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Original poster

North facing garden?

113 replies

GallopingGreen · 19/04/2023 09:39

Need to make a decision this morning... after a year of frustrating house hunting we have found a lovely house in a great location. It's at the very top end of our budget... however it is fully north facing garden. DH is not keen as it's the one thing about the house we can never change.

The current owner has made the best of it with a big kitchen extension at the back with lots of glass and windows... to maximise the light.

Any experience with north facing gardens being fine? It's a long garden so will have some light at some point I guess....

Thanks!

OP posts:
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Lcb123 · 19/04/2023 09:41

We're buying a house with a north facing garden - but it's terraced as the house is on a hill so I am hopefully the sun will reach the back part. And there's a sizeable front garden, south facing, although also street facing. If it's a long garden I expect parts will get sun during the day. We actually were thinking that it's getting so much hotter in the summer that a purely south facing garden might be too hot!

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 19/04/2023 09:42

If it is a long garden then the house won't shade it all the time. Or garden is direct south facing but due to position of trees is actually quite shaded, you'll never get a perfect garden!

JulieHoney · 19/04/2023 09:43

I wouldn’t. It’s my first concern when looking for a house.

Whendidigetsoold · 19/04/2023 09:47

I really wouldn't. We bought a lovely house with a North facing garden. The rooms at the back never got any direct sun in them and felt dark. The garden got boggy and the area you want to sit (next to house) doesn't get the sun. We had to build a deck further down the garden which wasn't ideal. We moved and now have a South facing garden. The difference is incredible. Lovely sunny rooms, and garden. Yes the rooms at the front don't really get the sun, but the rooms we live in all the time are at the back of the house so that's what matters. Honestly I would never buy a house with a North facing garden again. Only South or possibly West facing.

DannyZukosSmile · 19/04/2023 09:47

I would prefer a south facing (I assume you mean back) garden - or at least South East or South West facing, (or East or West facing even.) Rather than a north facing one.

However, it definitely would not be a deal breaker if I was buying a house and everything else was absolutely fine. I think as long as it's at least 40-45 foot long, so that in the winter you do get at least half of it getting light. It would be OK. Yep, definitely wouldn't be a deal breaker. Go for it. Good luck.

Original poster
GallopingGreen · 19/04/2023 09:47

Thanks for the replies. We'll also have a private front garden that gets the afternoon sun... but not ideal to sit out and enjoy

OP posts:
dreamersdown · 19/04/2023 09:49

I prefer it, especially with the hotter summers that we’re getting. We moved from the south facing garden where the kitchen (all bifolds and glass) became a sauna in the summer. As long as the garden is big enough for there to be some sun, it means that kids can play happily and safely in the shade.

Original poster
GallopingGreen · 19/04/2023 09:51

Interesting views.... I'm not sure it's a dealbreaker for me yet or not. Thank you for sharing your experiences its v helpful.

OP posts:
DannyZukosSmile · 19/04/2023 09:53

@Whendidigetsoold

I really wouldn't. We bought a lovely house with a North facing garden. The rooms at the back never got any direct sun in them and felt dark. The garden got boggy and the area you want to sit (next to house) doesn't get the sun.

But if your back garden is south facing now, do you not get this 'boggy' problem with the front garden now? After all, that is north facing now isn't it? I don't get it.

Our 50 ft long back garden is north facing, and it never gets boggy or damp. Just doesn't get any sun in the winter (except for the bottom/end 23-25 feet...) Doesn't get boggy. Why was your back garden getting boggy? Confused

dreamersdown · 19/04/2023 09:53

If there’s time and availability, perhaps ask to go and see it at different times of the day?

Spendonsend · 19/04/2023 09:54

It depends whats around it. Ours is north noth west. It has bits of garden that are in sun all day in summer - we chase it round. Its only shady right by the house. We dont really use the garden in winter.

The rooms at the front if the house are lovely and sunny. The back of the house is cooler in summer which is nice.

Rollercoaster1920 · 19/04/2023 09:55

We have a North - North West garden.

We can sit in the sun at lunchtime by being 10m down the garden.
We can sit in the sun in the evening by the house on the east side of the garden. The most important thing is what is to the west that might block evening sun.

Malloryhitops · 19/04/2023 09:56

We have a north facing garden, but it gets lovely and sunny in the summer months, just not directly behind the house, the rest of the garden is perfect. I still have to use sun umbrellas for the summer months but we also have a nice shaded area by the house if you want to enjoy the sunshine but not sit directly in it! I love that the front of my house is super sunny as we spend a lot of time in the front living area. Depends on the house and what rooms you will be using most. It wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me at all and I love my garden and use it a lot 🪴

RollingInTheCreek · 19/04/2023 09:56

That was our big compromise with our current house, we couldn’t have afforded it otherwise. Our garden gets very little sun over winter but we have hardy grass/plants and don’t use it much anyway. In summer it’s lovely- gets sun in some part all day until later afternoon but always some shade which is great with two small kids. I wish we had sun in the evening but it’s still bright and to be honest after a hot day a bit of reprieve while you’re eating is fine. It’s been so much better than I thought it would be! Our friends have south facing and spend all summer worrying about their children burning and there’s nowhere to hide. The heat last year melted the glue on the strips of their folding doors! It can be unbearable in their home at the height of summer whereas ours stays cool so tbh I like it!

