Semi-Detached with SW facing garden vs Detached with North facing garden

QuiteInterestin

Hi all,

The title pretty much sums it up. We're currently house hunting and there's a new estate coming up soon that ticks a lot of boxes for us.

There are two house types that we're interested in, a semi-detached and a detached. Both are hopefully within budget, same layout, size etc so the main issue that we're debating is the garden direction. The detached houses all have north or north-east facing gardens while the semi-detached have south-west facing gardens. The north/north east facing gardens of the detached houses would have tall existing hedges/trees behind them while the south-west facing gardens of the semi-detached would back onto the gardens of other semi detached houses. Both house types are two storey with ~10m long back gardens.

I know it will come down to a which is a priority for us - but any advice appreciated - which is the most important - sunlight or peace and quiet?

Thanks

Ray Donovan

Having rented in a semi D for 5 years and built my own detached - take your own 4 walls every day of the week.

bdmc5

QuiteInterestin wrote: »

Hi all,

The title pretty much sums it up. We're currently house hunting and there's a new estate coming up soon that ticks a lot of boxes for us.

There are two house types that we're interested in, a semi-detached and a detached. Both are hopefully within budget, same layout, size etc so the main issue that we're debating is the garden direction. The detached houses all have north or north-east facing gardens while the semi-detached have south-west facing gardens. The north/north east facing gardens of the detached houses would have tall existing hedges/trees behind them while the south-west facing gardens of the semi-detached would back onto the gardens of other semi detached houses. Both house types are two storey with ~10m long back gardens.

I know it will come down to a which is a priority for us - but any advice appreciated - which is the most important - sunlight or peace and quiet?

Thanks

For what it’s worth it is definitely possible to have both quiet and great light in Semi D. Granted our semi D was a new build and we literally don’t hear a single bit noise from our neighbours so this may not be the same for you.

We lived in 2 properties back in our renting days which both had North facing gardens and now living with a south facing garden I could never see myself buying any property with a north garden. Expect slow drying , quicker moss buildup , colder rooms in back of house to name a afew. The extra light and warmth as well as resale value of south facing garden are so much better in my experience.

GingerLily

I live in a SD east facing garden, and I'd prefer a west facing garden to a detached house (if we're talking new builds).

Is the houses are well built, nothing wrong with a SD, and if they're not, I probably wouldn't bother with the detached either tbh

Pkiernan

Fully detached only.

Wouldn't consider anything else.

MacDanger

Garden for me

Little Miss Fairy

Having rented for years, I’d go detached. The majority of neighbours are great but my sister and her hubby were living in a semi-detached house and the other semi d owners were fighting non stop.

theteal

Any kind of a slope involved OP? A north facing garden with an upward slope may not be too bad - obviously the back of the house will never have sunlight though.

If the land is flat though, and the party wall isn't made of paper, I'd take the semi with SW aspect any day of the week.

jester77

Garden facing SW every day. Having the sunshine in the evenings, being able to sit out and have a meal or a few drinks makes such a difference.

mojesius

If they're new builds, they're likely to be pretty solid in terms of noise reduction.

I love sitting out in the sun, reading a book or listening to music so I'd go with the semi-detached with the south facing garden.

Stratvs

Ours estate is a mix of semi & det. We're detached with north facing rear garden. Some trees of our own planting. Never had a problem with light or indeed sunshine. Spent many days in April/May this year out there and have quite a stay-tan as a result! We also have a glasshouse and sunroom on that north side and get great east and west sunlight. You say the south facing back garden semis back onto other rear gardens so are there upstairs windows facing each other across the respective gardens? Mightn't bother some but I wouldn't be keen if they were. As the front is south facing we do benefit from great light in the front rooms and with careful planting it's still very private.

QuiteInterestin

Thanks for all the replies, lots to think about. I should have included a poll

bdmc5 wrote: »

Granted our semi D was a new build and we literally don’t hear a single bit noise from our neighbours so this may not be the same for you.

It's a new build estate so hopefully the build quality will be good.

theteal wrote: »

Any kind of a slope involved OP? A north facing garden with an upward slope may not be too bad - obviously the back of the house will never have sunlight though.

If the land is flat though, and the party wall isn't made of paper, I'd take the semi with SW aspect any day of the week.

No slope involved that I can see, both seem to have flat back yards.

