From London to Glasgow, more people are living higher up, setting down roots in apartments and making more of compact outdoor spaces. LECHUZA, the self-watering planter expert, reveals where balcony living is on the rise – and how to make every centimetre count.
Apartment living has become a defining feature of modern urban life across the UK, with huge numbers of people already living in purpose-built flats and converted buildings, with countless more apartments in the pipeline nationwide.
From London, where 54.0% of households live in flats, to Glasgow, where that figure reaches 67.0%, the shift towards apartment living is clear. Across Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol, thousands more apartment blocks are set to come forward in the coming years – bringing with them a growing reliance on balconies as primary outdoor spaces.
Whilst balconies add undeniable value to a property, they are rarely single-purpose. In most residences they are multi-functional and need to work hard, not only offering space to relax, entertain, create privacy and soak up some sun but – increasingly – to cultivate home-grown produce or to elevate the dwelling with decorative plants.
To understand where balcony living is set to grow the most, LECHUZA analysed a combination of current flat-living rates and future apartment development pipelines to create a ‘Balcony Potential Index’ – highlighting the cities where compact outdoor gardening is poised to take off.
The UK’s balcony capitals
At the top of the index sits London, where 54.0% of households – around 1.8 million – already live in flats, maisonettes or apartments. With 12,800 build-to-rent homes currently under construction and a further 42,536 in planning, the capital remains the UK’s undisputed hub for balcony living.
Close behind is Glasgow, where 67.0% of adults live in flats – the highest proportion among the cities analysed – alongside a pipeline of 6,254 build-to-rent homes.
Manchester continues its rapid residential expansion, with 28% of households already in purpose-built flats and 15,332 homes granted planning permission, plus around 5,500 new units expected to complete in 2026.
In Birmingham, 88,786 households – 21.0% – live in flats, with a further 20,266 build-to-rent homes in development, while Leeds is seeing similar momentum, with flats accounting for 25.3% of dwellings and 10,935 homes in the pipeline.
Meanwhile, Bristol, where 35% of households already live in flats, continues to grow its urban residential offer, with a further 3,087 build-to-rent homes set to come forward.
Together, the data paints a clear picture: more people than ever are living higher up, with balconies increasingly becoming the primary – and sometimes only – private outdoor space.
Maximising your Balcony’s Potential
Those who don’t have the luxury of gardens must look to container gardening to satisfy their green dreams. The self-watering planter and growing substrate specialist, Lechuza, can help urban dwellers to manifest those dreams on balconies and windowsills in cities and towns up and down the country, helping them to grow-their-own and bring the bloom of nature to their outdoor spaces.
Strong, stable planters like LECHUZA TRIO with matching trellis will fit neatly against a wall and enable you to neatly train plants upwards, supporting climbers and enabling you to grow vertically rather than horizontally in limited space. This is the perfect solution if you want to grow leggy crops such as tomatoes, peas or fruit bushes, bearing in mind that all these plants will need plenty of sun in order to thrive.
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LECHUZA BALCONERA planters are ideal for placing over railings or tucking into windowsills and other compact areas. The self-watering system means you don’t have to worry about plants drying out during dry spells, whilst removable drainage screws enable you to drain off excess water after rainy spells. This is the perfect place to grow strawberries or salad crops if GYO is your goal, or you can fill them with flowering plants for an instant upgrade to your living space.
Need more tips?
Visit the LECHUZA Academy for hints, tips and inspiration to help with your container gardening.
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