House with north facing garden

HomeBuy3780

We just liked a property but its with north facing garden. Does this mean that the garden will never get sun?

I think there are a few buts for any property but how big this concern is?

Thanks

Fire_Fox

Depends how tall the property and neighbouring structures are and how long the garden is!

Running_Horse

Ours is north facing, but has a patio halfway down the garden.

I prefer to sit in the shade with a nice cold cider on hot days.

Gazing_On_Sunsets

Where do your main living rooms face? And what lifestyle do you have: some people are just not garden people so it doesn't matter. If you spend more time inside, then you want those rooms to be sunny.

My new house has a north facing yard that gets no sun at all. I suppose I shall have to explore growing mushrooms, moss, algaes and shade loving plants. Although so far I can only think of cyclamen.

BitterAndTwisted

Think of it this way: if you decide to build a conservatory it's not going to be unbearably hot in the height of summer. i.e. a fortnight in June every other year or so.

lightSwitch_3

A standard two story London semi with a high pitched roof means half to two thirds of the garden gets sunshine in the summer and none in the winter.

It is rather depressing to look out of your window and see the sun reach only the bottom of the garden in summer and none in winter. However as has been said you can make lemonade out of lemons by using the shade in the 30 degree summer heat and have a bearable conservatory. South facing conservatories for winter and summer are useless unless using expensive aircon.
It means your front rooms will be bright and back rooms dark and cold. If the house is on a main road and you prefer to sleep in the back rooms then you may not like the darker colder environment. Those rooms are usually smaller too.
The best orientation is east-west. where you get the morning sun and sunset in the evening.

Charterhouse

South West facing gardens are best but even those in London don't necessarily get enough sunlight. I'd never buy a house in London that didn't have the correct facing garden personally.

i1189

I have a north facing garden, but it's long enough that a lot of it gets sun. We have conservatory on the back of the house, and I love that this is north facing as it stays a good temperature in summer.

There are lots of shade loving plants that I grow - I have a corner full of acers (which never did well at my old house as there was too much sun), plus some fatsias and a collection of ferns.

ninky_2

the aspect of a property is one of the most important factors imho. not just for the garden it can also effect when light comes into certain rooms and how easy it is to keep the property warm. i live on an end of terrace with the end facing south. i get the sunrise / sun streaming through the windows in the main sitting room in the morning - it also faces a park so no overlooking, and sun in the kitchen and on the terrace for the afternoon / evening. the fact the main exposed wall is south facing also makes it feel warmer.

to me the amount of light that comes into a property really effects your mood.

GDB2222

We have a fairly long North facing garden. We get plenty of sun in the garden during the summer, especially during the afternoon. However, we don't get much sun at the back of the house, where the patio is. So, if we want morning cups of coffee in the sun that means traipsing down the garden rather than just sitting outside the kitchen.

getmore4less

Our living room is north facing with small bay

Sun in the morning and in the evening through the windows never gets too hot in the summer. We like that. if that was the garden we would find it fine.

Dining room/kitchen onto garden south facing , so too much sun in the summer have had to plant shade producing plants n a pagoda above the patio and the sun has gone below/around the side of the houses to the west so rubbish in the evening for the late BBQ.

When will you want to use the garden and what is around it will effect the amount of usable Sun,

Your own house shade the garden near the house so keep the living room cool in the summer.
Tall structures to the west and you will have little evening Sun. (east, morning).