Page 10 | Misled about south facing garden

Original poster

heregoes74 · 22/11/2021 12:30

FYI - I'm flouncing sort of north north west

OP posts:

rhowton · 22/11/2021 13:02

We have only bought houses with a south or west facing garden. I use my phone compass every time I have viewed a house, and even if the house is perfect, I still would not buy without it.

DoubleTweenQueen · 22/11/2021 13:33

This thread has offered a little light relief to my day, so thanks :)

BalladOfBarryAndFreda · 22/11/2021 13:40

This thread is a lesson to any potential home buyer.

Don’t take the marketing details or the EA’s word as gospel. They work for the seller, not the buyer. If a certain point is important to you, or adds significant value, double check it yourself. Always. Estate agency is not known for being a particularly honest or trustworthy industry. Yes, they have a legal obligation to state some things but others are a bit of a crapshoot and as long as they put the disclaimer on the bottom of the marketing particulars, they are free and clear (within reason).

CellophaneFlower · 22/11/2021 14:34

I actually wouldn't even say EA's work for the seller - they work for themselves first and foremost. They play vendors and buyers off against each other, all under the guise of being your best friend You'd be forgiven for thinking they were doing you a favour and not making £££ out of you. "It's in our interests to get you the best price". Errr no, not really. You don't give a shit about getting me an extra 10k so you can earn a measly 100 quid or whatever. You just want a quick turnover, so you'll feed me whatever bull gets you that

NorthSouthcatlady · 22/11/2021 17:35

Surely it’s obvious?! Makes me think of the people who bought a house that backed onto a motorway and then claimed they didn’t know. If it was me l would be embarrassed and possibly have buyers remorse. Rather than raise it on here and then be annoyed at people’s responses

CSJobseeker · 22/11/2021 17:44

If it was me l would be embarrassed

Yeah, so would I. Looking at the position and orientation of a house on the map is a standard check before you even view it, let alone before buying it. That's also how you avoid wasting time going to view houses that are non-starters because they back on to railway lines, motorways or waste tips etc.

Hell, I look at the map even when browsing Rightmove for houses I'll never buy!

007Stocko · 22/11/2021 17:46

I had a South facing garden at a previous property and wouldn't thank you for it again. On hot days it was almost impossible to use the garden (only small) and if you did you were constantly having to move to keep in some sort of shade from the parasol.

Mere1 · 22/11/2021 17:49

I took my iPhone, which has a compass app. Windy Derbyshire Peak District- I did Not want a west facing bedroom.

Nanalisa60 · 22/11/2021 17:52

I’m a viewing agent, so show loads of houses, when someone asks me what way the garden is facing, I say it’s a great idea to download the compass 🧭 app on your phone, and always use it when looking at back gardens, that way you know what your getting. The problem is people don’t actually send much time looking at a house, apparently they spend more time buying a car then they do when viewing a house. If you view a house at night if you like it you should alway go back and see it in the daytime

monotonousmum · 22/11/2021 17:54

Most houses we saw when house hunting said south facing garden. They definitely weren't all facing the same direction!
Actually, the flat next door to our old place when it went on the market said South facing. It was North facing.

If you're North facing I'd be disappointed, but not sure there's much you can do about it.
West facing is pretty good. Better IMO.
Also depends on the size of the garden.

ivy4iona · 22/11/2021 17:56

of course it is a very valuable asset. why it can be deceiving is that south facing front gardens have great kerb appeal so you can easily be misled. I think you should definitely mention it.

bretta73 · 22/11/2021 17:56

Plainly ridiculous that you could have any case with an estate agent for something that coukd be checked on Google Maps in 10 seconds.

Speaking as someone whose garden faces due north I find it's perfect. Always cool on the patio and in the garden facing rooms of the house, and plenty of sun coming over the house in the months where you'll actually use it. Front of house is meanwhile obviously lovely and bright.

takenforgrantednana · 22/11/2021 18:07

@heregoes74

Hmmm... Just wondering if anyone has any advice as to what I should do (if anything) about being sold a house with a south facing garden but now we are living in the house it's very quickly dawned on me that it's not in fact a south facing garden 🤔And the compass confirms this.

Does having a south facing garden add to the value of a house (I would have thought so) so should I contact estate agents, or will they think I'm nuts. Hate the thought we have been lied to. Yes, we didn't take a compass with us and check when we viewed, on the 3 viewings it was summer and bright and sunny. Gah, it doesn't spoil the garden but does annoy me.

and you only just realised this out? the penny should have dropped the moment you saw the plans for your property if it was brand new, or a simple thing if not brand new is to look at your watch and then the position of the sun.

so which direction is your house?

MrsBobDylan · 22/11/2021 18:08

If it's any consolation op, I definitely wouldn't have thought to check the direction of the garden either and bet there are millions like us.

Mandyjack · 22/11/2021 18:37

@heregoes74

I'm obviously really Fucking stupid as I just assumed the estate agents would verify what the vendors might have claimed, otherwise we could all just bloody lie about anything in our houses. Clearly I shouldn't have been so trusting 😱 (read : stupid) but also, I don't expect to be lied to or professionals to not question these things especially if it is part of the blurb to draw people in.

Nothing on documents we've received yet, won't get land registry docs for at least 6months apparently because of backlog

Land registry documents are now electronic so you don't tend to get them anymore

Mandyjack · 22/11/2021 18:39

@Hoesbeforebroes

I don't think anyone takes a compass to a viewing, but it's pretty normal to look at a map of the area?

I always use my phone compass

rosesandbees · 22/11/2021 18:44

If it was North I would be annoyed but West is pretty good and you get the evening sun. Enjoy your new home and garden!

PeachyPeachTrees · 22/11/2021 19:03

My house said South facing garden on Estate Agent info. It's actually West facing. As it's a long narrow garden it suits us just fine as there's always sun somewhere.

m00rfarm · 22/11/2021 19:10

Please do not rely n your phone compass. I am an agent in the ALgarve, and I KNOW where the south is - and sometimes my phone compass points to the north when I KNOW it is the south ...

yamadori · 22/11/2021 19:13

@MrsBobDylan

If it's any consolation op, I definitely wouldn't have thought to check the direction of the garden either and bet there are millions like us.

Keen gardeners check

MuggedByTheSleepThief · 22/11/2021 19:22

@heregoes74

FYI - I'm flouncing sort of north north west

Jesus fucking Christ op have you no shame if you had done any and I mean the BARE minimum of research you would know that no one and I mean no one flounces to any points north.

Get a grip - you will find it east south east of where you are currently standing. Honestly.

millievanillaice · 22/11/2021 19:57

Why didn't you get the compass out at the viewing?

Or look at a map? 🤔

millievanillaice · 22/11/2021 19:58

@heregoes74

I'm obviously really Fucking stupid as I just assumed the estate agents would verify what the vendors might have claimed, otherwise we could all just bloody lie about anything in our houses. Clearly I shouldn't have been so trusting 😱 (read : stupid) but also, I don't expect to be lied to or professionals to not question these things especially if it is part of the blurb to draw people in.

Nothing on documents we've received yet, won't get land registry docs for at least 6months apparently because of backlog

You utter div!

millievanillaice · 22/11/2021 20:05

The more i read of your Posts OP, the more annoying you are. Calling the sellers a c-word?

A house is 100s of 1000s of pounds. Did you get a survey or trust that the house is in good order?

Checking the direction of the garden is the most basic check you can do yourself at no cost and it takes less than 60 Seconds. Your attitude is baffling.