Thinking of rejecting a house due to aspect? Don't!

[KhakiCat]

Hi all,

Just sharing something.

I had a dilemma when buying the house I've now been 7 months in at the end of 2024.

It ticked most of the boxes and the minor compromises were things I could (and have since) change.

The major compromise was the thing I can't change - the orientation. I really wanted a South or West facing garden/kitchen and was so disappointed this house has a North-East facing garden/kitchen.

Buildings and trees around it are also so positioned that direct sunlight doesn't hit the windows at all in winter (I viewed in October so it was dark most of the time outside and no sun in the garden).

Someone on here advised me that come summer, I would come to love having a cooler house and the ability to sit out in my garden all day without burning up.

I didn't believe it at the time, but went ahead and completed in December; it was dark and the garden got NO direct sunlight, so I thought I was going to have to get used to a dark house and sell in 5 years.

I was totally wrong. By end Feb, the garden started getting morning sun and the morning sun in the kitchen and bathroom is a wonderful way to wake up and have my coffee.

I also like finishing work and sitting in the still-sunny living room, and the orange glow I can enjoy all evening (I spend most of the evening in this room) rather than darkness had it been east-facing.

But the absolute best thing is that my house is never unbearably hot, especially compared to my previous, SE-S-SW-facing new build. I enjoy sun until late evening at the bottom of the garden and sit in a nice shady patio from lunch time (it does get morning sun).

It is actually perfect and I just wanted to share because it was such a difficult compromise for me - I just hope this helps someone else who might be thinking of dismissing a house due to similar reasons!

I'm in London for context - it is boiling these days and will only get worse with climate change.

So huge thanks to whoever gave me that advice!

I on the other hand bought a south facing house because of the beautiful view and I’m barely coping with the heat here way up north 🥵
What a lovely positive post op, I’m glad you’re so happy in your new home.

So pleased for you that it has all worked out. Our back garden faces due west and is like a blast furnace on a hot mid-summer afternoon.

I have one of those long and narrow Victorian maisonettes with the front room facing south and the garden north. I had soooo many people telling me it was a mistake as it would be too dark and too cold. The first winter here was tough but mainly budget was tight and heat was set on 20C max (not enough for these drafts old flats!).
That aside, spring and summer are absolutely delightful. I finish work and go hang out in my hammock with that golden light on me! It's heaven!!! The mornings are great too as I get to enjoy my first cuppa near the roses and feel the gentle morning light! My garden is thriving, full of flowers and pollinators. The tomatoes needed more sun, but we managed to get loads of strawberries this year!
The only dark room in the house is my son's bedroom but hard to escape one miserable dark room in a semi-detached maisonette ground floor flat. He is always gaming, so not really a problem!
I also don't have direct windows in my living room, but the golden afternoon light that comes from the skylights more than compensates for the lack direct outside view. It is perfect!

The flat has tons of other problems and I definitely overpaid for it, but would buy another north facing garden place with no hesitation!

Yes we’re the same! Our bedroom is at the back so it’s not hot in the evening but we get nice morning sun and then evening sun in the living room.

I lived in a house with north facing back garden with trees surrounding it for about 11 years and I didn’t like it at all. On sunny days when there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the garden and house were totally in shade from around 2-3pm. The house never felt warm or bright. I wasn’t allowed to even get the trees trimmed due to a TPO in place. It really depressed me, so when we moved 18 months ago to a house with a spectacular south facing garden, I’m happy to take the heat and glorious sunshine flooding in and you’ll not hear a complaint from me about it. I can get a fan to cool me down if needed.

Really glad you are enjoying it. Hell would freeze over before I would have a south facing garden, love my north facing one which is perfect for me.

Our current garden is NE facing and coincidentally our next one is as well. It's been fine for us. One dark room (we are mid terrace) which has been my office and perfect for work on hot days. Our rear extension with skylights is never hot.

We face NNE, and I love it! Our bedroom is on the side of the house so we have sun in the morning (even in winter) and some amazing sunrises, and the lounge is on the other side and is triple aspect, so constantly has some sunlight. The hall is at the front, and kitchen at the back and neither get direct sunlight, so in hot summers, it's wonderful to step in our front door into the cool. And part of our garden has sun pretty much all day - it just moves around.... I couldn't bear to be S facing. Our garden gets a bit soggy in winter as some of it doesn't get sun, but other than that, I love it too!

