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Original poster

Have you got a garden ??????????????

13 replies

nutcracker · 04/04/2004 20:14

Was just wondering if any MNers on here haven't got access to a garden. As you all know we live in a flat with no garden and i do worry about how it effects the kids. Dd2 and Ds don't really know any different but DD1 clearly remembers when we did have a garden and i worry that she is missing out, she can't ride a bike e.t.c because she has no garden.
Also i am considering having a look at another flat that is to let in a really nice and convieninet part of town.
What would you consider to be more important, living in a nice area with excellant schools or a garden.
The flat thats to let has 3 double bedrooms and is above a chemists. My docs is over the road and there is a Library, co-op, off licence, chip shop, pub and hairderessers all nearby.

OP posts:

kiwisbird · 04/04/2004 20:17

I live in nice/posh great area in flat above hairdressers, its very nice as far as flats go
We are moving now for bigger house and garden but to get what we want we are moving up to Lincs from Hampshire (house prices are daft here)
I would say if the garden comes with totally crap area schools and stuff to go for the one with better facilities etc
You can get around not having a garden by walking to the park etc...
HTH and good luck I know how desperate you are to move petal

misdee · 04/04/2004 20:21

well i dont have a garden. 2 years ago we did have at a house we were renting, we only stayed there a year and as dd1 was still quite young we hardly used it. we do have grassy areas nearby, dd1 has been riding her bike round the block today, and all the kids from the masionettes and falts plat out by the car park anyway and it gets very social. the last lot of flats i lived at had no garden/grasdsy area and we spent last summer playing in teh car park, great fun that was. at least now we have some grass to play on.

lavender1 · 04/04/2004 20:25

Hi Nutcracker, how are you doing? It's nice that you consider a garden an important part of their growing up! I don't think it really affects them as much as we think IF you have daily access to green space and a playground..

We have lived in our present accomodation for nearly 5 and 1/2 years and now have a lovely garden after a lot of hard work..We often play out there with a game of football, or sit and have lunch/breakfast and the birds sing, it's green, it is very lovely....I cannot imagine never having this as all the places recently I have lived at with the children have had a garden and I personally would consider it far more important than having chemist and supermarket near (as we have to drive now 3 miles to these)..I understand you are wanting driving lessons so driving at mo wouldn't be an option....So all I can say is try to find as green a place as you can, it is so lovely to see your children out in the garden digging, playing with the worms....(btw if you need any advice whatsoever am only too willing to help...(am gardener and would love to help you find a greeny kind of place)

charliecat · 04/04/2004 20:59

I have 2 bits of garden, one small, as in 2.5 metres x 3 metres bit of grass, if that actually, a bit of mud for bulbs and pansys and a bit of concrete about the same size. Its on two levels and theres concrete steps in between. Its not much, but it is a sight lot better than nothing, ive lived in flats before. The kids have a swing and a slide out there, no actual room to RUN about, but its somewhere to find worms, grow flowers have a water fight etc and I wouldnt be without it.
I have all amenities near, I dont drive and I would prefer to be here on my crappy estate with my crappy school with my crappy garden, with lots of bus stops and loads of places to go, than being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a bus every two hours if your lucky and no way of getting to the doctors if the kids are ill.
Id stick it out for the house and garden myself.

Hulababy · 04/04/2004 21:06

We live in an apartment so we don't have our own private garden. We do have a balcony though for fresh air. And on our floor we share a large terrace with 5 other apartments. And we have access to a very big roof top garden too. We use the latter two for doll's picnics, little walks, gently ball play, etc. in the nice weather. But within 10-15 minutes walk we have the botanical gardens, 2 parks, and opposite we have a large green. So there are places for DD to have a run about, take her doll's pram and now her new pair of roller skates. And both her ggrandparents have gardens too.

I personally hate gardening - even lawn mowing - so don't miss it at all. If and when we move to a house I think I'll have to get a gardener

I would personally consider good schools and local facilities more of a bonus in a home, than a garden.

Lisa78 · 04/04/2004 21:08

Hi nutty! Have been in your position till DS1 was 12... Believe me, the good area is worth a million gardens

lydialemon · 04/04/2004 21:12

Hi Nutty, just add my bit in then!

As you know I'm in a similar situation to you (3 kids, 2 bed flat etc). I don't think my lot have missed out on not having a garden although I would so like one. We just try and use whatever alternatives we can. My MIL lives close and works, so I 'borrow' her garden for lunch, I spend time at my BFs rather than her coming to me. I drive, and there are some nice well equipped parks within 20 minutes drive. I try not to think what it would be like if they were older though. I think if I was in your situation I'd take the nice big flat, get away from your shitty neighbours and take sometime to find yourself again. Moving in doesn't mean that you will never get back to having a house and garden, but it does mean you get a breathing space.

Good luck whatever you decide to do!

Original poster

nutcracker · 04/04/2004 21:13

Thanks again guys. I'm sure eveeryone is sick of me asking about houses now.

Lavender - When i get my garden i will definatly need advice on what to do with it as i'm crap at gardening.

Anyway i think the penny has dropped as to why i feel so crappy living here.
Look out for the thread

OP posts:

Janh · 04/04/2004 21:17

We have a small backyard - about 20' square plus the bit up the side of the kitchen. Can't ride a bike in it! Is there a park or any other flat area nearby? (Even a carpark would do for riding bikes/kicking balls etc.)

Does the flat have any outside space at all, nutty? My uncle lives in a flat above a shop, he has his share of the communal back balcony area for planting things in pots and drying washing and also has internal stairs down to a bit of a backyard. Would you have space to store bikes etc on the ground floor or would you have to carry everything down stairs every time?

It sounds like a nice big flat in a good area. Definitely worth thinking about. You could tell dd lots of people don't have gardens...when my kids were little we used to visit friends with gardens and coming home to our tiny space used to depress me so I know how you feel but the kids start playing out anyway before very long...

jampot · 04/04/2004 21:18

I hope you get your flat Nutcracker - This is such an interesting thread 'cos I'm thinking of buying a house/flat to rent out and wasn't sure about the garden thing so it's nice to see that people with kids aren't necessarily hell bent on a garden. I'd be more interested in renting to families or students than executives (in the hope that rental will be consistent).

Demented · 04/04/2004 22:49

Up until 18 months ago we lived in a flat in the centre of town with no garden (small drying area but nowhere to play out). We loved it, so close to everything, park only about five minutes walk, Marks & Spencer was my corner shop. We now live in a house with a garden and are slightly further from the town (although still walking distance) and although we now have a small garden (postage stamp sized) and I wouldn't want to swap back, got used to it now, we were very happy in our flat, it had loads going for it and the only reason we moved was that after having DS2 we felt the need for more space and DH was starting his own business and needed space for an office.

SHIREENSMOM · 05/04/2004 12:42

we dont have a garden either but lots of parks close by, i used to live in a rough area in a studio flat with a garden bit no where near shops and schools so i think the no garden wins for me

grumpyzebra · 08/04/2004 00:34

Oh gosh, Nutty, your question is exactly our dilemna! We really want a 4beds+big garden in a good area, with a few more nitpicks like not on a busy road walking distance to city centre... and it's seeming impossible to achieve! Today it seems like we will end up going for the bigger garden in the not-as-nice area with only so-so schools. Partly because the kids are so young (eldest only 4), and I don't think primary matters so much (pls. don't flame me, anybody for saying that) and we would be willing to move again in 5-7 years if we are still unhappy with the schools.

Currently we live in a small terrace with a paved garden that is about 20x10 foot square. It's enough to sit in the sun, that's about it.

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