North facing garden?

[Tinks15]

Are north facing gardens really that bad? We are considering buying a new build but it has a north facing garden.
I keep reading various things online about north facing gardens when they will & won’t get the sun - I’m confused!

Depends how long the garden is. If it’s only a short garden and faces full north then it will be in the shadow of the house all day. If you live in a rainy area then you can expect a damp, green, cold patio.

If it’s a long garden you can put your patio at the far end to catch the sun, but the area outside the back door will still be cold and shadowed.

South / West facing gardens are the ideal, but come at a premium.

I wouldn't buy a house with a north facing garden, though I suppose it depends how you want to use it

If it's a new build I'm assuming it's a fairly small garden, won't get any sun. You won't be able to grow vegetables or most flowering plants, and the garden will be damp and full of moss/algae

I bought a house with a north facing garden 12 years ago. When DH and I were childless we didn’t care, we were out and about all the time. Once we had children a garden in permanent shade was miserable. Even in summer it was cold and damp!

6 years ago we moved house and I refused to look at north facing houses! I now live in a south facing house and it’s so lovely - even in winter!

For me I need as much light as possible for good mental health.

north facing garden mean the house will (should) be cheaper.... We live on an east/west straight road. Houses on one side (north facing gardens) sell for 20-30k less than the other side.

I have a north facing garden but it's long and narrow (Victorian terrace). The patio right next to the house is always in shade but the sun comes over the house before 11am and it's a lovely place to sit until around 6pm when trees get in the way. I like it because there is always shade available on a hot day.

I have a completely south facing garden. That itself can be a pain in the height of summer because we get no shade whatsoever so we have to put the gazebo and umbrellas up when it's really sunny or it's just too hot.

Having said that in the colder months we really get the befit of a bright sunny garden.

Our neighbours opposite are always moaning about their gardens being gloomy and a lot of them end up using their front gardens because their north facing back gardens don't get much sun. Our living room is north facing and is noticeably duller than the south facing rooms so I know I wouldn't buy a garden with this aspect.

If you like to sit in the sun then I wouldn't! I held out for south facing and it's worth it. To me, there is nothing more depressing than having your garden in the shade when the sun is beating down outside. It's personal preference though I'm sure.

They really are that bad. I end up having to sit out in the front when it's hot any time after midday.

We bought a new build with a North facing garden but because there's nothing blocking the sun from from the west we get the sun from about half nine until six pm. The part of the garden nearest the house is shaded until late afternoon so it's ideal!
I'd say don't rule it out!

We considered a house with a due north facing garden. The lawn area was raised and big enough to get the sun but the patio area at ground level was not just cold but felt like it had never had sun, like the stone and bricks were cold and were radiating the cold too (like an old church). This was in the height of summer and I’m a shade lover.
But as others say there are other factors that will influence how any one property feels.

We have a north-facing garden and it’s absolutely fine. It’s quite big and slopes uphill away from the house, which may make a difference. But even the patio, which is right next to the house, gets very hot and sunny - I’ve been taking a cup of coffee out there in the mornings and having to put the sunshade up. The kitchen is a bit dark, though.

I don't think I could live in a house with a birth facing garden to be honest.

I would try and go see the house on a sunny day and see where the sunshine hits.

We are NW facing and get the sun around 1pm for the rest of the day.

North facing garden* 😂😂

I love my garden! It's what made me buy the house.
It's north facing and sunny all day. Yes the first couple of meters don't see the sun until evening, but the rest sees it all day.
Admittedly it is a long garden (130ft) and has no buildings behind it. But like I said, it's only the part closest to the house that is shady. That's actually my favourite place to sit.

Actually, I hadn't given this much thought. But it's bungalows to the east of me so maybe that has a major effect and why the garden gets that early sun too.

North wouldn’t put me off. Having had a south facing twice, I would never have one again

I prefer my north facing garden to the south facing garden I had previously. It’s a sun trap during the summer but there is shade to go and sit in. In my old south facing garden I found the sun could be relentless during the summer.

My garden is north facing, I get sun from the east and west, and it's about 40ft long so the far end is south facing. It's lovely, there's always a bit of shade and sunny spots, the kitchen (faces garden) is cool, I look out on sun. So I'd say think about what sun it does get and try and see it at different times of day.

We have a new build north facing garden. The patio which is next to the house gets sun all morning and then is in shade all afternoon while the grass is in sun. I actually really like it as can't cope well with direct sun so like to sit in the shade. By strategically placing things I am successfully growing a wide range of fruit and veg in it.

My last two houses have had north facing gardens and both have been great. One was shady, but it was long so still had sunshine as well as cooler spots in summer. my current one is on high ground and is really sunny, much more so than an east facing garden I had. I personally wouldn’t want a south facing garden as it would be relentless heat on a hot day.

Our first house had a north facing garden of about 80 feet long. It was in a row of similar semi-detached properties. The patio immediately outside the french doors had summer sun in the morning and evening. It was only ever shaded during the hottest part of a summer afternoon - great for our new born at that time. We grew a range of climbing plants with great fragrances which made the area lovely. I see from google earth the neighbour on the east has erected an extension which means that corner would only get sun in the evening, but that would not mean it is damp and cold.

A typically small garden one now build won't get any sun except early and late, if it faces North. A bigger garden may have sunny spots at various times of the day.

It depends how you want to use the garden, at certain times you want the shade but it's easier to create that than to add sunshine.

Our house is NW facing and we have sun for most of the day (on days we have any!), there is just one patch that stays in shadow, so we've planted specific things that like those conditions. Our patio is a real sun trap though and we've had to buy a parasol for it this year. I think it's fine as long as you plan the layout carefully to get the best of the sun. Definitely wouldn't stop me buying a home I loved.

Ours faces north. However it is almost 200ft long so can grow most things beyond the shadow of the house. Patio gets direct sun between Easter and October, except in middle of the day.

Depends on the house. If it’s a bungalow with a rear flat roof, it’ll be a totally different issue than if it’s a three storey terraced townhouse. Look at the actual situation in as much detail as you can - for new build off plan, I’d be knocking up a cardboard scale model of the site and testing angles with a torch, but that might be just me.