Over-50s ditch south-facing gardens and their hefty price premiums
The latest research from over-50s property specialists, Regency Living, reveals that while most homebuyers tend to have a strong preference for south-facing gardens, among over-50s the relative cool of a north-facing garden is actually the preferred choice.
It has long been understood that homebuyers prefer south-facing gardens due to the fact that they bask in a greater amount of warm sunshine throughout the day than north-facing gardens which only tend to receive the sun during the cooler hours of the morning.
In fact, such is the appetite for homes with a south-facing garden that they command an average price premium of 4% compared to the wider market which, at the current average UK house price of £271,000, is the equivalent of adding £10,857 to a home’s value.
However, it seems that among older homebuyers, there is far less of a desire to spend time in the hot sun, rendering south-facing gardens less appealing.
In fact, Regency Living’s new survey of 1,000 over-50s* reveals that less than a fifth (19%) enjoy spending a lot of time in direct sunshine. Instead, the vast majority (51%) say they enjoy sun exposure ‘in moderation’, while 31% say they actually prefer to spend time in the shade.
Furthermore, only 17% of over-50s feel comfortable in the heat during the hottest parts of the day, with the remaining 83% saying that they find the heat uncomfortable and will actively avoid spending time in direct sunlight between noon and mid-afternoon.
Almost half of respondents say that their preference for sun exposure has changed as they’ve aged, with 47% saying they now prefer to spend less time in direct sunshine that they did when they were younger.
This desire to stay sheltered from hot sunshine means that 44% say they would prefer to have a home with a north-facing garden – which only receives direct sunlight during the cooler morning hours. Meanwhile, only 13% say they would prefer a south-facing garden which tends to receive far more sunshine and stay warmer throughout the day.
Sales & Marketing Director at Regency Living, Tim Simmons commented:
“There’s a bit of an overarching assumption that everybody wants a south-facing garden in order to enjoy as much direct sunshine as possible and, as a result, a south-facing garden can be a valuable feature for those looking to sell - commanding a premium of almost £11,000.
But if you want to avoid too much sun exposure, as many silver downsizers do, a south-facing garden isn’t the appealing feature that many sellers might think.
Of course, outdoor space remains a sought after feature, even for those who have left their sun-worshipping years behind them and one of the key benefits of a park home is that each plot comes complete with an all encompassing outside area as standard.
This means that park home downsizers get a south, north, east and west facing garden area, so that they can enjoy the great outdoors whatever the weather and whatever their preference for sun exposure is.”