Our garden faces SW, and yep the garden is completely unusable between 10am-5pm because it is too hot. I’d love a bit of shade. The NW-facing front garden is much more pleasant to be in (but annoyingly faces onto a main road so not exactly great to sit in).

Completely agree it felt a massive compromise when we bought it and visiting friends in spring with light houses filled me with envy. BUT I’ve come to love the cool light, the cooler comfortable house and the garden without direct light. We have sun in the morning which is perfect for me as I’m a morning person and by evenings I’ve had enough so can enjoy the light evenings without burning alive!

Ours is west facing and yes it's hot at the moment (also in London). But I love the light and it keeps bills down in autumn/winter.

Can you plant something to help with the situation and create some shade? I had a magnolia grandiflora arrive from mail order trees yesterday and it was much better than I expected for the price (£65 inc delivery) as that type of tree can be pretty expensive. They are slow growers so not suggesting that variety but they maybe worth looking at as well as good local nurseries.

Maybe an apple tree so you get shade and food?! Or a pergola and cover it with climbers including some evergreen ones, Clematis armandii springs to mind.

PMK.

Hell would freeze over before I had a North facing one
Dank and moss everywhere
Has no-one heard of ... trees!🙄
South facing garden with lovely shady trees
Best of both worlds
Winter is bliss as my kitchen and dining room are flooded with sunlight and warm
Ps summer we use blinds to keep the house cool

Yesterday was the first day in two years I really enjoyed my garden.

North facing, tree covered, gets almost no direct sun and it was WONDERFUL.

Rest of the year - I need the sun and don't get it.

Ditto. I wouod never buy north facing garden again. The living room faces north and never gets direct sun all year round. There are lots of over growing trees in my garden ( neighbours, and they won’t cut them back) which cause shade and moss. It’s also hard to dry washing. The other side of the house is sunny but that’s the kitchen and spare rooms . I hardly sit in my garden during the summer, it’s really depressing. It’s also very windy all year round .

I'm the opposite. I've ended up with a small, shady North West facing garden and it's miserable 9 months of the year. Too cold and dark to sit out in in the mornings like my previous south facing garden. It makes me really depressed.

This is so lovely! I'm about to move from a West facing garden to a north facing one and it does feel like a big compromise as we currently linger in the garden long into the evening enjoying the sunset.

Our North facing garden is actually very sunny most of the day. Last bit of sun disappears about 6:30pm. But its been great during the heatwave to sit out in the evening in the shade. Our bedroom is at the front though - so South facing, aarrgh too hot!!

Our garden is east facing, as was our previous one. But even with the same orientation, the light/shade we get is actually quite different, due to the type of house and surrounding buildings. I don’t like the heat so east facing works for me - sun in the morning when it’s not too hot yet, and cooler in the evening, even if I do miss out on that beautiful golden glow.

Our house is north west facing, little bit more north and I love how cool it always stays inside. Upstairs is a different story but downstairs is lovely. And we get loads of sun in the garden, it just doesn’t reach the patio doors !

My garden is north facing, with the kitchen and 3 bedrooms at the back of the house.
Master, lounge and my office are at the front and are happy sunny rooms all year round. Back bedrooms are a little colder in the winter but well insulated and heated.
We have glass doors from the lounge to the dinner so that gets light and sun. And I love my cool kitchen.

I am currently sitting in my garden outside the kitchen it’s in the shade and a perfect temperature. If I want sun then there is a deck at the bottom of the garden.
I would never want a south facing kitchen but know I need a bedroom that gets the morning sun.

We have a north facing garden with trees. I was looking forward to there being some shade for the toddlers and dog. None! In the whole garden! I’ve had to buy parasols, as we only get one strip of shade at about 6pm. It’s our first summer in this house and the garden is too hot.

It just an attempt to get people to consider NF gardens -I wouldn't even bother viewing .

There is a reason that houses with SF gardens cost more.
In the UK we have a few weeks of really hot weather, it's not difficult to plant trees, shade and use blinds.
The rest of the year , particularly in winter my house and garden is light and sunny, we don't always need the heating on and I couldn't bear being in a dark miserable house.
My parents house is NF, nothing grows and they put the lights on in the day!

No moss in my garden. was looking for some to line a basket and had to buy some. I also need some shade on the patio as strong family history of skin cancer and am a red head, I really struggle with heat. An umbrella on the sunny part of the patio. Doesn’t give the same effect as the bit of patio directly by the house

Good thing we are all different, they do say there is a buyer for every house.