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Original poster

Would you buy a house where the garden was not directly attached?

33 replies

ButterdickCumberscotch · 04/04/2014 19:02

Title says it all really, love the house but the garden is a plot of land not connected to the house. I am wondering whether this is a bad idea as I would be worried about not being able to see the kids when they are in the garden.

OP posts:
dyslexicdespot · 04/04/2014 19:03

No, I wouldn't.

42notTrendy · 04/04/2014 19:05

No. We looked at a beautiful cottage (surprisingly in budget) but the garden was across a shared drive. It was a beautiful garden, with views of hills and countryside, but for the same reason, plus having to cross a shared drive, it was a no-no.

Methe · 04/04/2014 19:06

Depends how far away it was and where it was situated.

Ie; house in a tiny hamlet with a huge garden over a tiny track used by 2 cars a week - not a problem

House in a town with a garden a couple of minutes away... No way.

HorraceTheOtter · 04/04/2014 19:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

exexpat · 04/04/2014 19:08

Not with children, no. Might work for an adult-only household.

Groovester · 04/04/2014 19:13

Our upstairs neighbour has a garden to the side of our property. In the many years we've lived here, it has never been used. Ever!

Original poster
ButterdickCumberscotch · 04/04/2014 19:13

It's not far from the house and there is no road to cross. It's like there is a field at the back of the houses that has been sectioned off into gardens. It just doesn't seem the same as having your own garden all around you. Am trying to think if a bright side...

OP posts:
Yama · 04/04/2014 19:15

No. As a teenager we lived in a beautiful conversion. Two of the five houses had an attached garden and the other three didn't. We did and were in our garden a lot. The other gardens were nice but the families didn't really make use of them.

RandallFloyd · 04/04/2014 19:15

No. My parents house is like that and it's a pain in the arse.
Their garden is huge and the views are beautiful but its an absolute ball ache traipsing across the yard every time you want anything from inside.

LaurieFairyCake · 04/04/2014 19:17

Yes if I didn't have young children.

I could go there to escape and build a retreat at the bottom with a stove in it to make tea

Original poster
ButterdickCumberscotch · 04/04/2014 19:21

Hmmm it's looking like a no for me then. Shame really. I had misgivings but was hoping someone would convince me otherwise

OP posts:
Onesleeptillwembley · 04/04/2014 19:23

No. Might as well buy a house with no garden near a park.

Cringechilli · 04/04/2014 19:27

No. It's better to get a place with a smaller garden that's actually attached. Every day I watch my dc in the garden through the kitchen window.

Littlefish · 04/04/2014 19:27

There is a house near me with a slightly odd arrangement.

There are two, semi detached houses. The left hand one is for sale. There is no garden behind the left hand one. There is a garden, as usual, behind the right hand one.

The garden for the left hand one is at the side of the right hand house. It's most odd! The house is still up for sale after nearly a year, in a village where most houses sell in a couple of months.

SunnyL · 04/04/2014 19:30

I used to own a flat that had a garden on the side. I had to walk through my neighbours to get to mine. It was a great attraction for us because being able to get a flat with a garden in the city would normally be out of our price range.

However we were young and poor with no kids. I wouldn't do it now with kids in tow. It just fecked me off and my irritating neighbours would use my garden when I wasn't there and chuck fag buts and chicken carcasses in it to feed foxes (don't ask!).

TheLeftovermonster · 04/04/2014 20:23

On the positive side - it may be more private if surrounded by other gardens people don't use. You can put in a garden room and have a proper retreat. May be nice for barbeques and parties.

Monkeymummy1 · 04/04/2014 21:05

No. We looked at a house I loved but garden was over a back lane. I wouldn't have felt safe letting the kids play there where I couldn't see them and was thinking it would be really annoying to have to lock up the house to go in the garden.

3boys3dogshelp · 04/04/2014 21:11

No we rented a house similar to this and it was a pain having to walk the dogs rather than just open the door if they needed a wee!
Our garden is quite small but I can see it from my kitchen window so the kids are out all the time even if I have jobs to do.

miramar · 04/04/2014 21:13

No I wouldn't. For the reasons already mentioned and because you'd be in a vulnerable position if you had nightmare neighbours.

There's a fair bit of this near me. Mostly very old properties that presumably had shared space for a wash house, drying green etc. It seems like the shared space was divvied up unfairly- some houses bagged large gardens and others have tiny ones that stretch off in a diagonal line across neighbour's property, or are round the side. Some also have a right of way path for all neighbours directly behind the building, which presumably dates back to the days of the garden being shared.

lessonsintightropes · 04/04/2014 22:03

No, we've got a cat and she needs direct access.

hiccupgirl · 04/04/2014 22:22

Not now I have a child.

We used to live in a upstairs flat in a converted house and our garden was the back half of the garden and the downstairs flat had the front part. We had to go out the front door, through the gate and past the house and neighbours garden to get to ours. It was a gorgeous garden and a good size but it was such a faff to get to, we hardly used it.

The best thing when we moved to a house was having our garden straight out of the back door.

Marcipex · 04/04/2014 22:26

No, I wouldn't. Haven't bought one but rented one once. Complete pain.

CbeebiesIsAboutToPop · 04/04/2014 22:43

We looked at a gorgeous house that ticked all of our boxes, were getting really excited, then went out into the garden. There was a small courtyard, a public path and then the main garden beyond that.

It was a deal breaker for us and we walked away :( but we wouldn't have been able to see dc, had no control over who used the public path and anyone could wonder into the garden from the public path. It was sad as we'd fallen in love with the house, but we needed the garden space.

Barbaralovesroger · 05/04/2014 07:41

Is there any garden attached to the house at all?

I think if the price reflected the fact that the garden wasn't attached, I'd consider it. It may be tricky to sell on though

FunkyBoldRibena · 05/04/2014 07:59

We have exactly that. A small courtyard, then out the back gate, down a shared path, turn left down another shared path to the garden.

We are next to a Canal as well.

It is definitely not suitable for kids.

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