North facing garden

copperjar

Have been looking for a house for a while now and keep coming back to a new build (yes I know!) which is lovely in every way apart from it has a north facing garden. The plot is at the bottom end of the site, no buildings to the back (north) or to the east of the property. End of a row of 4 so got buildings to the west and south.

I don't have any sizes yet, but the sales lady assures me that the garden is long enough to get the sun (she would say that!). Any ideas as to whether having no buildings to back or side would make it more likely to not lose the sun by 5pm as most people say it will!

Jon_B_2

I live in a new build. The gardens are not big.

I live in a North East facing house, with the garden to the side which faces SW.

We get sunlight at the front of the house (so where a North facing garden would be from sunrise til around 9am latest and again from around 6pm in summer.

Any plants we have in the front garden really do struggle. It's a hive for wild mushrooms and dampness.

I personally wouldn't want a North facing garden if I liked to be in the garden.

Mickygg

Rule number 1 do not take what the sales lady says as correct.

On the sun it depends on so many factors - length of garden, other surrounding barriers such as trees and buildings, height of house, exact direction of garden.

I had a North facing garden, lost sun at height of summer by 5 as sun went behind other buildings.

Is there a front to the property where you can pop a bench and enjoy the sun? Being a new build I suspect not as they are usually crammed right by a road.

Davesnave

You should get sunshine on the garden, when available, from dawn to around 11am/midday.

The sun is lower when it reaches the west towards the latter part of the day into evening, so this garden might not benefit then, like my old north-facing front garden did. That had very little sun till then, being only about 8m' long

As a house, rather than a bungalow, from midday onwards in summer, you are unlikely to receive direct sun on the garden within about 8m- 12m of the house. In winter, with the sun lower, the shadow cast by the house will reach even further.

Remember, although there are no buildings to the north and east now, you probably cannot rely on that in the future.

tom9980

http://www.suncalc.net

This may help you work it out.

getmore4less

The front of our house is north facing and we get sun from around 5:30pm- 6:00 in June.
what you need for evening sun is clear aspect WEST as the sun drops

our south facing garden loses the sun on the house quite early, the south east corner is OK but still loses sun before sunset as it drops behind the houses to the west.

franklee

You need to be more precise. I doubt the house is exactly north and the difference between NNW and NNE can be enough to make the difference.

Also the sun sets further NW in summer than winter's SW.

When we lived in a house with a NNW facing garden and open space behind the back fence we got the sun going directly into the house at sunset at the height of summer and the patio by the house had sun all evening often too hot at 5pm for me to sit there. In winter the sun didn't get round that far.

Now we are NE facing the garden is in shade by 4pm in summer but luckily we have some side garden to the south that keeps the sun for another hour or two. Sun at the front is constrained by buildings and a tree to the NW.

So it it's NNW you may be OK. NNE and you won't.

Frankly I would value the open view to the back far more than lack of sun (if the open view won't be developed).

A south facing house backing onto another house both with short gardens would have shade from the other house anyway.

Suggest you get the exact angle, find another house (any one will do) at the same angle and look to see see if the sun is on that wall in the evening.

-taff

Go and have a look at it at half past four.

amateur_house

I had North facing garden and at the height of summer (June/July) most of the garden it was in sunlight in the middle of the day, and we also had sun in the evening. During spring and autumn the sun was only at the bottom end of the garden away from the house. This was a mid-terrace with quite low fences between the houses which meant there wasn't much to block the sun from the East or West. If the fences between the gardens are higher this would block the sun more.

melanzana

If the garden is long then you will have sunshine halfway up the garden in Summer for ages. Different story in the Winter, much cooler and darker.

If kitchen/diner is at the back they will be cool and somewhat dark.

Depends on how you want to use the garden. Here is it is SSW facing, and everyone except me lol, has an awning over the back to keep the sun off, so what's the point!

For growing things, sun is essential. But that may not be essential for you.

cannyshopper_2

I have north facing garden that is half in shade from late morning but it doesn't really bother me as there is a fairly large area on the side of the house that does get full sun all day. So I have enough different zones for different things.

Don't forget that your proximity to the other houses will also affect how much sun you get, as well as the height of their fences & what they plant.

Where the north side comes into its own is on really hot sunny days: the rooms on that side of the house are much cooler & pleasant.
(Downside is they can be a bit dark in the winter)
Personally I hate kitchens that are south or south-west facing.