Stratvs wrote: »

Ours estate is a mix of semi & det. We're detached with north facing rear garden. Some trees of our own planting. Never had a problem with light or indeed sunshine. Spent many days in April/May this year out there and have quite a stay-tan as a result! We also have a glasshouse and sunroom on that north side and get great east and west sunlight.

That's great to hear, some of the stuff online would make you think a north facing garden never saw daylight.

Stratvs wrote: »

You say the south facing back garden semis back onto other rear gardens so are there upstairs windows facing each other across the respective gardens? Mightn't bother some but I wouldn't be keen if they were. As the front is south facing we do benefit from great light in the front rooms and with careful planting it's still very private.

Ya, the back windows of the semi-detached upstairs windows would face each other across each of the house's back gardens, they would be ~22m apart.

I've never really been one for sitting outside in the sun, for me it's the light coming into the house that I'm concerned about, especially as I'll probably spend most of my time in the kitchen/living area at the back of the house. I'm also very sensitive to noise though so noisy neighbours would be a nightmare for me.

Dylan94

We have been having the same dilemma. We are looking at a new build too. On top of the standard price for a Semi D they charge and extra €25,000 for a South Facing rear Garden or an Extra €25,000 for detached.

We have been mulling it over a long time now and we decided to go with the South Facing garden. Our thinking is that we love being outside and laying in the sun so having easy access to it is really important. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen so want it to have as much sun light as possible.

awec

If I had to make this choice I think I'd pick the garden.

theteal

Dylan94 wrote: »

We have been having the same dilemma. We are looking at a new build too. On top of the standard price for a Semi D they charge and extra €25,000 for a South Facing rear Garden or an Extra €25,000 for detached.

We have been mulling it over a long time now and we decided to go with the South Facing garden. Our thinking is that we love being outside and laying in the sun so having easy access to it is really important. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen so want it to have as much sun light as possible.

Any west facing? Is there a premium for those? You'll get sunlight even later in the evening with a west facer, the only "problem" is that rear bedrooms can be still very warm come bed time.

Our last home was east facing and we said never again, now we've swapped direction we spend more time in the garden than the house itself.

JustAThought

My house garden faces south - deliberately chosen - but this means one of living rooms and front large bedroom faces north and only gets the evening ‘sun’ light. It dosn’t matter
to me as I use the south facing bedrooms principaly and will have the heat turned in in the living room at night anyway, but it is a consideration. But given the choice between putting the heat on earlier or having noisy neighbours in a semi-d it is an easy choice for me.

Regarding noise and neighbours next time I buy a house it will be detached. But, as someone rightly pointed out, families will also buy detached houses so this will mean more noise in the summer in gardens. However semi detached will definately have kids, be closer and a lot noisier and probably a lot more noise during the day and night when you want to be relaxing as you will also have music, tv’s and whatever else indoor sports and family noise/congestion they will be getting up to.

Its a lot of money to be spending - can you not hold out for a SW or W facing detached? Also what rooms face north - cos the other garden and rooms will be south facing!! Which is really positive!!

Dylan94

theteal wrote: »

Any west facing? Is there a premium for those? You'll get sunlight even later in the evening with a west facer, the only "problem" is that rear bedrooms can be still very warm come bed time.

Our last home was east facing and we said never again, now we've swapped direction we spend more time in the garden than the house itself.

There are no west facing in this phase, could be in the future though and I'm not sure if they charge extra. What time do you start getting the sun at Near the back door when West facing?

hero25

Detached will have better re-sale value. I would imagine there is some area at the rear of the garden that would receive sunlight for most of the day, if enjoying the garden in sunlight is required.
IMO - detached all the way!

awec

Dylan94 wrote: »

There are no west facing in this phase, could be in the future though and I'm not sure if they charge extra. What time do you start getting the sun at Near the back door when West facing?

If the house is true west then it'd be early afternoon before there's sun directly on the back of the house.

Depending on what's to the south of you and the layout of your garden, you could get the sun near the back door from mid-morning.

Of course, if there's something to the south of you to block the sun (like another house) then you might not get sun at the back door til late in the afternoon / early evening. Said lots of times on here, aspect is only 1 factor, the sun you get will vary massively depending on what's around you. When you view the house make sure you go to the garden and take a good look all around.

