Tips for checking the garden when buying a new home

May 13, 2017 by Brendan

Advice & Tips

Although the UK isn’t the sunniest place, a garden is still an important feature of a home, possibly providing an additional outdoor area for entertaining. If a garden is important to you, take some time to ensure that the space is right for you.

Check the direction of the garden, especially if you would like to sit outside on sunny days. A south facing garden will receive the most light, while a north facing outdoor area may be quite damp as it will get the least sun. East facing gardens will be lovely and sunny during the morning, while a west facing area will be sunny during the afternoon and evening.

Make sure that you have sufficient access areas to the garden. If you can only access the garden by walking through the house, like a mid-terraced property, you may not relish the idea of children treading mud into the house when they are playing. You may want to have a separate entrance to the garden so that it is easier to remove garden waste too.

Take note of the trees and plants which are in the garden, as some can cause problems with the property. Japanese Knotweed is notoriously difficult to remove, and can cause problems with the foundations of a house. Some trees are protected by a Tree Preservation Order, which would prevent you from cutting it down, and maybe even cutting it back.

With so much to consider when buying a new home, mortgage advisers are CeMAP trained and able to help you find a suitable mortgage, reducing some of the worry.