There are clearly more important things to think about than flower beds at the moment, with the current economic meltdown continuing to freeze global property prices – but new research has found that a massive one in five Brits is neglecting their gardens…
We all know that a favourite British pastime is discussing the weather – seeing people’s eyes light up as they predict cold spells or high winds, sharing a roll of the eyes from underneath an umbrella – you name it, whatever the weather, we are in it together.
It’s about the only thing strangers in the UK bond over and it’s a staple of all small talk. But now the weather is forcing Brits to abandon another favourite pastime – gardening.
New research from Alliance & Leicester Personal Loans has found that one in five don’t use the outdoor space as a social or living space.
Only 16 per cent of Brits use their gardens, and then only for three and four months of the year – citing the miserable British weather. The figures are even worse in Scotland where one in four homeowners do not use their garden at all.
Richard Al-Dabbagh, Head of Personal Loans at Alliance & Leicester said, “Unfortunately the UK’s notorious reputation for bad weather means that homeowners do not get to spend as much time as they would like in their garden, with one in five admitting they don’t use their outside space for social or living purposes.
Almost half of the Brits surveyed think that building a conservatory would be enough to encourage them to appreciate their outside space for more of the year and this could work well financially too – experts suggest that adding a conservatory to a property could increase its value by as much as five per cent. Others felt that adding a heater to the garden would make them use it more.
Whilst so few Brits use their gardens, 30 per cent of Londoners are desperate for extra living space and say that they would like their garden to provide them with an extra ‘room.’
Many claim that, if their garden was larger, they would be more inclined to use it more. This statement may sound ridiculous but I can understand where they are coming from – there is a pocked sized balcony attached to my west London flat –which is what passes for outdoor space in the city – and I almost never use it – in the colder months it’s a wind tunnel and in the summer months it’s a suntrap with no shade. If it was slightly larger, with room, for, say, an umbrella, I may just go out on it more.
Improve not move
As Brits look for more ways to save some cash as the credit crunch rages on, many homeowners are choosing to ride out the current downturn and stay put in their homes rather than moving house.
Thus, many are choosing to improve their own home, by adding additions or alterations and not upgrade to another.
Nearly one in five Brits said that if they were able to use their garden all-year round, they would be able to socialise at home more often and would subsequently save more money.
Mr Al-Dabbagh added, “The top additions to make gardens more enticing include heaters, hot tubs, saunas, workshops and conservatories, and homeowners who want to make the most of this space may opt for a personal loan in order to make their garden more desirable and usable,” he added.
As Brits are not out in their gardens during the winter months, the space may often look neglected.
But, come summer, (COME ON, SUMMER!) there is one excellent excuse you could pull out when faced with the prospect of mowing the lawn or tidying the flower beds – research has found that gardeners who neglect their lawns and flower beds could be helping to preserve the British bumblebee.
The National Bumblebee Nest Survey found that bees, which are essential for the pollination of crops and wild plants, prefer long grass and sprouting weeds to neat lawns.
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-ENDS-
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