Page 6 | Misled about south facing garden

heregoes74 · 2021-11-21T20:20:17+00:00

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.

Talipesmum · 21/11/2021 22:06

The reason people are asking is that if they said it was south facing and it’s actually north east, that’s awful. If they said it was south facing and it’s actually southwest, then you’re being over picky. So we are wondering how justified you are!

BarkminsterBlue · 21/11/2021 22:06

@heregoes74

Thanks for the oh so many rude and condescending comments, can always rely on Mumsnet for that 🤔 I'll have to wait until the sun comes up in the morning to check direction, I'll be sure to update you all then 🤣

Do…do we have a compass troll now?

nocoolnamesleft · 21/11/2021 22:07

I've got a fiver on it being SSW. The horror!

Iggly · 21/11/2021 22:08

@nocoolnamesleft

I've got a fiver on it being SSW. The horror!

😂

LublinToDublin · 21/11/2021 22:08

@Talipesmum

The reason people are asking is that if they said it was south facing and it’s actually north east, that’s awful. If they said it was south facing and it’s actually southwest, then you’re being over picky. So we are wondering how justified you are!

This

GoingBacktoSchool123 · 21/11/2021 22:09

Seriously its on the fucking map. Title deeds and compass unnecessary. Google maps will do you don't even need ordnance survey.

Clue: the top is North.

Be annoyed at yourself but don't assume your vendor had a clue what direction the garden faced.

KickAssAngel · 21/11/2021 22:12

As an aside - don't most people just know if where N/S are as they go about the day? I mean, if I'm in a new place I'd have to think for a while, but in general, it would take about a second for me to know where N is wherever I am.

I'm not really great at directions/remembering the way somewhere, but I do know which way I'm facing.

Mamamia344 · 21/11/2021 22:14

Just use the compass on your phone.

saraclara · 21/11/2021 22:15

If the false information was about something that was impossible for you to check for yourself, then you'd have a case. But which way the garden faces is probably the easiest thing to check about a house.

A south facing garden was always important to us, and we were buying before phones, before google maps, before the internet. We looked on real paper maps and we used a compass. And yes, we even looked to see where the sun was.

You had three visits to the place and you had a phone, google maps and the internet. I'm not trying to stick the boot in, but I'm bewildered that you think you can get some recompense for this. You really can't.

FallonCarringtonWannabe · 21/11/2021 22:16

I dont understand people saying your dont take a compass to a viewing. Theres one on my iPhone. Is this not standard? I checked every house before even booking a viewing.

We had a north facing garden in my old house but we had a big garden so it didnt matter. It still got lots of sun from half way down.

We have an east facing garden now which was brilliant in summer. Breakfast in the garden every day. It moved round to the front at around 1pm and id read my book and have a drink out the front in the evening. I know some people describe a west facing garden as a party garden. My animals could not have coped with a south facing garden when it was hot.

Catsstillrock · 21/11/2021 22:18

Don’t you have a compass on your phone? All iPhones have one?

Don’t think there’s anything you can do now. Buyer beware. Ks it was a motivator to buy / pay that price you should have checked, unfortunately

Nigglenaggle · 21/11/2021 22:21

Yabu. How did you miss this on viewing??

supremelybaffled · 21/11/2021 22:22

@Talipesmum

The reason people are asking is that if they said it was south facing and it’s actually north east, that’s awful. If they said it was south facing and it’s actually southwest, then you’re being over picky. So we are wondering how justified you are!

This. If the details were completely wrong and the garden faces nowhere near south then you do have a case of misrepresentation, and there might be a point in taking things further.

We can't really offer an opinion on whether or not it was misleading unless we know which way it actually does face.

Furzebush · 21/11/2021 22:23

Hang on, why is everyone saying to use your phone compass or Google maps — isn’t it pretty obvious, assuming you didn’t visit on an incredibly dark, cloudy day, which way you’re facing?

Or do I have some kind of niche talent for always knowing which direction is which?

