How important is having a decent garden?

[LeafyYork]

Hello,

We're a newly married couple looking to upsize and move area to start a family (we're not parents yet). Our house is on the market and we're viewing houses to buy.

We've completely fallen in love with a house that is perfect in lots of ways, but it only has a small courtyard garden, no lawn. It is, however, a 20 second walk from a beautiful 30 acre park which has lots of biodiversity and lovely walks.

So my question to you as parents is, how important is it to have a large, green garden rather than a courtyard? The courtyard is big enough for an outdoor table and some shrubs in pots. Children could play out there, but not really run around.

I'd hope the large park nearby would encourage us to get outdoors and see more nature than we would in a garden, but maybe I'm being naive.

I'd always pictured my children running around in the garden on a sunny evening and having a swing set. Any thoughts?

We’ve got a largish garden and it’s just something else that needs constant attention

also it rains. A lot.

we’re out of the house all day so it’s only really summer weekends we spend much time out there. And then it mostly rains.

i’d be happier with a smaller one with enough room for a table, room to do messy crafts and a few pots of flowers.

We have a very small garden- it does have grass but it also has a pretty big office shed in it (there when we moved in). We have a wide side return though. It's big enough for BBQs, eating outside and some light cultivation. They could run around a bit as small toddlers but not as 10yos really.

It's been fine. I had an allotment when they were little as well but we have really big parks nearby and now DC1 is 10 they don't really 'play' out in the same way so the actual window of using it like that is small. And once they start school it's too dark in the evenings anyway for a chunk of the year.

We're in London though and most of the DCs friends are in flats. Certainly no one has a massive garden. We all just go to the park. We're outdoorsy generally but I don't miss having more space. You always have to compromise on something so of everything else is good then go for it.

I've had a large garden pre kids and maintaining it was a right pain. Much happier now with a teeny garden and getting out and about instead. We have access to brilliant outdoor spaces and don't spend our free time maintaining the garden.

Oh and for bikes, could you fit a bike locker in the front garden? More convenient as well not taking them through the house.

I think a tiny garden is fine. I had a tiny garden when my dds were very small, then we moved into a house with a larger garden. The the layout is slightly unusual, down steps, and it also has a pond, so it wasn’t a space that my dds used unless I was also with them. We have a park close by and I was more likely to take them to the park, than for them to be in the garden. We don’t have much lawn though, next door have a small lawn and a swing, and their little girl does use the swing a lot.
A tiny garden can have a sandpit type table, or a small Wendy house, when you have tinies. My Teens hardly ever go into the garden, they might sit out there with a coffee but that’s about it.

It really depends on what the other options are. Don't forget it's a property ladder so you won't have everything you want straightaway (ignore influencers as they embellish the truth!)

How long are you going to be at the next house? 5+ years would be tough.
Will you have pets?
Children playing in the garden is wonderful. You don't need a big garden but some lawn and enough to play safely.

Personally I would compromise elsewhere- smaller bedrooms/garage but everyone is different.
Remember you can't always get to the park- baby is napping/5 year old full of energy/you're poorly/heavily pregnant/cooking dinner etc

Im a very keen gardener but I think it really depends on you and the age of your kids. We had a smallish garden when my two
were little (10 and under): enough room
for a grass area (for paddling pool or sandpit or small trampoline) a patio area for outdoor messy craft and a tree that was climbable. It was used a lot esp in the summer. But it want huge: not a football sized or swing set space for example. We were near a park and spent a lot of time there. At 10 we moved to a patio sized garden. As teens they will sit and work outside but definitely don’t use it loads - but they are outdoorsy rather than classic sporty kids (so walks; birdwatching; on the river) - it’s really those early years where it’s helpful imo. We have also had an allotment since they were about 3: which was a much better space really: other kids around; fun tasks and lots of wildlife; much more relevant to their interests. So garden as opposed to patio is helpful but not essential imo.

Gardens are not just places to play, they are space that separates you from the noise from other properties.

