To think it doesn’t matter if the garden isn’t right next to my house?

[likeafireworkshow]

We've found a house we love, great size, great location and in budget.

The garden is huge but is 2 levels lower the the house, with a drive way in between.

So house, steps down to driveway, steps down to garden. The driveway and garden are totally private, gates to access any part of the property and not roadside. The fences and trees are also high enough that the neighbour wouldn't be able to see into our garden from there's.

There's a fence around the driveway so if the kids were in the garden and I was in the house I couldn't see them.

I'm trying to decide if this is a problem. They're 10 and 6, and if they're in the garden now I don't stand watching from the window. Does anybody?

It's literally the only thing I'm not absolutely in love with and currently the only reason I've not already put an offer in, can I have thoughts please mn??

@Boomboom22 it lowers the price by enough that we can actually offer asking price. All the others of a similar size are around £20-40k more, we would need to under offer and they all have their own issues too.

Nope this would not work for me. I once had an upside down house. There was a nice terrace off the livingroom and stairs down to the garden. We rarely went down there. Even the dogs were reluctant! Garden directly off of living area is a must.

Of course the lower price can’t just be the garden (surely?) but there’s nothing else that puts us off this one at all. It’s genuinely the perfect fit for our family.

My garden is like this,except it’s a shared drive with other houses able to drive over our land. Have brought up children from 18months here. We put a press button combination lock on the backdoor, so once the children were old enough to be unsupervised, they were old enough to let themselves back in.

We have a suntrap terrace between house and drive, which is where we sit for cups of coffee or any meal which is a faff if we take it further. Light lunch, for example, can be plated up or put in a couple of picnic baskets. We use the main garden every day in summer, and walk round it most days in the winter

It was nice for the children to be able to play safely but away from adult sight.

OP, if you and your family love it then you don’t need to convince anyone. One person’s dealbreaker is another’s mere niggle. We had a similar compromise on the house we just bought (not that similar, but garden related). I know plenty of people wouldn’t touch our house with a barge pole - but we love it, no one else matters.

@Didimum can you be my best friend through the house buying process please 😁😁😁

I think it would be annoying if you have a dog or toddlers. Older kids is fine.

Would be a big fat no for me. We have patio doors open most of the summer and the patio/garden straight outside is an extension of the house. Our garden is not huge, but to me the whole point of a garden is being able to see out into your own little piece of the outdoor world which is setup the way you want it and it being an outdoor extension of your house. Not somewhere you need to go down steps to "visit".

Make sure the garden is self contained. Get power to it if you can, and a source of water. Also somewhere to store seats that aren’t staying out all year. Get a couple garden benches so you walk out with a mug of coffee and find somewhere to sit. Also somewhere the children can store their stuff.

Could you link to the house?

The two issues to breakdown are is it a deal breaker for you and would it be a dealbreaker for others when you need to sell on?

I viewed a house with a similar set up years ago and it was a dealbreaker BUT: the house was on the first floor of a large villa (house had been split into 3; ground, 1st and attic), so there were stairs to come down to get outside.

Secondly, the driveway wasn't private, it was shared between all 3 properties.

So with cars coming and going, and young kids, it wouldn't have worked.

But the fact that your driveway is private, no stairs to get outside, and the ages of your kids suggests it might be ok. Especially as the house is otherwise perfect and this knocks it into your budget.

Would be easier to understand with link/pictures though.

I think this sounds ok for you. You have somewhere just outside the house to sit, otherwise I’d worry. So the separate garden is a matter of making a) convenient and b) inviting, which is a lot cheaper than spending an extra £20k

Am trying to envisage... (it's a polite way of saying we need a diagram)...

but is there any way you could just take down the fence so you could see right out over the driveway and into the garden?

But I'm another one who thinks it will be fine. Your children aren't babies and you can set up a security camera thingie to watch them if necessary (and if you can't move the fence and watch that way).

This would be fine for me but I would absolutely be looking at small summerhouses /large garden shed etc that I could create an outside living area down in the garden as well.

They should be able to play by themselves without you seeing them op.
Especially the t e n year old .

But also the 6 yo surely 🤐

But all this depends on how you raised them i guess

I wouldn't buy it.
Pre children I had a house on the side of a hill. Looked like a bungalow from the front & you went in & down to the bedrooms. Access to the garden ( half a level below the bedrooms with two further drops each 8-10 foot) was from the kitchen, down steps to the side of the house.
It was a pain and I would never look at something like that again.
The doors had to be locked as you couldn't see them from the garden and everything had to be carried up and down the steps.

Oh I love the idea of a summerhouse. Fence being moved wouldn't make a big difference because the garage would still block the view from the house...

My kids are definitely happy to play without me there, and are both (I think) very sensible. Especially the eldest. Youngest probably wouldn't want to go out there without the older one anyway, not an outdoorsy kid

I live in a victorian conversion (split into 2 flats). The garden has also been split. So I have to go down a big fire escape, small path, then into my garden. On the one hand I will say I don't use the garden as much as I would if it was right outside. On the other hand, we do make it work. We BBQ, have a big picnic basket and everyone chips in carrying stuff down and back up after. I do spend a lot of time out there in the summer. I have a "garden bag" for my bits and pieces! You just have to be a bit more organised.

I think it sounds fine. The only issue is visitors. Is the front door via the gates or on the other side of the house?

I grew up in a house where most of the garden wasn't visible from the house. As long as it's secure, then it's not an issue. Lots of potential for dens!

My first diagram attempt. I'm
Sorry it's shit. Didn't pass art....

Front door is on the front of the house. We would use the back but there's plenty of roadside parking bays along the front for visitors so they'd not need to access via gates.

Also walking distance to school and we both wfh so in (a somewhat shocking realisation for me) reality we wouldn't actually need to open the gates to move the car most days.

Yes, a total pain if, like us, you like sitting outside to eat in the summer. All those glasses and plates and food needing to be transported up and down two sets of steps and across a drive.

Diagram Update. DH informs me I've drawn the garage on the wrong side.
In my defence, we've only viewed it twice and the first time it was raining so we didn't go outside

Oh, you posted a picture showing a terrace while I was responding. That does seem more practical for eating out.

I looked at a house that had a similar set up. I absolutely loved the kitchen and really wanted the house but to get to the garden I had to leave the house and I didn’t see that as being workable when my children were young. I didn’t buy it. I don’t regret it because the house we did get had French windows out in to the garden so the kids (and dog) could come and go as they pleased.

Oh I think that will be fine! I would definitely build a summer house or similar. A lovely secret place to hide and somewhere to store the mower!