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Original poster

Would you buy a house with a small courtyard and no garden?

42 replies

cherrytrees123 · 21/05/2018 13:51

Found a house in the ideal area, ticks all the boxes but has no garden, just a small courtyard off the side of the house which fits a table and couple of chairs and a bench. Initially I thought this would be fine, but nowhere to dry washing, no grass, nowhere to sit out with family or friends. Would this be a deal breaker for you? I must admit it is tempting to put the lawnmower away, but I think I might start to find it really claustrophobic after a while, especially in the summer.

OP posts:
Lucisky · 21/05/2018 14:05

I couldn't live without my garden, but if I had to (live without it) I would at least like somewhere to hang out my washing, so it would be a no from me.

Bluelonerose · 21/05/2018 14:07

Depends on if it's a sun trap or not. If you get no sun there all day it will feel gloomy.

Shylo · 21/05/2018 14:07

A no from me too - I love having outdoor space and the kids spend most of the summer outside

LegoPiecesEverywhere · 21/05/2018 14:09

Do you have children? Does it get the sun all day? If I had no children or was not planning any and it got the sun all day I would consider it

BeesAndMist · 21/05/2018 14:09

I live in a house like this. It’s right on the beach though so if I want to sit outside or the kids want to play we go there. I’d definitely want access to outdoor space if I don’t have a garden - is it near parks or beach where you can get your fresh air hit/ let dc run around?

Angryosaurus · 21/05/2018 14:13

Never

AndWhat · 21/05/2018 14:15

When it was just me and DH yes with 2 kids never.

fanominon · 21/05/2018 14:16

We have a small courtyard garden (I'm typing from it right now!) - it's probably dunno, 7x9m? I DO miss my big garden a bit - especially the lawn and the plum tree, but it's still big enough for a large table and chairs, loads of large pots with climbers, a small bed with some little trees shoved in, a shed, a BBQ, bird feeders for the sparrows... It's a total sun trap - to the extent we put a sunsail up - and works as an extra outdoor room. For us, it was a very definite compromise to get everything else we wanted, and it's just worth it. But, we do also have a large allotment - and when we move again, I'll definitely want more outdoor space ;-) Could you get an allotment to give yourself a bit more space??

howabout · 21/05/2018 14:17

I have a small communal garden. It is lovely not to be tied to the house mowing and weeding on the few days the sun comes out - I live in the West of Scotland. A small private courtyard to enjoy the late evening / early morning would be my ideal. You could add some planters?

LunaDeet · 21/05/2018 14:18

We bought a house with a courtyard as it was the only house we could afford! If this wasn’t our first house then no, definitely not. But as things are the courtyard we have is sunny all day and we have made it quite lovely. Do you use your current garden a lot? You might think a courtyard is tiny but it’s still somewhere to sit out and very low maintenance. You can still plant loads of flowers to make it nice.

Oblomov18 · 21/05/2018 14:21

Our garden is small. Its perfectly fine. Large table and bbq. I wouldn't fancy the maintenance of a large garden.

onemouseplace · 21/05/2018 14:22

No where to dry washing would be a deal breaker for me.

spookytime · 21/05/2018 14:22

Friend bought a basement flat like this. (Basement at the front, courtyard at the back, built on a slope!)

She made the little outside space beautiful. She had pots and plants and fairy lights and interesting sculpture things. She had 8 of us out there for a drink one night and it was lovely, didn’t feel crowded at all.

donajimena · 21/05/2018 14:23

If it got sun then yes I would. You can use clothes horses to dry washing.

BackforGood · 21/05/2018 14:25

If it caught the sun, and it were just me, or me and dh, then I'd be happy with a courtyard (not sure why you can't hang washing if it is big enough for table and chairs?). This would also assume I was near to a park or somewhere nice to walk.
If I had dc, or if it weren't a sun trap, then no.

Amunamun · 21/05/2018 14:28

It depends. If you live in the area where you can easily get a house with garden for the same price, then it would be a no-no for me. I have a very tiny garden but I live in London.... so big garden is out of a question. And out of a budget.

Hanuman · 21/05/2018 14:31

I would preferentially go for it over one with a garden. I hate gardening. We take the toddler to the park instead. I don't really get why people are so keen on gardens

catinapatchofsunshine · 21/05/2018 14:32

Yes, as long as there was plenty of open space near by, the courtyard was a nice place to sit and caught the sun, and both courtyard and house were light and airy, not gloomy.

Where children are concerned you only need a garden with children under 7, as long as there are parks/ fields/ beaches very close by that older children can play in/on.

Obviously if its somewhere built up then a garden is nice for older children too, but where we are older children play on the sports fields, village green and in the little copse, not in the gardens. Its nice because kids from the neighbourhood play together, not just with siblings or alone.

For myself I'd be happy with a bright sunny terrace or courtyard.

greendale17 · 21/05/2018 14:35

I wouldn’t even consider it.

SpectacularAardvark · 21/05/2018 14:35

We just have a little yard. I loved it when it was just DH and I. Now we have a DC, I would like a garden but he plays happily in our bit of yard and it makes going to the park extra special.

expatinscotland · 21/05/2018 14:36

No

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 21/05/2018 14:38

Well there are courtyards and courtyards - the real deal-breaker is how sunny it is (or not).

For laundry, get a retractable double line to go across the space.

TroubledLichen · 21/05/2018 14:38

It depends on where you live and whether that’s the norm for that type of house in that area. If you’re in London then any sort of outside space is probably a wow, if you’re in the countryside you might struggle to sell it on.

SporkInTheToaster · 21/05/2018 14:42

Yes, if it was perfect in every other way.

Aridane · 21/05/2018 14:50

Agree with Lichen - in London even a courtyard would be awesome