garden for kids - how important

winnie81

I have 4 kids and there is no way I would consider anywhere without some kind of garden or yard. The kids need the space to play and burn off energy and OH and I love to sit outside and relax or hav e BBQs etc

I personally wuld keep looking

BusyLizzie_3

I have three children (two aged 5, one aged 3) and would find it very hard to live somewhere with no outdoor space. Having a park, beach or wood nearby would be a huge bonus to me if I was house-hunting, but not a substitute for having a private garden. It's great to be able to open the door to the garden and let the children enjoy the freedom to be outside digging, exploring, climbing, running or whatever without them needing to have an adult with them constantly. Also think about resale value for whatever property you're thinking of buying - having no garden excludes a large part of the market.

demonicangel

I live in a flat that has a garden of its own, however I have to go down my stairs (1st floor flat with front door at the bottom of the stairs, is only four flats in the block) and out the door then down an alley to get to my garden. All we do with it is cut the grass as its too much hassle to have to take what we need out there each time. Cant even leave the kids in the flat alone to put washing out, if I was in a house with a garden, I would.

Given the choice, I would choose somewhere with a garden for the simple fact that you may not want to go to the park yet the kids want to play outside, with a garden, they can and you can supervise from the kitchen/lounge or sit outside with them. Much easier.

Doozergirl

Maybe not when they're tiny, but as they get bigger, they will get under your feet. My little boy goes out in all weathers, straight up the tree or catching frogs. It's his space.

We have friends who have two little ones now and they are having to move away from the area and friends to give the children a garden. It's nice to have somewhere for them run and play or dig and get that essential vitamin D produced!

In the summer, it isn't fair to keep them inside and you can't spend all day in the park - there's chores to do (plenty of them with kids around!)

A garden is absolutely essential, IMVHO. Even in London we had a little ground floor garden flat.

barnaby-bear

scotboy82 wrote: »

Hi

Buying a first floor two bed maisonette, really nice inside, but it doesn't have a garden. We are however about 400 yards from a nice park.

Me and my wife are looking to start a family soon and just wanted to know if anyone can share their experiences of how important a garden is for young kids.

Have those that have kids with who own a house with a garden found it invaluable?

Or those that have kids who have a flat/house without a garden how have you found it?

Thanks

Even nice parks get the following from time to time:
dog !!!!!!
weirdos
teenagers taking over the playground
used condoms
broken glass

Things you really do can't do with a flat:
plant stuff
have a bbq
hang washing out
wash stuff outside (like bits of engine or muddy walking boots)

Eagle_1

Garden was a must for me as I feel children need space and somewhere to have a bit of fun. Summer is the time where kids will play in the garden, get the paddling pool out, ride their bikes etc so yeah for me garden was essential. I could never live in a property without garden, its nice sitting outside with a cuppa watching little un play.

carolt

Have to agree with (most of) the others on here - we've got 3 kids and have always rented only places with gardens - did look at some without, but decided that a garden was an essential for us. Especially in a space as small as a 2 bed maisonette, kids take up a lot of room, and when you get stir crazy, it's great for you and them to have another 'room' ie the garden. In the winter we don't use it that much, but in summer without a garden my kids would have missed out on endless safe, unsupervised garden games - in an enclosed garden you don't even need to be with them, as long as you can see them out of the window. They can't splash in endless paddling pools/under sprinklers when it gets hot (NB not unsupervised!), play in their sandpit, enjoy barbecues etc without a garden. They learn about nature, and can do all the messy stuff you don't want them to do inside! like drawing with pavement chalks, sand and water play etc.

I'd leave the maisonette - either find another one with a garden, or wait 6 months or a year and probably prices will have fallen so that you can afford a house with a garden.

In a rising market, maybe you'd just have to bite the bullet and take what you can get, but in a falling market I think it's worth holding out for something closer to what you'd like; in the current waiting game, I think buyers are going to be the winners.

scotboy82

Thanks everyone for all of the input, really really helpful to us.

I do think we are going to pull out now and look at places with gardens. Also spoke with my mum who had the experience of raising me and my brother without a garden and then a few years later raising my two youngest brothers with a garden. She was also thought a garden was very important. Although trying to have the conversation with her without letting on to much that me and my wife are planning to start a family was pretty hard!!

Luckily we hadn't instructed our mortgage lender for a survey or solicitor yet so wont lose any money as we just had offer accepted last week. I do feel bad for the sellers though.

Or perhaps we might just chill out for a while and maybe look at buying in a few months when prices are hopefully down.

This homebuying lark is very scary!!

fc123

Garden essential if can be afforded..........the flight of stairs would be more of a pain....baby asleep in buggy / carseat.....climbing the stairs with shopping etc.
Don't buy anything with stairs to front door if you want to keep life stress free.

sassybooboos

just something else re garden to think about.

i bought a house 2 yrs ago when little un was 1yr old. garden quite small but i thought that was all i needed.

now kid is three and wants trampoline and swings etc in garden so that is one of reasons now moving as garden just not big enough.

i think it is really hard to find a property that can tick all your boxes as a long term thing. ( unless your stinking rich)