Also of course,with the rising cost of fuel,great for drying the washing. We also grow a lot of our own fruit and veg, once established, saves a lot of money, and I know it's organic (well, I know I enjoy eating it, but the phone has just typed "orgasmic". Kids Wendy house became a plant home. I have gym kit in the summer house, and teen DGD goes in there.

Really important to us and it was a priority of ours when looking at houses.
Never underestimate the ability to just fling the back doors open and have the kids out there in their pjs in the morning sun without all having to have breakfast first, get dressed, brush teeth and hair, find appropriate footwear and layers ‘just in case’, to wander to the park for half an hour.
But when our first 2 were born we lived in a flat and had to do exactly that to enjoy some outside space so it really was a priority for us to have access to our own private outdoor space. And it’s a really big garden.
We also entertain a lot and the garden is a useful extra space.

I am a grandmother and look after grandchildren. I like to get out with them and get them to walk to park as they have slides, swings etc (more than you could put in the average size garden. We talk about the birds, cars etc as we walk. The walk helps to while away some minutes as it’s a long day. Only you can decide how important it is for you. It maybe you are not a gardener at the moment but could be in the future. Millions of kids don’t have back gardens in the world.

Massively important for us and 3DC! We used to live in a flat next door to a beautiful well kept park and honestly some days it was such a hassle to get ready and go. We now have a large garden that hasnt been in the best state since we brought it but the difference when you can open your backdoor and watch them play is huge. We have just accepted a quote to get it landscaped with new fencing this spring and I absolutely can't wait. Children are primary school age so not sure if that is a factor compared to older children

It all depends on the life you want really! For me, a garden is important because I enjoy having BBQs and on a really hot day, it's great to set up the paddling pool for the kids. We also have water gun fights and that definitely wouldn't go down well in a park. Also as they grow older, if you've got a clear line of sight, you can set them free to play in the garden while you do other stuff.

I think it all depends on how you visualise things with your future kids and whether you want an outdoor space to chill/socialise in. Admittedly we only get a few weeks of proper summer each year but a garden is still important for me. I enjoy it all year round.

They also don't have to be a lot of upkeep. If you don't enjoy gardening, just have a simple lawn.

You should also consider resale of this house when it’s time for you to move on. As you can see from the replies most people buying a family home want a garden, which means when you come to sell this house yourselves it might be difficult to sell. How long has it been on the market for?

Thanks everyone, really appreciate the input. We're going to keep looking while we think about it.

Unless you actually love gardening and weeding and would choose it as a hobby above all else, a tiny/non-existent garden with a large nearby park is best - especially if you can plan to have the park on your regular walking route to nursery, schools, shops etc. I finf our garden a massive pain in the butt and would much rather have a small courtyard.

Well no one loves weeding lol. And you can have hobbies and a garden . 87 percent of homes have a private garden, yes some will be small, but if you had to consider gardening above all hobbies then the vast majority of the public would be unable to do that, and as that’s clearly not the case…..

I have what I call a 'decent' garden, about 100 feet long by 12 feet wide and I have lawn, pots, flower beds and a pond and I can weed everything in an hour, cut the lawn in twenty minutes and still have plenty of time for pottering about or sitting in the sun with a coffee!

If you plant the right things and keep on top of things, you don't need to be a martyr to your garden! So I agree with you!

It depends on your lifestyle.

My mum was a SAHM as were most of the mums on our road. The neighborhood kids were always round at my parents’ big garden and the mums would hang out there together. My parents enjoy gardening and finding stuff to do in the house and garden. I have many happy memories and pictures. A big garden was right for them.

I work compressed hours at home most days - it’s sedentary and isolating so once I finish work I want to be OUT of the flat, so we cycle to the park and run around there. We are mostly out of the flat at weekends, I’m not the sort of person who want to hang around the house much. We stay with my parents for a month in the summer each year - their big garden is pretty but we don’t use it as much as you’d think. My eldest has already grown out of “play in the garden” - sporty boys are often keen on the garden for longer, mind you.