Tempted by a house but small courtyard garden....hard to sell on??

gingin_2

DRP wrote: »

where we live, 90% of houses are victorian, mostly terrace, virtually no garages and tiny gardens. The area is booming in terms of house prices and most decent places go SSTC within days or weeks

What i'm saying is I think it all depends on context - if the size of the garden is comparable to other houses in the area then it won't be a problem at all.

It sounds like we live in the same place.

Mine is 14' by 16' - it's small but we've done the most to make it appear as fresh and airy as possible. Every house on my side of the street has the same size garden and we had to compete against other people to buy the house. The thing I hate is the bins - I don't know whether your situation is different but here we have alternate weeks collections for recycling and general rubbish and it's horrible having to have massive bins in such a small space. We are trying to think of something clever to hide the bins but not coming up with much that we can buy off the peg.

I think the blue fence helps but can be easily changed by you. We don't have garden furniture in ours, it would just clutter it up too much but have bifold doors that we can pull the kitchen table out of easily if we want to eat outside so we really have no clutter out there other than the bins and a bbq.

minibbb

gingin wrote: »

It sounds like we live in the same place.

Mine is 14' by 16' - it's small but we've done the most to make it appear as fresh and airy as possible. Every house on my side of the street has the same size garden and we had to compete against other people to buy the house. The thing I hate is the bins - I don't know whether your situation is different but here we have alternate weeks collections for recycling and general rubbish and it's horrible having to have massive bins in such a small space. We are trying to think of something clever to hide the bins but not coming up with much that we can buy off the peg.

I think the blue fence helps but can be easily changed by you. We don't have garden furniture in ours, it would just clutter it up too much but have bifold doors that we can pull the kitchen table out of easily if we want to eat outside so we really have no clutter out there other than the bins and a bbq.

This garden is nowhere near as big as yours I dont think but out the back of the kitchen there is a second courtyard bit outside the kitchen where the bins could live so it solves that problem at least!

I think we could gain another 4-5 feet by extending the garden towards the front of the house and using that spare corner up where the bush is- I agree that by making it feels open and airy it would make a big difference.

moneyistooshorttomention

The only point I would raise is as to whether you will be content for the rest of your life with a courtyard garden on the one hand or are quite quite sure that you will be able to move on to a house with a "proper garden" once you feel the need for it subsequently.

I wasn't in the slightest bit bothered about a small courtyard garden when I bought my starter house (ie the one I am currently selling) as I knew I would be selling it and "moving up the ladder" in a few years anyway, so it didn't matter.

Many years later I have spent the last few years feeling intensely frustrated at not having my garden yet and am now finally managing to sell the place and move on at last because its proving literally impossible (ie now I'm retired) to be able to manage to live in a house without a garden any longer.

So, ask yourself whether you just took for granted as you grew up that your parents have a garden and got used to being dragged round garden centres at intervals. Because, if that's what you are used to, then the time will come when you are gasping to get at the garden centres yourself and making all sorts of plans about your garden and then being confronted with the reality of struggling to do the best you can with a small courtyard garden if you weren't able to "move up the ladder" after all as you had thought.

So, be very sure it will never matter to you or you are quite definite you will be able to move on if you think it will come to matter as you get older.

gingin_2

minibbb wrote: »

This garden is nowhere near as big as yours I dont think but out the back of the kitchen there is a second courtyard bit outside the kitchen where the bins could live so it solves that problem at least!

I think we could gain another 4-5 feet by extending the garden towards the front of the house and using that spare corner up where the bush is- I agree that by making it feels open and airy it would make a big difference.

Okay, it looks a similar size, I've just been to measure mine out of interest ( in my dressing gown lol) and it's 4m by 5m so I was slightly out - I'm glad you can keep the bins separate.

It's not been decorated brilliantly so perhaps that has put people off as well as the garden and I would personally change the exterior ( it looks like pebble dash?). I like the house though, it's got nice high ceilings and the reception with the bay looks lovely.

neverdespairgirl

I think it's a lovely house OP, very interesting and unusual.

In my neck of the woods, a tiny courtyard garden puts the value up massively - because the alternative isn't "big garden" it's "no garden"!

Mojisola

minibbb wrote: »

The issue is it has a small courtyard garden, others in the area have courtyards too but this is rather small.

How long has the fence been up around the courtyard? You're not usually allowed a fence over 1m high on the roadside. Did the owners get planning permission?

It's grand as it is but I wouldn't like it if the fence had to be reduced in height.

cattie

I've lived in 2 houses with courtyard gardens & one with what tends to be described as a handkerchief garden.

To some people, such as me, the smaller the garden the better. I loathe large gardens as I don't enjoy gardening, but sometimes have had to settle for a house with a large garden simply because there hasn't been anything else that I want to buy instead.

As long as there is some outside space, no matter how tiny, then it will suit me.

So, some people will be put off by a small garden, but to others it will be just perfect.

Mint1955

Southern courtyard of the kitchen diner fantastic. No major work just walk out and relax. The house looks good already so as you say minor works so not over the stamp price too much in case you need to sell but it looks like a long term house to me.

Strapped

Mojisola wrote: »

How long has the fence been up around the courtyard? You're not usually allowed a fence over 1m high on the roadside. Did the owners get planning permission?

It's grand as it is but I wouldn't like it if the fence had to be reduced in height.

That's exactly what I thought. OP, I doubt you could move the fence forward at the front of the house without complaints that you are blocking visibility at the crossroads.

[Deleted User]

I have a back yard, which is only a little bigger than this patio garden.., and I have a huge GSD and a spaniel. We have a park round the corner so the small back yard is not an issue. The park is for exercise, the back yard for other things as far as the dogs are concerned lol. Although we do still play ball and tug of war out there with them ha ha.