“Developers are building upwards to squeeze every pound of profit out of a plot of land, and gardens take up valuable square footage. Something has to give.

“Sadly, it’s a similar trend with new build family homes. Houses no longer have the expansive back gardens you might have seen 30 to 40 years ago, as developers look to pack as many properties as possible onto new estates.”

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