Keep up with the Greens and stay ahead in the property market

Forget the Jones’ – a new study by B&Q has found we’re now a nation desperate to keep up with the ‘Greens’ next door in light of the current housing market, according to new research.

As homeowners look to maximise their property’s sale appeal, B&Q’s Green with Envy? study of almost 1,300 Brits has identified an increasing trend towards ‘gre-envy’, with homeowners competing with their neighbours to add vegetable patches, chicken coops and water butts to their gardens.

Henry Pryor from Primemove says: “The garden can be a deciding factor for those buying new properties. At this time of year, homeowners are beginning to look to their garden to give them an edge over other homes, not just in terms of size and standard but also in terms of green credentials. We expect this trend for greener gardens will continue as more people buy into a greener lifestyle and look to set their garden apart from others on the market.”

Top five most-envied status symbols spied over the garden fence:

1. Vegetable patch
2. Chicken coop
3. Wild area to encourage wildlife
4. New car
5. Water-efficient plant watering system

The study found that many ‘gre-envious’ Brits plan to boost their own green credentials over the next twelve months with the purchase of green garden products and will invest more than £3.8 billion in doing so.

Almost one in five people say they’ll be buying a water butt, 22% plan to purchase solar-powered garden lighting, 16% declare they’ll invest in either a pond or a wild area to encourage wildlife to their gardens and 12% reveal a compost bin is on their shopping list. Furthermore, a massive 67% of people say they’ll grow their own fruit, vegetables or herbs this year.

As well as being motivated by ‘gre-envy’, two in five garden-owners are plagued by ‘green guilt’ over their non-green behaviour and the lack of green products in their gardens and homes. More than two thirds (77%) of people want to be greener in the garden, with the majority claiming cost is the biggest factor preventing them from doing so.

While green behaviour of those over the garden fence generates ‘gre-envy’, when it comes to celebrity greens it’s those across the pond who are believed to be setting the best example. Julia Roberts, owner of a £15million Malibu eco-mansion, was voted the greenest celebrity, followed by Cameron Diaz and George Clooney who are both known for their dedication to sustainable living.

Rachel Bradley, B&Q’s Social Responsibility Manager says: “This is one example where one-upmanship over your neighbours is actually a positive thing! It’s encouraging that people seem to be shunning traditional status symbols and are instead hankering over items that provide us with the new ideal of green living.

“However, it’s interesting that most still cite cost as the key factor in not going green, when a water butt costs less than £20 and solar lighting for your garden starts from £7.98. You can actually kit out your home and garden like Julia Roberts’ mansion for a fraction of the price if you shop carefully. Sometimes it’s just about knowing where to start. B&Q has recently launched an eco-calculator on diy.com to help you see where you can make the most impact, so everyone can make a small change to make a big difference. Having a greener garden really needn’t cost the earth.”