Properties with gardens are increasingly in demand – even more so since the pandemic. This has resulted in a significant evolution in the housing market, with gardens driving up property costs.
Alongside the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) score of properties, the presence of a garden is increasingly impacting the cost of houses and flats across Belgium. Nowhere is this more reflected in the purchasing price than in Brussels, a recent analysis by real estate agency Immoweb showed.
"Belgians have a brick in their stomach [referring to the fact that all citizens aspire to build their own house someday] and a garden in their heart," said Managing Director at Immoweb Piet Derriks. Immoweb's comparisons of various types of homes and the land that is adjacent to them highlighted that the demand for outdoor spaces such as gardens is proving to be a crucial factor in property pricing, with significant differences depending on its size.
On average, the price of a 150 m2 house without a garden or with a small garden is 11% lower than that of an identical house with a garden of 250 m2 to 500 m². On the other hand, a house located on a total area of 1,000 m² is on average 17% more expensive. This increase even rises to 28% for a house with land of over 2,000 m².
"If we compare the two extremes, we see that the selling price of a house with land of over 2,000 m² is on average 43% higher than a house without a garden or with a small garden," Derriks explained, adding that this trend is likely to continue to influence prices and buyers' preferences in the coming years.
Urban vs rural areas
Immoweb noted that city dwellers are particularly willing to pay more for a garden. While the impact remains high across all urban areas in Belgium, the percentage impact is more pronounced in Flemish cities such as Bruges and Ghent, which are more urbanised and more densely populated than certain Walloon cities.
The price of a 150 m2 house with a garden of over 2,000 m² was around €134,000 and €166,000 more expensive than that of an identical house with a garden of 250 m² to 500 m², respectively.
However, nowhere is the impact on the price increase higher than in Brussels, where the house prices are the highest in the country and large gardens are rare.
Here, a house with a garden on land of 1,000 m² costs on average €100,000 more than a comparable house with a smaller garden on land of 250 m² to 500 m². This difference can even reach €150,000 for houses with a garden on land of more than 2,000 m².
"Those willing to compromise on garden size can therefore save a lot of money. Forgoing a garden can save up to €100,000 compared to a house with a garden on land with a total area of 500 m² to 1,000 m²," Derriks noted.
