Advice on garden aspect

[Iwasrightallalong]

I am currently house hunting and viewers a gorgeous house, loved everything about it except the garden which was smaller than I’d like and north facing.
I’d like to have a decent outdoor space for my young DC And feel like this may not be the best option even though the house itself was perfect (and I’ve been hunting hard!) my DF drove by the back several times yesterday and claimed the garden was fully in the Sun from morning until late afternoon which I found odd as it’s really quite small, could a north facing garden really get sun all day? Would it be hot?
On the other hand, I’ve seen a property (not viewed yet) which looks lovely (not as perfect as the other one though but more than adequate from the photos) which has a lovely outdoor space, west facing garden, would west facing be better for getting the hot Sun during the day and afternoon? I’ve been a bit spoiled with current house and it’s large south west garden and DC loves pottering in the garden which I want to encourage as he grows.

The house I grew up in had a small north facing garden, I played out in it a lot.
Kids don't need full sun all day to thrive!

How much sun this garden gets will depend on what's casting shade in each direction. And of course it will get less sun at other times of year when the sun isn't so high.

Our house is angled east west with the back garden getting sun from morning to 5pm ish. The front gets sun from 4pm and is way too hot. Afternoon sun is hotest sun. We'd prefer to have sun a bit later in the back as daytime sun is wasted when we're at work, but it's gone when work is finished (front is open plan with no garden). However when the temp reaches 30 degrees like yesterday it's nice when the sun goes from the back. For kids playing you might not want sun burning them all day. However I wouldn't get a north facing house because I'm a plant lover and the plants like the sun.

Ours is full sun, which I was surprised about. However I've since read that it's the position of the house that is more important than just orientation. Ours is on a hill, corner plot, so no house immediately to the east or behind it. And we are in the south east also.

My mums is north west facing and mostly sunny, about 1m of shade in front of the house

Our previous house was north facing small garden, the house shadow always falls onto it, nothing will grow except moss always feel cold and dark, really hated it, now our house is eastt West facing and garden is east and south wrap around love it!

If you mostly want the garden as a play space I'd actively prefer a shady garden. Young children should stay out of the sun in the heat of the day, as they dehydrate fast and being sunburned in childhood is a risk factor for skin cancer.

I find it far easier to keep kids warm in the winter than cool in the summer and you'll get far more play value from shade.

This time of year the sun is high in the sky, so unless there are close high buildings, the garden may well get light. However, in the winter when the sun is low, it may not. Be careful.
We had a n-facing back garden and it was fine, grew veg, flowers, the lot. Good for a conservatory as they don't get as hot.
But....
there were only bunglaows out back, they had reasonable gardens of their own, there were no stupidly high hedges or extensions at sides or back, and it was a longish garden.

You do need to consider winter too. The sun at the moment will be nearing its highest point in the sky. So while it might get sun now will it in winter? My old house had a north facing garden and I wouldn't do it again. But the garden was small and close to the house, if it had been longer it may have been less of an issue. How long is the garden from the house?

I have a small north facing back garden and I can sunbath all day in it. It's surrounded by bungalows so no tall buildings to cast shade. There are shady parts. I had a south facing garden when my kids were small with no shade and that was more of a problem to be honest

We're west facing and I love it- kind of thinking about moving but discounted one that was east because of the shade- we get the full afternoon/evening sun and the sunsets and I'd miss it too much.

I guess it's what you're used to isn't it and what you're prepared to give up. My mums is east facing and they never sit out at night cos it's cold but the morning sunrises are fabulous!!