OP, don’t panic — this isn’t a disaster. A lot depends on what’s surrounding your garden, anyway, and where shadows fall at different times of year. I have garden on three sides of my house — south in front, west to the side, north at the back, but the back garden, north of the house, slopes steeply and gets a lot of sun, while the west-facing side of the garden loses the sun early, because of a hill with tall trees west of us. You’ll get familiar with your garden and it’s light.

SarahAndQuack · 21/11/2021 22:27

My garden faces south west, and I do love it because I'm into gardening and it is generally better for plants. But as others say, south facing gardens get very hot, and I wouldn't want mine to be facing any more south than it is.

Plus, the payoff for a south-facing garden is a north-facing front of house. That may be fine if you have huge ceilings and/or your kitchen/utility room/bathroom are at the front. But if you have a house where the living room or any bedrooms face north, they may be a bit dark.

I looked at a house recently that was absolutely gorgeous - lovely garden, beautiful rooms, couldn't see why the price was as low as it was. We viewed in the middle of summer, mid afternoon, and the front room was just about not gloomy. They had a light switched on. I checked and yep ... the garden was south facing but the front room faced dead on north and woah, it would have been a dark old place in winter.

iawbuwes · 21/11/2021 22:27

Sorry but how on earth did you buy a property without checking this? That’s insane. You don’t have a leg to stand on.

WrongWayApricot · 21/11/2021 22:28

Are you sure it doesn't face south? Or like south east/west maybe? Seems odd that they'd say it if it's a completely different direction, seems silly to lie about.

Cassandrainthenight · 21/11/2021 22:30

@DoubleTweenQueen,

A similar thing happened to us, went 150 miles to view a house with a half an acre garden, arrived and thought wtf, it's not half an acre?! Actually measured it on google maps, and it was like 1/6th of an acre.

Did complain to the agent, who said the owner had died, and the heirs who were selling told the agent it was half an acre. They did change it in their description to a "large garden" after that. But we had a wasted trip.

storkstalk · 21/11/2021 22:31

If you have an iPhone there’s a compass app

fairlygoodmother · 21/11/2021 22:31

Estate agents details are full of hyperbolic nonsense and it's pretty obvious when reading them that this is the case. I don't think they expect you to believe them.

E.g. when we sold our flat it was described as 'literally 2-3 minutes walk from the tube station' - it wasn't, it was at least 8 minutes and usually took me 10. If our buyer had complained about this after completion I would have thought they had lost their minds.

NeedToKnow101 · 21/11/2021 22:33

@Summerfun54321

I just had to check to see if this was a zombie thread created before the invention of the internet and google maps 😂

🤣🤣🤣

2bazookas · 21/11/2021 22:33

@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 take a compass. And binoculars for a closer look at the roof/chimneys/gutters.

Whether or not a north facing garden gets any sun, depends on the size of the garden, slope of the land and any surrounding trees/buildings.

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 21/11/2021 22:34

The only thing you can do, probably, is to maximise whatever sun you get in the garden and what time of day. Then you can plan for the best plants for the conditions you have and choose where to put furniture to make the most of the sun. Are there trees or shrubs that need pruning to allow more sun and reduce shade.

If you like the house, which I imagine you do, surely the best thing is to enjoy what you have and to make the best of the garden. If it doesn’t spoil the garden, it’s not really an issue. I reckon if people really like a house, they’ll put up with whichever way it faces.

MrsBobDylan · 21/11/2021 22:34

Ok, don't tell us.

I will assume it is a few degrees out and you are hysterical

Mamamia344 · 21/11/2021 22:35

@saraclara

If the false information was about something that was impossible for you to check for yourself, then you'd have a case. But which way the garden faces is probably the easiest thing to check about a house.

A south facing garden was always important to us, and we were buying before phones, before google maps, before the internet. We looked on real paper maps and we used a compass. And yes, we even looked to see where the sun was.

You had three visits to the place and you had a phone, google maps and the internet. I'm not trying to stick the boot in, but I'm bewildered that you think you can get some recompense for this. You really can't.

And still doesn't know!