North/South or East/West Garden

Skiddaw1

Current house has an east facing garden. I did wonder how I'd get on with it (previous house had a west facing garden) but actually it's fine. There's plenty of morning sun and in summer there's still sun in parts of the garden until well into the afternoon. We have a small garden at the west facing front too, and it's lovely sitting out there of a summer evening with a G&T especially as we're on a hill and have a wonderful view of the fells over towards Ullswater from there. 

Sarahspangles

Popping in to recommend a play with a free app suncalc.org.  It lets you see where the sun will fall on your plot/house at different times of day through the year.

If you approach the question more from the point of view of your routine and lifestyle you might find it varies between houses.  If you want to sit in a room with sun in the morning, that needs to be south-east, and a terrace for use in the evening south-west, but that doesn’t have to be by the back door.

We benefit from free heating due to big SSW facing windows at the front in a 60s build. The previous owners actually had decking in the front garden but it’s unusual in not being overlooked.

katkatmachine

Ours is a north facing garden, it’s quite small too, only 10m long, 4m wide. Tbh, at first I was quite jealous of the house behind us, theirs is south facing, during spring they have sun until 6pm whilst us only until 3-4pm. And during summer we only have until 5-6pm and theirs until the sun sets of course. Lol. I’m a summer girl, I love the sun so not gonna lie, I’m jealous.

BUT there are still pros with our north facing garden, during summer we always have lunch in the garden, we love to eat there and just hang out because of the shade, it’s not too hot. Unlike our neighbours, I can see their blinds/curtains and doors are often shut. Even right now, I can see one of my neighbours already setting up a retractable shade in their garden, probably preparing for the heat in the summer. Also when I’m working from home in my office at the back, I can open my windows and blinds all day long, unlike our neighbours, they have to close the blinds because the sun is directly pointing at them, so yeah it worked out for me in the end. 

RelievedSheff

Every room in our house has a south facing window and it can get unbearable in really hot weather. 

Fortunately the "back" garden is on the East side of the house so it is lovely and sunny in the morning but by 5pm is in complete shade so we get some respite from the heat.

Sapindus

It's relatively possible to create shade in a sunny garden.  Much more difficult to add sun to a shady one!

Sea_Shell

Sapindus said:

It's relatively possible to create shade in a sunny garden.  Much more difficult to add sun to a shady one!

I now have visions of some strategically placed giant mirrors!! 🤣


Stolen from the James Webb telescope? 😉

koalakoala

How I envy those people who complain about their houses getting too hot!

In the NE of Scotland that can never happen , no matter which way it faces 😡