Advantages of living in a house with a garden

Living in contact with nature, having a space close by where you can breathe fresh air or feel the sun on your face is something we appreciate the most, especially for those who do not have it so close at hand.

The experience of confinement has been so harsh that many of us are still anxious about the possibility of further confinement.

The advantages of living in a house with a garden, having a space for entertainment and leisure indoors has been until now a plus, but today it is an (almost) priority requirement for many who are in the situation of having to live in a house with a garden. buy o rent a house in the city.

From the garden as an aristocratic recreation area to a decisive factor in the purchase of a home

In its early days, gardening was developed by the wealthy classes for amusement and diversion. The earliest extant evidence of ornamental gardens dates back to 1500 BC in Egypt. Even in the Qur'an there is mention of gardens as an "earthly representation of paradise" for believers of the Muslim faith.

In the 19th century, at the height of the industrial boom, the massive migration of workers from the countryside to the city generated a twofold real estate phenomenon: substandard housing and villas. Many workers lived in unhealthy conditions in the city, while the bourgeoisie lived in villas or garden cities on the outskirts.

Some historians consider Philip Webb's Red House (1859) the first modern house design.

Today, the benefits of living in a home with a garden are much more than just enjoyment and fun. In fact, half of all new homes bought in 2020 were homes with a garden or outdoor space.

According to this report New Build Homebuyer Profile 2020 of AEDAS Homes, 

"The pandemic has made housing the number one priority for families and has sparked new residential preferences among buyers, who are now looking for larger homes with more rooms and outdoor spaces to relax and unwind.

COVID-19 has brought about radical changes in our daily behaviour. While until recently it was common to sacrifice square metres in order to be in the heart of the city because there was an interest in being close to cultural centres and recreational areas such as restaurants, squares and parks, the situation has changed considerably and the priority - the trend confirms this - is to have plenty of space, to be outdoors and in contact with nature.

Why do we now want to live in a house with a garden?

Out of fear or precaution of possible new confinement, homebuyers are now looking for more space.. Because confinement caused us, among other things: stress, worry, anxiety, insomnia, boredom... We don't want to go through it again, so now, more than ever, we value physical space more than easy access to an active social life.

A good example of this was the new uses and consumption of housing during confinement to meet the needs of those who lived there, which we collected in this survey. How do you live your home in times of confinement? together with the "Habitar" research group of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya to nearly 1,000 participants. We were able to observe that the fact of "Being at home for long periods of time has promoted a series of actions that hack the home"..

• Thus, 54.1% has changed the furniture layout to adapt the rooms to a multi-purpose use; 
• 52.3% have disposed of things or put them aside temporarily; 
• 33.7% has fitted out the balcony to be able to spend more time on it; 
• 26.9% has built itself a makeshift workspace.

In conclusion, the experience of the lockdown could even be presented as "enriching", as it showed us the versatility of a building to cope with future pandemics and the creativity of its inhabitants to create space where there is none... Although, obviously, it is something we do not want to go through again.

Today we want the tranquillity and wellbeing that comes from having a place where we can stretch out, cool off, share family moments outdoors, enjoying the sun, the wind and even the earth. That is how important it is to have a garden at home.

What are the pros and cons of buying a house with a garden?

The reason for the growth and consolidation of interest in houses with gardens is clear: the spectre of a new confinement and the bad memory that confinement has left in most of us. 

It is true that according to the latest statistics, looking at the number of infections and deaths over the past year and a half, it seems unlikely that there will be a new pandemic wave that will force us into confinement once again. Returning to live, work, education, entertainment and exercise at home seems a long way off. But even so, the Covid-19 pandemic is unpredictable and no one is confident anymore.

But is everything better with a garden and what are the trade-offs? To help you decide whether living in a house with a garden really is all about the advantages, we have prepared this list with the most relevant PROS and CONs of houses with a garden. 

PROS

1. It lowers the ambient temperature. 
2. It allows the whole family and friends to enjoy it.
3. It gives you a space for recreational or sporting activities. 
4. They add value to the property.
5. It is a space for disconnection.
6. You can plant your own garden and eat organic vegetables.
7. You have an outdoor place for children to play. 
8. It offers extra space for pets.

CONS

1. They may be more insecure homes.
2. Depending on the layout, they may provide less privacy.
3. They need maintenance.
4. Less silence from the street and neighbours.
5. These are more expensive properties.
6. You can get a golf-loving neighbour who breaks your windows once a week.

Are ground floor apartments with a garden in a city a good option?

It is a gamble that will depend very much on the type of bass and the community in which it is located.

• If you have neighbours upstairs (the most logical) you will suffer from cigarette butts, papers, rubbish or clothes pegs falling down.  
• They don't offer much privacy, as the upper floors can watch what you are doing without too much trouble.
• It will be difficult to install a barbecue, as without a good chimney the smoke will be a nuisance.
• The same applies to noise, in case of meetings. 
• They tend to be less luminous. 

But anyway, for every Yin, there is a Yang.

• A ground floor apartment with a garden is a type of property that is characterised by its easy accessibility. It is recommended for people with reduced mobility or families with children.  
• They are often larger than the rest of the dwellings in the community. 
• For all the cons it has, it makes up for it in price: in general, ground floor apartments with a garden are cheaper. 

At Monapart we sell y we rent low, medium and high. As we have detailed in this post, we are well aware of the pros and cons of living in a house with a garden. But what keeps us awake at night and hungry during the day is to be able to sell homes that are beautiful and that make their owners happy. If that's what you're looking for, contact us and we'll help you find your new home with a garden in the same time it takes you to say "flower".