North-west facing rear garden - should we buy the property?

3 years ago

We have found a house for sale that we absolutely love and it ticks all of our boxes, however the rear garden is NW facing. Having only ever lived in a top floor flat with no garden and then a maisonette with a south facing rear garden, we're not 100% sure how much we should be concerned about facing NW.

The garden is pretty sizable, and while there's a tall neighbouring house to the east side, the house on the west side is not tall, so I'm assuming this would allow some sunshine to get through.

The kitchen (at the rear) has some lovely skylights so I think it should get some sunlight which is good.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Is there anything specifically that we should look out for? If anyone also has any advice for what we need to consider in terms of light within theactual house, I'd love to hear this too!

Thanks so much in advance.

Featured Answer

Sonia

3 years ago

So you will get the sun later in the day. I have a south west facing garden and to be honest in the afternoon it is unbearable in this heat as is the kitchen. If you can, go back and have a look on a sunny afternoon and see how it seems then.

Comments (16)

Daisy England
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
On the properties I’ve purchased I have to admit I’ve not given the direction of the garden any thought. I’ve always purchased based on the house. My current house has the back garden facing north west and we get the sun directly on the back on the house most of the afternoon and definite all evening making it nice to sit in the garden room. Even in the morning the sun is part way over the top of the garden.
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Juliet Docherty
3 years ago
Article on here, may be of use.

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/3009336-buying-a-house-with-a-nw-facing-garden
Victoria
3 years ago
Given increasing temperatures due to climate change you are likely to have a garden that’s pleasant to sit in. You plant according to shade. If the garden is large you will get sun somewhere in the garden most of the time.
Victoria
3 years ago
Just saw an app called Sun Surveyor Lite. Don’t know if it might be if any use.
yvonnegw
3 years ago
@Daisy England Same here though garden isnt too big. I have a 3 storey townhouse and its only in the depths of winter that there is no sun in the garden (but plenty of light). The garden in my previous house was south west and it was too much mid day and early afternoon in summer. I think we actually sit out more in this garden. Also we have plants on the shady side to the left and on the sunny side (right) The ones in the shade grow better and don't get so burned (if that makes sense) - last week we lost a lot of plants on sunny side as was so hot and we weren't able to water, but the ones on the shaded side were fine. we just made sure we had shade/ semi shade tolerant plants. We did pave over most of the grass near the house though as it did get mucky when we had lots of winter rain as it never really got a chance to dry out properly. That said all of our neighbours have grass.

Also used this when debating buying the house. https://www.suncalc.org/ You can move it to your location and set dates/times etc and see how the sun moves. Note that it doesn't take the height of houses etc in the area into account but you should be able to work it out.
peggysue67
3 years ago
If you love the house buy it! We have a north facing back garden and find that there is sun in different areas at different times of the day which in the recent heat wave has been a godsend as that also means that there is shade in different areas! Bear in mind that the rooms on the south facing side will get hot in the afternoon and the northern rooms may feel slightly cooler and you may want to use warmer colours in them. Good luck!
Sue
3 years ago
Ask yourself what The ratio is between sitting outside and inside is In a year? You have your answer then.
Louise Ptaszek
3 years ago
I have just moved house from South face garden to north facing and this was a major concern but so glad I went for it! Imagine how much time you spend in garden compared to the house. Also I've gone for a patio at the back where I get the most sun, adding some trellis along the back with lights which hope to look fab in evening's. Our kitchen is facing garden and would have been unbearable with the heat. Go for it if it ticks all other boxes!
kwg kwg
3 years ago
I came from a South facing garden ( also in first floor maisonette ) to house with North facing garden and was also sceptical at first but I really like being North facing now. We spend most of the day in the extension ( kitchen/ dining/ living space ) as it's nice and cool and avoid the living room as it's really hot. We get sun in the back garden from about midday to early evening and on a super hot day - laundry is dry within a few hours so yes you still get sun in a North facing, We're in a London terrace with a modestly small garden of 30ft ( some might call a yard ), if you have a large garden you'll probably get more sun further down the garden.

What do you mean by a tall neighbouring house - how many floors? Will there be a possibility that the neighbour on the west would also be extending in the future which may block out some sun? Unless a block of flats are built then I think you should be ok.

Go for it if you love the house!
Ellie
3 years ago
To me, a south facing garden, not overlooked, in full sun all day was one of the main priorities. If house didn't have that I didn't view it. It's a deal-breaker for me....
ali270
3 years ago
Our garden is north / west facing . Ideal ....sun afternoon and evening when you want to sit out and enjoy your glass of wine .
Sarah L
3 years ago
If you love the house, go for it. All gardens get sun in different areas at different times of the day, even my North facing one.
Sarah U-S
3 years ago
Go for it!

My garden faces north west. It’s a very long but thin garden - and there is always sun but at different places at different times. This means greater flexibility for planting schemes and also gives opportunity for shaded areas too. I’m super pale and burn - so it actually means I can use the garden instead of being scared to fry.
HU-70160973
3 years ago
Our garden is North West facing, the house terraced and the garden average in size approx 70ft in length and 24ft wide to give you a reference.

This makes our front room incredibly bright and sunny all morning which is fantastic. It does however mean that if you want to have an early breakfast in the garden, you have to go further down your garden away from the house. By late morning to midday the sun comes round and the garden is full of sunlight right up until it goes down (trees, obstacles allowing).

However, our front door is directly next to our right hand neighbours when facing into the house. Downstairs at the back of their house is almost always completely in shade with the dining room and kitchen never getting any sunlight at all. Our gardens have what would have been coal sheds joined by the party wall extending out from the house. This totally blocks the sunlight into the back of their house and the patio just ouside. From that point on they have sunlight all day.

Look at any walls trees, garages or out houses that might cause this issue on the left hand side of the house as you face your front door or out into the back garden.

Hope this makes sense and helps in some way?
J
3 years ago
https://www.sunearthtools.com/dp/tools/pos_sun.php if you enter the postcode you can see the sun position at various times and dates

North-west facing rear garden - should we buy the property?

Sonia

Comments (16)

Daisy England

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