Inside Out

Increasingly looking outside for lifestyle inspiration, more people are searching for homes based on what’s on offer beyond the bifolds – the grillers in the garden. RUPERT BATES reports

We know about the Fire and the Food, but the rise of BBQ magazine’s third pillar, Outdoor Living, is surely one of the biggest UK lifestyle revolutions of recent years.

The ‘outside space’ used to simply be called the ‘garden’, with granny, trug in hand, tending her herbaceous border, as grandpa auditioned for a cricket groundsman’s job with the symmetry of his lawn stripes.

Time to put horticultural cliches on the compost. Landscaping just got harder – a realisation that much of the outdoor ‘carpet’ is no longer soft and green. Goodbye grass, hello decking. If you’re going to grill, you need a solid base and, with the gauntlet of the British weather to run, you need a degree of overhead protection too – pergolas, gazebos and canopies.

Add in architectural statements, be they planters or plinths and, should budget allow, the full outdoor kitchen, complete with worktops, cabinets, sinks and fridges, and there is little room left for flora, other than to add a dab of colour and keep the bees buzzing.

Although housing market conditions, due to the economic climate, remain tough, the trend temperature is rising when it comes to interest in the outdoors and, for many, it is the now number one purchasing priority.

Estate agents used to fill their property brochures with eulogies to fully fitted (indoor) kitchens with the latest appliances, the sensory qualities of the en suite bathroom, the ornate brickwork and the exposed timbers. Now they often look outside first. Forget the inglenook; we want our fires outside.  A selection of country houses on the market (as BBQ magazine went to press) highlights the level of interest in outdoor dining and entertaining.

The Forge near Haslemere, Surrey (estate agent: Knight Frank) has sun terraces and decking areas for cooking and entertaining, as well as a kitchen garden to feed the grills with homegrown fruit and vegetables.

Church Mead near Worcester (Morgan Aps) has an outdoor kitchen and garden room area on a large terrace. Long Park in the Pembrokeshire village of Manorbier (Country Living Group) also has a big, elevated terrace for outdoor entertaining with views of the sea.

Tudor House in Dorrington near Shrewsbury (Strutt & Parker) has a covered shelter that shouts al fresco dining. The Garden House in Tunbridge Wells, Kent (Knight Frank), is set within a walled kitchen garden. The Peak in Cranbrook, Kent (Knight Frank) is a contemporary home with terraces, a walled garden and a pathway through a wildflower meadow to another BBQ area.

Cider Barn in Gloucester (Savills) has a decked terrace alongside landscaped gardens, and Wiltshire Cottage in Binfield, Berkshire (Knight Frank) is a refurbished Grade II listed house where you can step from the new kitchen straight out to the BBQ area. 

The more enlightened housebuilders are becoming increasingly aware of the value of outdoor space, not just for entertaining, but health and wellbeing, recognising the opportunities, as they often have, within planning limits, blank canvases to start from.

The Berkeley Group, including Berkeley Homes, has seen prospective buyers seeking the opportunity to create another ‘room’ in the house.

“There is a clear shift in how buyers value outdoor space. It’s no longer just about opening up the back of their home. Purchasers are increasingly focused on what sits beyond that, and how that space actually functions on a daily basis,” says Josie Holding, Berkeley head of marketing.

“We are seeing more customers looking beyond the internal layout and placing greater emphasis on how outdoor space can support day-to-day living. There is a noticeable rise in interest in the garden, terrace or balcony as an extension of the home – somewhere to eat, entertain, unwind and personalise. Buyers are increasingly thinking about outdoor space not simply as an add-on, but as part of the overall lifestyle they are buying into.”

Holding says features such as BBQ areas, outdoor dining, soft landscaping, planting, lounge seating and flexible entertaining space, are becoming much more relevant in the homebuying conversation. 

“People want to picture how they will use that space, whether that is hosting friends and family, or simply having somewhere calm to relax. That said, our approach is often to treat gardens as a blank canvas. Rather than over-designing them, we create a strong, well-considered foundation and allow purchasers the freedom to curate the space in a way that reflects their own lifestyle and taste. For some, that might mean outdoor cooking and entertaining; for others, it may be a quieter retreat with planting, wellness or family-focused use.”

Berkeley has used outdoor dining activations to support show home launches, in partnership with BBQ magazine – productive and fun ways to market and sell homes, while engaging communities and local suppliers and producers.

“These activations bring the public realm to life, demonstrating how spaces are intended to be used. This aligns directly with our lifestyle-led approach to development, showcasing not just homes, but thriving communities,” says Holding.

Shelley West, group sales and marketing director of City & Country, believes that among many buyers of new homes, the outdoor space is just as important as the kitchen or living room, with a growing expectation that the areas should be both purposeful and beautifully designed, be it for family dining or as quiet wellbeing spaces.

“With outdoor living playing a progressively larger part in the overall customer proposition, features such as outdoor kitchens, pergolas, garden rooms and premium paving are becoming much more relevant within housebuilders’ placemaking and design conversations,” says West.

“Opportunities to collaborate with outdoor living specialists are growing, alongside partnerships with brands that can help elevate these spaces further. Events that centre around food, wellbeing and entertainment encourage people to immerse themselves in the potential ways of life at the development.”

Nathan Wise is leasing director at Quintain Living, renting more than 3,500 apartments at Wembley Park, overlooking the iconic Wembley stadium in London.

“Prospective customers and residents are as interested in the outdoor spaces as they are in the apartments. Outdoor supply chain partnerships are essential. BBQs, dining tables and chairs, outdoor kitchens, casual seating, deckchairs, planters, lighting – everything is considered,” says Wise.

“We also select top-quality appliances to ensure residents have access to premium BBQs and grilling stations when they want to cook outside. For resident events, which we hold regularly outdoors, we partner with local businesses to supply food and drink.”

The Fairford Outdoor Kitchen range from Whistler Grills is inspired by people now using their gardens as true extensions of the home, creating a destination for gathering, dining and entertaining – a social hub.

At the core of the Fairford collection is its fully modular design. Customers can configure and customise the kitchen to suit their space, choosing individual units to create a straight run, L-shape, or bespoke layout. This flexibility, including a bar area, fridge, and storage cabinet, allows homeowners to design their ideal kitchen, tailored precisely to their garden size and lifestyle.

But amid the grills and thrills, a garden balance still needs to be struck. Home improvement retailer Wickes has partnered with TV gardening expert Katie Rushworth to launch a new Summer Garden Guide, centred on her ‘70/30 Rule’ encouraging gardeners to keep 70% of their space maintained, while letting 30% grow wild to support wildlife and reduce upkeep. 

The guide is designed for the reality of modern gardening, where time, weather and maintenance are key barriers, and includes seasonal advice on planting, edible gardening and making outdoor spaces more resilient.

“Summer is perfect for edible planting – there’s nothing better than picking basil for a salad, or strawberries for dessert, straight from your own garden. I love tucking herb planters next to barbecues for easy picking, planting tomatoes along sunny paths, and filling raised beds with vegetables you can admire and enjoy,” says Rushworth.