Malloryhitops · 19/04/2023 09:58

RollingInTheCreek · 19/04/2023 09:56

That was our big compromise with our current house, we couldn’t have afforded it otherwise. Our garden gets very little sun over winter but we have hardy grass/plants and don’t use it much anyway. In summer it’s lovely- gets sun in some part all day until later afternoon but always some shade which is great with two small kids. I wish we had sun in the evening but it’s still bright and to be honest after a hot day a bit of reprieve while you’re eating is fine. It’s been so much better than I thought it would be! Our friends have south facing and spend all summer worrying about their children burning and there’s nowhere to hide. The heat last year melted the glue on the strips of their folding doors! It can be unbearable in their home at the height of summer whereas ours stays cool so tbh I like it!

Haha snap 😂

Wallabyone · 19/04/2023 09:59

We loved to a house with a north facing garden recently, and when we started looking, I'd ruled them out. We had been looking for over a year and this one came up, and we loved the house.

Our garden is fine, it's over 100ft long, and very wide, but the patio on two thirds width of the house is always shady. This does mean that our kitchen and one living area aren't bright. The rest of the garden is bright and sunny, and we've positioned a set of garden sofas on the side of the patio that has sun coming in due to the side entrance. I don't hate it as much as I thought I would, and I've no regrets about buying the house.

FiddleFigs · 19/04/2023 10:04

I love my north-facing garden. It's really only in the winter that it doesn't get any direct sunlight - for the rest of the year there's always some part of it in the sun. And on hot summer days, it's lovely to have cool shady spots to sit in. We use the garden loads. Conversely, my parents' have a south facing garden, and spend sunny summer days indoors because it gets too hot out there!

Mushroo · 19/04/2023 10:10

It depends how tall the house is / how long the garden is.

Our first house had north facing and I was pleasantly surprised. It had raised decking at the bottom of the garden and it was a real sun trap.

Our current is east facing and I hate it - never again.

Also if it is really your dream house, worth the compromise, realistically you only use the garden for quite a small part of the year, you use the house every day!

LegoLady95 · 19/04/2023 10:10

My back garden is north facing. We have an extension with velux windows and it doesn't feel dark at the back. It is a longish garden, lots of plants and flowers grow along either side quite happily, and they get plenty of sun.

We put a log cabin at the end of the garden, and use it as a summerhouse. It has power and lights, and what is nice is you can sit in front of that to enjoy the sunshine, because you can't do so outside your patio doors.

We also have a sunny front garden set far back from the road, so do sit out there sometimes as well.

If you have young kids, the shady area close to the house is great when they are young.

Whendidigetsoold · 19/04/2023 10:12

@DannyZukosSmile

No idea why it got boggy. Assumed because it didn't really dry out. However it was a new build so could possibly have been down to what was under garden etc. some of my neighbours who I have kept in touch with built drainage into theirs to help with the problem!

Bambooflowers · 19/04/2023 10:15

Our garden is wrap around so part is north, it gets the sun as the sun moves round and I’ve no issues growing stuff there, it would not be an issue for me at all.

KnickerlessParsons · 19/04/2023 10:17

We don't get much sun in the winter in our north facing garden, but it's full sun up to about 7pm everyday from about now to late summer/early autumn. It wouldn't (and didn't) put me off buying the house.

bilbodog · 19/04/2023 10:18

If you get some sun at the end of the garden that should be fine - the front of the house will get sun so any reception rooms will be sunny.

my SIL spent months insisting on a south facing garden and ignoring houses with north facing ones! In the end shes bought one with a north facing garden and is loving it as there is always some sun there but also shade.

RitaFires · 19/04/2023 10:18

It really depends on what you're looking for from a garden. If it's for growing things, you can still have plants just not right against the house. If it's for sitting out in the summer, you will have sunshine somewhere just not in the same place all day.

Once the house is designed to suit its orientation, there's not a huge difference when your indoors.

For resale some people won't even look at homes with North facing gardens but that's a minority.

CellophaneFlower · 19/04/2023 10:19

It would be a deal breaker for me. It's not about the height of summer, when of course you'll get sun in a nf garden, it's about the rest of the year. Those many days when it's warm in the sun but freezing in the shade.

My garden is sf. My washing dries almost year round on dry days. I've already had a number of days this year when I've sat outside basking in the sunshine. My decking and patio remain moss and algae free. Yes, sometimes it's too hot, but I can create shade and would much rather that than chasing the sun throughout the day. My garden is wider rather than long, so I get the sun till it goes down. Do think about evenings and whether you'll get any sun after returning from work.