Open Garden Squares

Summer has finally arrived and with it brings the annual ‘Open Garden Squares Weekend’ which runs from 14th – 15th June. I absolutely love this event; it’s when around 200 London gardens open their gates to the public.

The gardens range from historical private squares, which are usually only open to local residents who live on the squares, to contemporary roof gardens, prisons, barges, skips, museums, schools and allotments. If you’re passionate about outdoor space like I am, it really is magical. It’s also a good opportunity to nose around and check out hidden parts of London you might not otherwise know about or be able to access. Some garden squares in Mayfair for example are so hidden, they don’t even show up on a map!

One of my favourite gardens is Ladbroke Square, made famous by the film ‘Notting Hill’. It’s one of London’s largest private squares, nearly seven and a half acres in size. The closing scene of the film was filmed here, and there are some spectacular houses which back directly onto the square, so it’s a great opportunity to have a peek at their exterior while you’re walking around.

A lot of our international clients comment on how green London feels and the fact that it does have so many great parks and green spaces. Buyers and tenants often place a lot of importance on outside space, and as the weather gets warmer, we see more and more of our clients requesting it as part of their search criteria.

If you own a property which you’re selling or renting and you’re lucky enough to have outside space, don’t overlook it. It can be a huge selling feature, so if you have the budget (and you don’t need too spend much) create an attractive space. It can be a fantastic extension of your internal space and I’ve seen many properties snapped up over the years because of lovely outside space.

If you have a question you’d like Jo to answer please email enquire@eccord.com or tweet her @joeccles.