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??

I think it would be OK. Our house is on a hill so it has a side patio which opens from the dining room, then a tiny patio outside the kitchen back doors. Then a level down with grass and flowerbeds, then the lowest section with a rear patio and summerhouse (used as a shed really). The side patio has a table and chairs and I imagined we'd spend most of out outdoor time there as it's easy to transport stuff from the house, but in reality we hardly ever sit there and I'm not sure why! Perhaps because it feels a bit more overlooked and background noise from the road etc. The tiny patio by the kitchen door I often sit there (small table and 2 chairs) first thing in the morning with my tea or having a quick glass of wine after work when the weather is nice. The rear patio we use LOADS despite the distance. We put power and lights (and a stereo!) in the shed and store the seat cushions in there so there isn't a huge faff bringing things from the house and what we do bring everyone pitches in with carrying. We've had some really lovely get togethers there. So you might be surprised how much you enjoy the more secluded bit of your garden.

I love it and would definitely live in a house like that. You have room to sit out on the terrace if weather is good for eating, reading, drinking wine on a summers evening.

You can pretty much forget about the garden in the winter but make plans for upgrading it over the years. I might consider a summer house, more seating areas, swings for the kids, maybe create more patio to reduce the maintenance (depending of course on space). A shed to keep the lawn mower in so you don't have to carry it up and down the steps. And yes to the camera so you can keep an eye on things from the house too.

Being away from a main road and not overlooked is a great asset.

Looks just about ideal to me - get that offer in 😊

This wouldn't be a big problem for me. You've got "outside space" you can sit in immediately outside the house - the terrace. It's totally enclosed. You don't have to leave access to the driveway/garden unlocked because there is no reason for anyone other than yourselves to use it. You love the house. Sounds like it would be fine for you.
And don't post a link of a house you love here. I always wonder how many people lose their intended purchases because someone else sees it here and fancies it.

We've put an offer in 😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬

Any house you buy should always consider its sale. So buying a family home with a garden that's not suitable for small children is going to exclude future purchasers who have small children and those planning to have children in future.

Personally I would give it a swerve. Would be helpful to see a photo though in case I've pictured it wrong

Sometimes you just have to go for what's right for your family. If we made decisions on what might be best for someone else's family in the distant future, we run the risk of missing out on opportunities to improve our own circumstances. Good luck OP.

But they have an eating out area right up by the e house.

🤞 🤞🤞🤞 🤞🤞

Any house you buy should always consider its sale. So buying a family home with a garden that's not suitable for small children is going to exclude future purchasers who have small children and those planning to have children in future. Not so necessary if you’re planning to live in it long term.

As I said, I live in something similar, except the drive is shared. Neighbour sold recently, very quickly and at full asking price, to a family with toddlers.

Oh, I hope you get it! Come back when you’ve settled in and tell use how you’re getting on

I had a garden with the same set up 20 years ago. It was never an issue. Biggest garden I ever had. Loved the space and the privacy. Didn't care about having to cross the drive to get to it. Get a wheelbarrow and you'll be sorted. Kids will love the feeling of freedom which isn't real as they are still safe in your garden.

We had a house like that, we ended up never using the garden and ended up moving!

We have steps down to our garden, it's a pain if we want to eat in the garden and also not being able to just step out into the garden.

Most annoying is that kids don't want to be in it if we're not right there so they rarely go in without us. Subsequently they rarely play in it.

Would never buy a place with that set up again.

Get a security camera

@MereDintofPandiculation just in and loving it. Best decision we've ever made.

My parents' house had wrap around gardens plus a sunken bit with a stream running through. Definitely no qualms about us running around outside at those ages, could rarely be seen by parents.

Children really benefit from "close but unsupervised" autonomy.

Oh lovely! I was just thinking of you the other day and wondering whether you'd managed to get it.

Re watching 6 and 10 year old kids - I certainly didn't. Once the youngest was old enough not to fall off the climbing frame I moved it from the lawn down to the "woodland" at the end (actually a group of flowering cherries behind some tall shrubs), in lieu of a treehouse. It continued life as a den right through their teenage years.