Which garden?

[Evamoda]

Hello,

We have seen a house that we like but has a small south west garden. I have always liked the idea of having a big outside space (I’m used to having it where I live now) although in reality we would only use it a few months a year. also I am unlikely to be out in the garden unless it’s sunny, which is making me consider whether I might end up using more a smaller but sunnier garden. I just worry whether I will end up missing space around me and will worry about lack of privacy (being overheard by neighbours).. so, the question is, would you choose a smaller but sunnier garden, or a bigger garden that could lose the sun earlier? I’d just like to get some other people’s views. Thanks!!

I have a big garden. It’s nice to look at but I only use the patio bit with table. The rest gets used a couple times a year when we have guests and light the fire pit. I also pay some one to take care of it.
When kids were little we had a much smaller garden. My husband used to say small was fine for toddlers and when they are old enough to wield a cricket bat (or kick a football) no garden is big enough! Four of my back windows can attest to that!

Depends on how big or how small you mean. In a bigger garden, it’s possible to always have the sun in one section or another. Personally, what bothers me about some aspects is how dingy the interior can be if not much sun comes in (eg N facing)..

Thank you,
The garden is not too small to have a table and chairs and have some greenery around. Also I’m sure we could fit a barbecue for the summer. There is a conservatory that takes up quite a bit of garden space. The garden is ok, there’s just not the nice feeling of having space that I enjoy at the moment. But you are right in that if it makes the back of the house be nice and sunny it could make up for the lack of space. I now complain about how dark the kitchen is after 1 pm even in very sunny days...I’m just dreading making the wrong decision..

All depends on your own personal likes and dislikes. We have a big garden and I wouldn't sell it for the world with our toddler but we also love gardening and being outside March-October so not two months of the year. I think you'd maybe regret the smallness despite it being sunny as it's easy to feel overheard and over looked and no hiding from it really. The thing with a bigger garden is what way it faces becomes less relevant because there aren't buildings blocking the sunlight.. we get sun in our garden somewhere all day.. something to consider.

Thank you Minnie, you are right, that’s why I’m worried about making the wrong decision. We have seen quite a few newish houses recently and gardens tend to be on the smaller size. This one is not overlooked but I’d hate to be overheard in my own house. But the house ticks other boxes and I wonder this is where my compromise should be. I’m still very tempted to hold out to see if something else comes on the market over the next few weeks as it is very quiet at the .

At the moment :(

The garden is not too small to have a table and chairs and have some greenery around. Also I’m sure we could fit a barbecue for the summer.

Oh... So basically a tiny city garden and the bigger option being a somewhat bigger city garden?

The aspect is extremely important. Definitely wouldn’t compromise on that. In terms of hearing/being heard by neighbours, you’d need to go considerably bigger. We used to live in a period semi with a plot wide enough for a garage to the side and about 70ft deep and I could hear the neighbours no problem.

It depends too on what your neighbours are like. Both us and our neighbours (only have one set) are retired and we are all pretty quiet (and quite possibly a bit deaf, so unlikely to overhear!). I think you have to have a very large garden (or isolated) not to be overheard.
Are you an enthusastic gardener? If so I would say that a small garden might frustrate you.
Our garden faces north west, so we get sun on it from the side. TBH I am glad we are not in full sun all day. I had a south facing garden at my last house and it was like a desert in hot weather and uncomfortable to sit in. The plants didn't like it either.
So I would chose a bigger garden with more shade.

We are not gardeners but have moved to a house with a dual aspect garden - we love just looking at it as do the kids who enjoy playing football etc. However when I think of the cost of a gardener .........

Thanks all for your views, you are all raising very good points.
I don’t do much gardening but my partner enjoys it and likes making it look nice. I mainly like having space and sitting outside and now it is really easy to get away from neighbours. Problem with a new place is you don’t know what neighbours will be like until you move in!
I have found a tool that estimates garden size based on the plot in google map.
It says: Total Lawn Area: 70 meters².
Approx. Perimeter Length: 36 meters

Would you consider this area too small? Note it’s not completely square as conservatory is in the middle of it.

Thanks