QuiteInterestin

theteal wrote: »

Any west facing? Is there a premium for those? You'll get sunlight even later in the evening with a west facer, the only "problem" is that rear bedrooms can be still very warm come bed time.

Unfortunately there's no detached with west facing gardens, they're only North/North East . Also, Semi-D's with west facing gardens back onto a road which I was hoping to avoid.

JustAThought wrote: »

Its a lot of money to be spending - can you not hold out for a SW or W facing detached? Also what rooms face north - cos the other garden and rooms will be south facing!! Which is really positive!!

Thanks, it's a pretty standard layout. Open plan kitchen/dining to the back and sitting room to the front. Upstairs, master bedroom and box room to the front with other two bedrooms to the back. Unfortunately, even with this dilemma, there's nothing else at the moment that I've found that I like better than these

appledrop

100% detached house.When we were buying current house I wasn't bothered whether semi detached or detached just wanted house i liked etc.


My husband on other hand was holding out for detached house.



Well how right he was. Now that I live in a detached house I would never live in semidetached or terraced again!


The peace + quite, not having to share a driveway. The list goes on!


The thing about new builds is that while the orientation of your garden is of course important even more so is site and what's around you. You could have south facing garden but as you said be near a road or be overlooked. Your north facing garden might be more private. You need to visit the actual site + figure out where garden is what could over look you etc.


The other thing is adapting your garden to suit orientation. Put your patio/ decking etc down bottom of garden for example if north facing as that will keep sun for longest in evening.


At the end of day have a look out window at current weather at height of summer! This is Ireland + not matter how much we do up or gardens or buy fancy furniture we are limited in time we get to spend outside enjoying it.

Queasy Tadpole

I'd take the garden no question.

PhoenixParker

Detached in a new build? I'm gonna guess that basically means 3ft between you and the house in each side. Materially there's little difference to a semi-d in a properly built house so I'd go for the garden orientation.

Yellow_Fern

QuiteInterestin wrote: »

Hi all,

The title pretty much sums it up. We're currently house hunting and there's a new estate coming up soon that ticks a lot of boxes for us.

There are two house types that we're interested in, a semi-detached and a detached. Both are hopefully within budget, same layout, size etc so the main issue that we're debating is the garden direction. The detached houses all have north or north-east facing gardens while the semi-detached have south-west facing gardens. The north/north east facing gardens of the detached houses would have tall existing hedges/trees behind them while the south-west facing gardens of the semi-detached would back onto the gardens of other semi detached houses. Both house types are two storey with ~10m long back gardens.

I know it will come down to a which is a priority for us - but any advice appreciated - which is the most important - sunlight or peace and quiet?

Thanks

What trees are at the back of the north facing garden?

QuiteInterestin

appledrop wrote: »

The thing about new builds is that while the orientation of your garden is of course important even more so is site and what's around you. You could have south facing garden but as you said be near a road or be overlooked. Your north facing garden might be more private. You need to visit the actual site + figure out where garden is what could over look you etc.

Thanks, we'll definitely be paying lots of visits to the site before making any final decisions, I'm a total procrastinator so I'd like to have as much research as possible in done in advance.

Yellow_Fern wrote: »

What trees are at the back of the north facing garden?

Green ones? :o:o They're definitely not everygreens but don't know the type, sorry. They're the existing trees on the site that split it up from the estate beside it that have been growing there for years.

JustAThought

I bought and had put in mature trees once i discovered I was unhappy at not having any - they were very expensive - about a grand each - but really the best money I ever mis-spent! Plant them far away from your neighbours so they won’t hang over their gardens and be cut by them if you decide to go semi-d which I don’t advise!

You havn’t mentioned the front gardens at all yet? Some of my neighbours whose front are South facing have done beautiful enclosed gardens in their fronts complete with woven wicker fences for privacy ( buy in 6 foot sheets in woodies) and with sunloungers, woven style table & chairs, heat burners with dinky lights and landscaping - they are relatively small - car & about 25 foot but really imaginative and private. Everyone admires them. Will your detached house have a front garden or a side garden - google small gardens designs or city gardens designs and you can see how people really make the most of what they have. If the back is North then the front is South - make that work for you!

A 10m garden is not long - about 30 foot. Mature trees at the end of it will make a huge difference when you look out the window . You mentioned higgledy piggeldy angles - would the council have scale maps in planning of the proposals and of the approved final layouts - that is what you will see rom your window and what they will see into yours.

