Help!! Have I just bought the wrong house?

[EllisRoses]

We've bought plot 13. I didn't know this whole north/south facing thing. I'm a first time buyer. I did ask the estate agent how much sun the back garden would get and he said morning sun and from mid afternoon onwards, I thought that was perfect as the kids will have shade during the hottest part of the day but we'll have sun the rest of the time. Now I've seen a post about north facing gardens and I googled and oh my god. Damp, dark, no sun ever, nothing grows? What have I done!! There's more plots available but it would be difficult, if not impossible to change at this point and everything would need to be redone, mortgage, H2B, the lot...

It looks like it's north west facing so you will get morning sun and some evening sun, depending on other houses/ trees that might block your view.

Change - I thought you were going to say you had purchased a second hand house. If it is a new build then you can change. Ignore the builder and EA who will try to fob you off - you will live there for years and take a 20% discount when you try to sell (there is a 20% premium for South Facing gardens). It is worth the hassle of changing your mortgage application to change to a South or even better, a West facing garden. (I've had both, currently had a South facing but I prefer West facing as you get afternoon and evening sun.

So the back of number 13 is NW facing which means late afternoon / early evening sun. What you really want is West facing so get afternoon and early evening sun. We have East facing, so morning sun then it goes off the garden in the evening which has never mattered. Another factor is how tall your house is and what surrounds the garden e.g. the garden of a tall north facing house surrounded by high hedges would get less light than that of a bungalow surrounded by low hedges. It might be fine. What aspect are the other available plots. If yours is really is wrong for you you mat be able to swap on the basis that the agent misinformed you. Have you actually completed?

It's slightly North-west facing, which is a bit better. You should get sun on the right side of the garden at the back in the afternoons, at least during summer. Honestly, my garden is south facing and it's a nightmare on hot days, I'd prefer that garden!

Our garden at old house faced a similar direction and I had no trouble growing plants - even if its shaded you can get plants for shaded gardens. Never had damp. We did get sun though not as much as a south facing garden would.

Though if you really want to change and all houses are identical maybe ask bank / solicitor how complicated would be.

We'd picked this plot as it wasn't overlooked, had the biggest garden in that price bracket and was furthest away from the main roads in the development. There are other plots with west or south facing gardens however they're more road side where as we're tucked out the way a bit. I really don't know what to do. Happy to miss 12-3pm sun but would ideally like a decent chunk either side of that.

Assuming your garden is long enough, the back of it won't be shaded by the house anyway. Not the end of the world, but if you're having second thoughts then ask to change.

I wouldn’t buy a house with a shared drive either so if we’re you I’d change for that reason!

Or hopefully that dotted line on the drive is a fence

@Murinae

I wouldn’t buy a house with a shared drive either so if we’re you I’d change for that reason!

That was the only plot available with both spaces next to each other, we didn't want the faff of having to move cars to let each other out. What would put you off the shared driveway?

It's barely West facing, it's clearly mostly North facing.

South facing is much much better. I've had both.

I wouldn't buy a house again with a North facing garden. Also bear in mind that the North facing part of the house will be dark and cold.

I’ve read so many threads about hassle with the next door neighbours and shared drives it would really put me off. Cars being scratched by kids taking their bikes past. Kids playing football on it, neighbours parking over your side or not being careful when getting out and bashing your car.

Can you change? You'll be partially shaded from east or west sunshine later in the day by the garages either side of your plot. Houses 15 & 16 look to be less impacted if you want more sunshine.

However, plenty of people have north west facing gardens (we did in our last house). You will get sunshine in your garden and you'll be able to position any patio/seating to make the most of it.

I’ve got a north facing garden.... absolutely no problem growing anything. It’s a bit of a sun trap at the height of summer.

Is plot 16 still available?

Take a breath
No house is perfect
So far in your post you've mentioned

1. NW facing garden
2. desire to park cars side by side not one behind each other
3. largest garden plot in that price bracket
4. furthest from main road

I presume there is no plot that meets all of these criteria so take a breath and prioritise the ones most important for you

I would try and change, personally. I wouldn’t be happy with such a north facing garden. Agree with PP about a shared drive too. Tarmac for 4 cars in a row looks ugly, and I’d always be worried about my neighbours hitting my car with their doors etc.

I love our north facing garden - not too hot in the summer and I can grow plenty of shade plants. the far end of the garden which gets the most sun is where the veg patch is in our garden, but you can also put a patio & table out there if you want to catch the sun.

The north side of our house is always cold and the path along that side is always damp and mossy. Never gets any sun at all but that Is also due to the neighbours house and trees. Our garden is large so the way it faces doesn’t actually matter as there are always sunny and shady bits.

Although having said that, It’s only my opinion. I totally agree with DarkMutterings, you need to decide your priorities, as no plot is likely to meet all criteria

Unless you’re a keen gardener this wouldn’t worry me at all, it’s just some shade, honest. My garden is north one side, south the other, and west the other and in a happily grow plants snd sit out.

Op think about it, do you walk down the street thinking ooh it’s freezing on a hot day, I must be north facing?

Plot 16 is overlooked by an existing development (should really be on the plans!) so we decided to not go for that one, but it is still available.

This is the rest of the development, the blue is the house we're buying. Plot 25 isn't available for another year atleast before anyone says that one.

That driveway would put me off more than the lack of sunshine - I've read far too many threads on MN about issues with neighbours hogging the shared driveways, scratched cars, kids balls hitting cars, etc!

I don't even know which way my garden faces. Total non issue unless you're an obsessive gardener