Small courtyard garden with children.

[Dyers]

Hello,

DH and I have viewed a lovely city centre house, it’s very nice but we aren’t sure if the garden will be too small at 9ft by 30ft.

Im wondering how other mumsnetters get on with a similar sized garden?

Our children are 7 and 5. There’s a green space 20m away, and 2 play parks within a 5min walk.

thanks

That would be fine in my opinion. All the benefits of the city centre with green space close by.

Sounds fine to me. Always good to be able to squeeze a trampoline in, but beyond that, my DC have barely used the garden and would be more likely to use the parks and city amenities.

Thank you both, that’s really positive.

when they get older they’ll pleased for the location I’m sure.

I have quite a big garden but dc didn’t go out in it that often . I wouldn’t advise a trampoline as it would dominate the garden and I’m assuming would irritate your closest neighbours.

When my dc were that age we were playing with bubbles, sprinkler in the summer, sandpit, skipping, chalk pictures on the ground / walls, growing beans and sunflowers, tennis with foam balls. You can have fun with a small garden.

It sounds fine to me, but absolutely don’t squeeze a trampoline in!!
Fat too close to neighbours.

There's lots of lovely things you can do with small gardens and kids. Sand pit/water play/gardening/art stuff. Go to the park for active play.

So odd about trampoline phobia. Every family I know has one in their garden, big or small, city/town/village. It's not some 24/7 neighbour torture. Chill out.

Ours is a little bigger than that- about 35ft by 15, but fine. We also have great parks close by. The kids are out there a lot, but we do the football and Frisbee in the park. Big enough for BBQs and skipping etc. You have to go quite a long way out of the city to get a really big garden so it's a good compromise.

I also had an allotment when they were smaller as I like growing veg and they used to come there with me, too.

Big enough to sit out in, have a table and bbq. I'd go for location every time.

Patio it all and some raised beds and it’ll stay lovely and be perfect with a geeen space nearby to run around on. No mowing or keeping nice and really usable having a courtyard garden

Absolutely fine!

We had the same.

Nice space to sit out in, play with sand etc while the younger one is interested, and make good use of the park. Ours got lots of outside experience with sports clubs, Scouts etc, and loads of time at the park, which is more social with local friends anyway.

It’s hardly a phobia. They’d be pretty annoying rammed up against a neighbouring fence in a tiny garden.
But if it was your trampoline I suppose you would’ve have to care about the nuisance factor…

30' isn't even that small, IMO.

Plenty big enough for skipping, for example.

Our old house had a small garden but park very close. I loved it. I’m not a gardener but there was room for a paddling pool and sand pit, space for a rug for picnic. Mil regularly commented on the size in horror.

Thanks again everyone it’s really helped put our mind at ease. :)

Tbh we aren’t big gardeners either so a low maintenance space would suit me and DH.

Im sure we can get a small shed, somewhere to sit and get out the sand/water pit out.

30ft long or wide?

What direction does it face?

Ours is 35 ft long and about 19ft wide and north facing, the very back of the house gets no sun at all, even in summer. I don’t generally mind but lots do.

That's not a courtyard! 30ft long sounds pretty standard for a city. For a city centre it's positively big!

Sorry It’s 30ft wide and 9ft long. It could be slightly larger but we need space to park two cars at the side of the house.

the kitchen has fold back doors the width of the house which open onto the paved garden.

We have a big garden but all my kids wanted to do when small is sit and play with sand or water. Look how gardens are used - small spaces work just as well as big ones for most, with the park for more active play

My PILs live in a Victorian Terrace, with an actual yard (less than 5m long and the width of the house). Yhey bought up their two boys there, and there are loads of families in the street.

That sorts like a normal size garden really!! Especially with other play space nearby.

I wouldn’t buy a house with such a small garden with kids that age unless there’s no other choice. Our children spent so much time outdoors at those ages and it’s not always convenient to go out to the park or whatever when they need to run around. I really value our own own outdoor space but everyone is different.

I was thinking you were going to say a 9ft x 9ft courtyard!

I know you said you aren't gardeners, but you you could buy stackable planters for herbs/strawberries or those ones that hang vertically along the fence. Dwarf beans, tall french beans and potatoes are easy to grow if you wanted to show the kids where food comes from?

In London, we had a city farm not too far away. They had cheap compost/seedlings etc and also discounted annual pass for local residents.

We moved to our house a few years ago, great location and house, the compromise was the garden which is small. But after some new fencing, artificial grass and decking it looks great and is perfect for our needs. With parks around you will be fine. As long as the kids have somewhere to play outside (for your sanity as much as anything) you will be good. Ours is about 18ft by 20ft.

Before and after - we found losing the pacing soften it up and made it feel bigger