WHEN it comes to buying a home, for many people, particularly families, the quality and size of the garden often influences the decision.

With that in mind, the Office for National statistics, MG Timber and the Online Marketing Surgery have now ranked the areas in Essex which are the best for home with outdoor spaces. 

The results are based on the total amount of home garden space in each area with Cornwall, for example, having the most garden space area in the country at 103,535,976 metres-squared. 

The City of London, meanwhile, has only 380 metres-squared, due to it being dominated by skyscrapers and the service sector - 400,000 metres-squared smaller than the nearest contender. 

But what about in Essex?

Here are top five areas in Essex with the most private garden space:

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Pretty - Central Braintree has the most private garden space in Essex, pictured Bures High StreetPretty - Central Braintree has the most private garden space in Essex, pictured Bures High Street (Image: Bob Jones, Wikimedia)

  1. In first place is Bures Hamlet, Maplstead and Belchamp in Braintree with an average 3,739,338 (m2) home garden space area,
  2. Steeple View and Noak Bridge in Basilon is second with an average 3,355, 392 (m2) home garden space area.
  3. In third place is Great Totham, Wickham Bishops and Woodham in Maldon with an average 3,250, 717 (m2) home garden space area,
  4. Mayland, Althorne and Cold Norton in Maldon comes fourth with an average 3,218, 893 (m2) home garden space area.
  5. Colchester’s Horkesley Heath, Langham and Dedham comes fifth with an average 2,990,507(m2) home garden space area.

And here are the worst five areas in Essex for private garden space: 

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Towers - Grays Town's Woodgreen House, Davall House and Butler House towersTowers - Grays Town's Woodgreen House, Davall House and Butler House towers (Image: Submitted)

  1. Grays Town, in Thurrock, is the Essex area which has the lowest amount of home private green space with only 147,383m2.
  2. The second lowest is Clacton central with an average of 192,100 (m2) home garden space area.
  3. The third lowest is Chalvedon is Basildon with an average of 206,299 (m2) home garden space area.
  4. In fourth place is Southend Central in Southend-on-Sea with an average 211,989 (m2) home garden space area.
  5. Kursall in Southend-on-Sea is the fifth lowest with an average 238,978 m2) home garden space area.