Do you work from home? Will covid 19 change that? Will one of the front sunny South facing bedrooms now be an office where you will get the sun all day as tou work - that would be nice!

My north facing front of house gets the evening sun and it is lovely - from about 7pm or 730 when it dissappears directly from the south facing back. Id usually lie in the garden all afternoon amd have dinner out there and retire inside to the sun filled north facing room for a coffee - relaxing way to live! Of course summer sun is out longer and higher so it shines in longer. In winter during the afternoon you’ll have the lights on from 4 anyway and have lovely trees outside to look at rather than curtains and bedroom windows with crooked blinds and bedraggeled people showering.

Good luck with it.
Not having noisy neighbours or bad blood because of shift working/ noghttime tv/ catroons at 0700 am in Saturday morning/ screaming lids etc is worth any investment imo.

appledrop

So that's means that your garden in detached house is much more private.

I can't tell you what a bonus it would be in a new housing estate to have established trees.

It can take a long time to get this which means in intervening years you are usually totally overlooked not just back but also at sides depending on as I mentioned the site if you go for semi detached house.

anewme

Best Garden all the way, no question.

No to north facing back. Been there done that, never again.

And the thoughts of big trees are making it worse.

I had big trees in a north facing garden. Disaster.

JustAThought

anewme wrote: »

Best Garden all the way, no question.

No to north facing back. Been there done that, never again.

And the thoughts of big trees are making it worse.

I had big trees in a north facing garden. Disaster.

Why type of trees? There is a big difference between a eucylaptus or betula or willow or ash versus a 30 year old Laylandi so hideous and hated they leglislate against them in the Uk.

gk5000

OP, it does not matter what everbody else thinks, its you has to live in it.
Use the sun calculator apps to see where will be bright and shaded throughout the year, and visit some friends houses at different times of day.
Dark = depressing for me..there is no substitute for sunlight/daylight.

anewme

JustAThought wrote: »

Why type of trees? There is a big difference between a eucylaptus or betula or willow or ash versus a 30 year old Laylandi so hideous and hated they leglislate against them in the Uk.

Not leylandi, just normal types of Irish trees.

The recipe of big trees and north facing back garden was just a disaster. And that garden was fairly big- certainly 60 ft plus.
I also feel that those type of trees are too big for a 30 ft suburban garden with their height and spread.

Lad opposite me here planted a tree in his front garden when we moved in 12 years ago. Thing is now the height of the house.

A Neurotic

I'm in a new build end of terrace house (Castlethorn, built 2019) with a west-facing garden. I haven't heard as much as a tap on the wall from the neighbours, and have reaped great benefit from the sunny garden.

JustAThought

A Neurotic wrote: »

I'm in a new build end of terrace house (Castlethorn, built 2019) with a west-facing garden. I haven't heard as much as a tap on the wall from the neighbours, and have reaped great benefit from the sunny garden.

Neighbours are never a problem when you cannot hear them. Found that out the hard way. You never appreciate peace, calm and quiet in your home until it is stolen from you - by your neighbours. Never again.

QuiteInterestin

Thanks again for all the replies and advice.

JustAThought wrote: »

You haven’t mentioned the front gardens at all yet? Some of my neighbours whose front are South facing have done beautiful enclosed gardens in their fronts complete with woven wicker fences for privacy ( buy in 6 foot sheets in woodies) and with sunloungers, woven style table & chairs, heat burners with dinky lights and landscaping - they are relatively small - car & about 25 foot but really imaginative and private. Everyone admires them. Will your detached house have a front garden or a side garden - google small gardens designs or city gardens designs and you can see how people really make the most of what they have. If the back is North then the front is South - make that work for you!

Not much of a front garden unfortunately for either - a double driveway and a wide strip of grass - so couldn't do much with them.

JustAThought wrote: »

A 10m garden is not long - about 30 foot. Mature trees at the end of it will make a huge difference when you look out the window . You mentioned higgledy piggeldy angles - would the council have scale maps in planning of the proposals and of the approved final layouts - that is what you will see rom your window and what they will see into yours. Do you work from home? Will covid 19 change that? Will one of the front sunny South facing bedrooms now be an office where you will get the sun all day as tou work - that would be nice!

