To request access to garden to check sun levels when buying a house

[howmuchsun]

Basically a sunny garden is very important to me. I absolutely love the sun and if a garden doesn’t get any, or much sun, it’s a deal breaker when looking at houses.

We’re viewing a house today and we’ve already fallen in love with it. It’s perfect, other than not knowing how much sun the garden gets. The house is on a corner plot in a cul de sac and the garden goes around the side of the house and around to the back. The garden backs on to a brook which we LOVE and there are a lot of really big high trees on the other side of the brook. Because these trees are so tall, I’m worried that they’ll block out all the sun. The pictures online show a sunny garden but these were taken a couple of months ago when the trees were bare and you can see the shadows of their branches go up to the house. I’m thinking when the trees are full in the summer, there won’t be any sun in the garden. Or, hopefully, the sun will be high enough in the summer that the garden will be sunny.

We’ve asked the estate agent to ask the owner how much sun the garden gets but they’re surely going to lie and say it’s sunny even if it’s not. So here’s my AIBU - could I ask to go and visit the garden periodically tomorrow? There’s an entrance around the side of the house I could just walk though and peek into the garden so wouldn’t need to go through the house. Or is that totally unreasonable?

The current owner is an 85 year old lady if that makes any difference. It’ll just me be (30y/o female) and my baby checking out the garden.

You should view the garden and the exterior of the house, if you're seriously considering buying, anyhow - look at the condition of the brickwork, windows, roof, gutters, signs of poor drainage and so on. You don't want to find out that the garden, regardless of light levels, is a swamp for much of the year and the kitchen windowframe is held in with chewing gum, for example.

@PickAChew this is very true. My husband is a builder so he’ll be scoping out all of these things.

I’m currently sat in my car behind all the trees and the brook and I can’t see the garden at all 🙈We’ve also walked down the brook in our wellies a couple of days ago to have a peak but the garden is higher than the brook and there’s a fence so couldn’t see anything.

@howmuchsun I am confused. Surely you would view the back garden when you view the house.

@howmuchsun

I’m currently sat in my car behind all the trees and the brook and I can’t see the garden at all 🙈We’ve also walked down the brook in our wellies a couple of days ago to have a peak but the garden is higher than the brook and there’s a fence so couldn’t see anything.

Honestly, just ask. It really should be fine.

I can't imagine viewing a house, and not viewing/looking around the back garden.

I think it’s perfectly reasonable to ask- I wouldn’t buy a house if the garden never got the sun. And 5pm this time of year is a good time to check- if at least 1/3 of it is sunny you’ll know it’s better than that earlier on, and you’ll still have a little slice to sit in later in the evening. Mornings don’t matter as much imo as even if it’s sunny it’s often too cool to sit out.

About 4 years ago we liked a house but the owner seemed very cagey about us going into the garden (viewing was in the middle of the day). DH found a solar panel site that allowed you to see where the sun hit the house/garden and where the shadows were, could you try and do that? Incidentally the house was permanently shaded so we didn’t put an offer in.

@Cantbebotheredtothinkofaname

About 4 years ago we liked a house but the owner seemed very cagey about us going into the garden (viewing was in the middle of the day). DH found a solar panel site that allowed you to see where the sun hit the house/garden and where the shadows were, could you try and do that? Incidentally the house was permanently shaded so we didn’t put an offer in.

Ooh, what site is that?

There's an app called Sun path, find the house and it will put the daily sun path in which you should be able to work out the shade for the neighbouring trees.

I wouldn’t want that- not knowing when a random person may pop up in my garden at various times during the day (or any day, if you are waiting for a suitably sunny day)- if it was a case of a further viewing (garden only) at x time on y day, that would be fine. But not multiple “peeking in” throughout the day(s). I would be prepared to lose a sale over it.

I wouldn't want you hanging about peering into my garden, but since you say you wouldn't believe the seller if she stated in the legal process that the garden was sunny, I suppose I'd let you come at a couple of time (just for the garden) of your choosing.

But in the end it's not going to prove much- my garden is sunny more at certain times, and even in certain parts- the whole thing is rarely sunny all at once. Also, and obviously, the sun has to shine.

If you bought the house and we had a May like May 2021, you wouldn't see any sun anywhere much in the sunniest garden in the whole area.

Can you not work it out from the orientation?

Before I put in an offer for this house, I checked an Ordnance Survey map and worked out that the rear garden faced slightly north of west. From that, I worked out that the front would get sun from early morning to early afternoon and that the back would get sun until early evening on the left hand side and till mid-late afternoon on the right.

And I was right!

I think west or south facing gardens get best sun.

@Daphnise

I wouldn't want you hanging about peering into my garden, but since you say you wouldn't believe the seller if she stated in the legal process that the garden was sunny, I suppose I'd let you come at a couple of time (just for the garden) of your choosing.

But in the end it's not going to prove much- my garden is sunny more at certain times, and even in certain parts- the whole thing is rarely sunny all at once. Also, and obviously, the sun has to shine.

If you bought the house and we had a May like May 2021, you wouldn't see any sun anywhere much in the sunniest garden in the whole area.

That's why op wants to see it at various points in the day

Sun path cant take into account shading from trees etc though so probably best to visit.

I wouldn’t like someone “peeking” in my garden periodically!

I don't understand this attitude. A house is potentially the biggest, most expensive purchase you'll ever make. You wouldn't think twice about checking whether a new car is perfect for you so why are people so funny about making sure a house is, and presumably as the seller you've accepted it wont be 'your garden' for much longer anyway.

Of course it's okay - this is a house purchase, not a pair of shoes that ypu cam return. Check out what you need to check out.

And you aren't some random off the street asking to look at the garden at all hours - you are a potential buyer of what is likely this person's biggest asset, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Look all you like.

Elderly ladies love a baby. Just saying.

not unreasonable at all. Trouble is that it is less than a month to the solstice, so what you see now may not be at all representative.

Don't see any reason not to have several looks, though. Houses arent' cheap.

Check with a compass as to which way garden faces

You're spending a lot of money on a property. Of course you can ask.

We have once walked away from a house purchase because the garden was freezing on a sunny day. It was east facing but by 2pm the shade from the house, neighbours, trees meant that there was no warmth at all in the garden. It was a deal breaker for me and of all our front runner options we chose the house with a south-west facing garden.

@Herbie0987

Check with a compass as to which way garden faces

That is good, but sometimes things block out the sun too.

Surely first thing is to check which way the garden is orientated. That gives you the first clue. If it's south facing, you're looking good to start. Then you have to work out how intrusive the trees may be. To do that, visiting at a time where you'd expect (based on orientation) to have good sun, is perfectly reasonable. Multiple sneak peeks via a side gate is just weird.

I wouldn’t want a potential buyer doing this throughout the day. But you can but ask.

Houses are also selling so fast now so she doesn’t have to do anything to accommodate your needs if she doesn’t want to, as another buyer would be along.