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??

How big is the terrace and does it feel as if you are in a concrete area staring onto cars so not particularly pleasant feeling?

For us, in that setup the garden would end up being a piece of land that was never used. Would you pay the money for the house if the garden bit at the bottom didn't exist?

Excellent picture.

If you love the house you'll make it work. Plus your dc are getting to the age where you don't need to be constantly watching them anyway.

I lived in London in a house with the same set-up. Down the fire escape, along the path and through a gate to my bit of the garden. After the first couple of years, and several exhausting alfresco suppers in the garden where I did nothing but run up and down the fire escape with food and cutlery etc I gave up on the garden. I paid a guy to mow the lawn and keep it tidy but ventured down there rarely, and always with a big bag of things I might need for the next few hours. And whenever I got down there I needed a wee and had to clamber back up again...

@Blanketpolicy we would in theory but love that it has a garden.
There wouldn't be cars there, again in theory, as we would put ours in the garage.

Of course this won't always happen but I don't think I mind. Hadn't considered that though, I guess if we had friends over their cars may be there

Thanks for the diagram love. Might branch out to a full piece of paper next time.

I think at 10 and 6 it's fine.

It wouldn't suit me as I now like having patio doors to the garden and catio for the cats to wander into all evening - but if you have a patio area near house for eating out I think it's fine.

You may have to make more of definite mental plan to look after and use the space but if it is an otherwise acceptable house seems like a livable compromise to me.

I think with the terrace and age of children it will be absolutely fine.

I don't think that's an insurmountable problem. You'll find ways and advantages of the set up. If everything else is great, you should go for it. There's usually compromises to make with houses, so rarely is everything perfect and nothing you would change. With the terrace you have plenty options - setting up lunch there, or going more picnic style and having it on a blanket in the garden. It will be lovely.

Do it do it do it

Dh assures me the garage has power in and windows at the back (apparently the owner took pleasure in telling him this whole I was busting myself looking at the kitchen cupboards. Gentler stereotypes are clearly alive and well in our marriage 🙄🙄

Anyway, the point being that we could absolutely have a camera 'indoors' if we put it in the garage facing out. Great for security too

I think it's fine. I wouldn't like it with younger kids but at their age it's fine.

When you have a very big garden your kids are often out of sight!

I think it would be fine. You can always put pots of herbs and things on the terrace. Could the drive way also become host to a basketball hoop?

So many typos.

While
Busying
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It's been a long day.

@OhYouBadBadKitten it absolutely could.

It is l shaped too so it could go on the side of the garage. To be honest I expect both of my Dc would be much more likely to play with that than on the grass anyway. Our trampoline has been used maybe 6 times in 3 years

I'm not sure I'd like it but at the age your children are I think it's fine from that point of view. There's a section of our garden we can't see from our house. Our kids were the exact same age as yours are now when we moved in and I can't recall any issues. We had our trampoline there so couldn't quite see all of that from the kitchen. (I did supervise more if they had friends round though).

Just to say they grow up fast and lose interest in the garden very quickly. Make sure the garden is what YOU want, not just what you want for the children (since you mentioned staying for 20 to 30 years).

My concern would be, are you paying for a large garden that by the sound of things you might not get much use out of? Because from what you've said the kids would probably end up in the patio/parking area anyway, and you wouldn't be using it to eat or sit outside. If it's a competitive price anyway, not an issue, but if it's more than a corresponding property without a garden, I don't think I'd like paying the extra.

Is the terrace big enough to throw a friends & family BBQ on (people plus the BBQ)? I'm not sure I'd fancy having to ferry everything down the garden, but you may not be into hosting?
The garden wouldn't be great for me as I like all the doors open and a free flow in and out of the house in the warmer months. I mostly leave the kids to it (6 & 8yo) to play out there, but I can hear if there's an issue quickly or take a quick glance to check. Having to check camera footage would be a hassle in the same way it's much easier to quickly glance at a wall clock for the time than locate your phone and need to press buttons. It's an inconvenience. It would be a PITA shuttling washing back and forth to the line too.

None of this may matter however. We all use our homes differently, and what I deem an issue, you won't necessarily. Also, most of us have to compromise somewhere to match our budget, and we all have different priorities. For example, we don't live in a great road (it's a bit scruffy looking and historically had a bad rep due to some problem families. There's no longer issues, but the rep persists), however we compromised on that because the village is nice, the views out the back of the property are stunning, the house is solid, the plot is generous plus has off road parking, and it isn't on a main road. Once we shut our door, we don't really see the rest of the road as we are mostly in the back living space or the garden, so it was a fair compromise to us. Other friends in the village live in prettier roads, but compromised on garden size and slope-iness, and a busy road.

We had this kind of set up in one of our homes and we rarely used the garden as it just wasn't convenient.
I'd personally not buy another house with poor garden access.
Sounds like the house ticks a lot of boxes for you though OP and there's always a compromise somewhere.

I think it sounds/looks great (very nice diagram!) If your kids turn out anything like my teens they'll also appreciate the possibility to put a basketball hoop on the outside of the garage. All together it looks like a good versatile lot of outdoor space.

@SkankingWombat were very into hosting but that's one of the plus sides for us.
The current set up would seat 12 without adding any extra seating on the terrace.

There's scope for a few more, and then if we put the cars in the garage and used the outside bays for guests we could actually use the driveway as entertaining space too.

It's not off a main road so totally private, it would allow us a 2/3 tier entertainment space should we need it. We don't actually have that many friends though

@Blip that's it isn't it. The others all have compromises too, one less bedroom, no second toilet.
This ticks every 'inside' box.

Love the diagram (appreciate your little flowers!). From the way your posts are coming across you've already fallen in love with it - go for it. It sounds fab and I think you'd have many happy years there 🥰

I wouldn't like that to be honest. A close connection between the inside and outside space is quite important to me. If there is somewhere immediately outside the kitchen/dining/living area where you can sit outside then it wouldn't be so bad. Though not being able to see small kids in the garden would bother me too I think. I think you will make much less use of the space than you would do otherwise.

But as always you have to look at the alternatives and decide which compromise you are happiest with.

Slightly different set up, I've got a townhouse with a living room and kitchen on the middle floor, guest room ensuite ground floor with garden access.

I hardly ever go out into the garden; it seems such a faff up and down stairs with trays, books, drinks etc. I want just to be able to open the sitting room door and step out.

I should think it's even more a consideration if you have children.

For me, it'd be a compromise. But sou ds lije itd be one worth makibg if the rest of the house is perfect.

I think you've decided to buy it! You make sound reasons v the disadvantages, it's your forever home, and your children are of ages to be fine unsupervised (younger one within a couple of years). Good luck whatever you decide.