Ya, I've been looking at the online plans, just hard to visualise what it'll be like when they're not built yet. Due to my profession, it's very unlikely I'll ever be working from home

JustAThought wrote: »

Why type of trees? There is a big difference between a eucylaptus or betula or willow or ash versus a 30 year old Laylandi so hideous and hated they leglislate against them in the Uk.

They're definitely not laylandis - hate those trees too.

gk5000 wrote: »

OP, it does not matter what everbody else thinks, its you has to live in it. Use the sun calculator apps to see where will be bright and shaded throughout the year, and visit some friends houses at different times of day. Dark = depressing for me..there is no substitute for sunlight/daylight.

Thanks, ya I've been using suncalc but must look at a few others.

Thanks again for all the opinions. It's great to get advice from others who have lived with both.

REFLINE1

A detached house in a modern housing estate is not really the same as a detached house down the country on its own plot of land. They experience a lot of the same issues with noise and privacy as semi-d houses or terraced. In a lot of new estates the detached houses are just sandwiched in between rows of semi-d's etc and share a garden fence with houses on either side. Their side entrances to gardens etc will still be right next to the semi-d side entrance and you'll still be bumping into your neighbors regularly taking out the bins!

Yes clearly they benefit from not having a connecting wall to neighbors in the houses but the benefits are actually fairly minimal in this situation. I sometimes feel on here that when people are extolling the virtues of detached v's semi-d on these threads they are talking about proper detached one off builds on plots of land down the country.

OP its a tight call for me but id go for the SW garden i think.

Conrad83

We have just bought a semi D corner house which is north west facing. We have nothing to our right (although this may change in the future however there is a road alongside our house).

The house behind us is facing sideways. From my understanding we will get the sun in the evening time? And it is better then North facing? This would be more desirable for us as we are in Mon-Fri 9-5 jobs.

A Neurotic

JustAThought wrote: »

Neighbours are never a problem when you cannot hear them. Found that out the hard way. You never appreciate peace, calm and quiet in your home until it is stolen from you - by your neighbours. Never again.

My point was moreso that the build quality of the new house makes for excellent soundproofing, rather than a reflection on the neighbours' activity levels.

theteal

Conrad83 wrote: »

We have just bought a semi D corner house which is north west facing. We have nothing to our right (although this may change in the future however there is a road alongside our house).

The house behind us is facing sideways. From my understanding we will get the sun in the evening time? And it is better then North facing? This would be more desirable for us as we are in Mon-Fri 9-5 jobs.

Yup you'll get it in the evenings coming from the west (the side of the house and end of the garden will get it for most of the day).


Is it the suncalc website that's decent for checking?

JustAThought

OP - tou say you can’t work from home so the hours you will be getting the sun in the back ( north) of your detached house will be the hours when you are home from work, having dinner/ drinks in the garden or in from your days out elsewhere. And you will have a more valuable asset arguably & no noise from the other side of a shared neighbours wall for all thise dark winter nights and tv evenings in - which there will be a lot more of in the future.

Developers never sell nowadays all their ‘best’ assets but create pressure and sell built block by built block - releasing the next ‘phase’ when they have sold all the previous one and then we discover hey presto - there are eg south west facing detached houses suddenly available. Have you rung your friendly council planning office and asked them to check previously granted planning permissions in the area of the development you are looking in? You might find it hs totally didferent folio numbers or the development was capatilised or used a fada ir an irish version of the english name with the english in brackets after - all the tricks so that it won’t turn up in a regular search. Might be worth your while.

(Definately not detached!!) !!

QuiteInterestin

Thanks for all the replies and advice. It looks like the decision has been taken out of our hands. While I had hoped the detached would be within our budget based on some provisional prices I heard, this turns out not to be the case and it would be too much of a stretch to afford the detached so semi-detached all the way. Fingers crossed for good sound proofing!

Dylan94

QuiteInterestin wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies and advice. It looks like the decision has been taken out of our hands. While I had hoped the detached would be within our budget based on some provisional prices I heard, this turns out not to be the case and it would be too much of a stretch to afford the detached so semi-detached all the way. Fingers crossed for good sound proofing!

Anyone that I know in a new build has said that the sound proofing is excellent. So I wouldn't be too worried about that.

QuiteInterestin

Dylan94 wrote: »

Anyone that I know in a new build has said that the sound proofing is excellent. So I wouldn't be too worried about that.

That's great to hear, thanks