So why is a south facing home and garden considered advantageous?

A south-facing garden for a home is often seen as a desirable feature when selling and buying property but what is the benefit and does it have a financial value?

The Statistics That Show The Benefits Of South-Facing Properties

Rightmove used their analytical skills to study 400,000 listings of family homes, comparing similar properties that differed only by the direction their garden faced. The figures produced a clear result- across the UK, properties that were southerly facing sold for £22,695 more on average, this is approximately a 7% premium.

Properties that faced South also sold slightly more quickly – this was true in 8 of 11 areas studied. In Yorkshire and the Humber for example, the difference was eight days.

South-facing properties, therefore, have a double advantage – they sell for more and, on average, also sell more quickly.
(Image credit; suncompass.info)

Why South-Facing Properties Are More Sought After

South-facing properties benefit from getting direct sunlight for a larger proportion of the day allowing homeowners to get maximum pleasure from the outdoor space which will be warmer and lighter for longer. Evenings are extended, mornings are brighter, the additional hours of sunlight and added warmth do that little bit, to make every day better.

On a daily basis, simply getting home from work, or coming out of the home office and being able to enjoy the evening sunshine longer into the evening is hard to put a value on (though, data would suggest the value is approximately £22,695 on average).

Great for Green Fingers

You don’t have to be an expert gardener to enjoy the advantage that a southerly facing garden will provide. A wider range of plants and flowers can be grown and the things you do plant have a great chance of being healthy and vibrant. A southerly-facing lawn can also be healthy and robust, but a lawn that faces to south can be drier and requires more regular watering.

Will a South Facing Garden Help Me Sell?

It is likely that as work patterns and priorities change our gardens will continue to become every bit as important as our indoor space.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic people are spending more of their time at home and this inevitably leads to a desire for a home to be that little bit more luxurious, flexible and comfortable.

The research by Rightmove confirms that properties that are southern facing may experience above-average price growth, this also likely for properties with other in-demand advantages such as home office space, so a South Facing garden could be a solid investment in both emotional and financial well-being.

Of course many wonderful gardens aren’t south-facing and lots of beautiful plants thrive in shade and coolness rather than direct sunlight and high temperatures. Depending on the size and shape of your garden some parts may face North, South, East or West or a mix. and so will have areas in full sun, some in partial shade and some in deeper shade.

What Are The Advantages Of A West Facing Garden?

 If you are less of a morning person and more of an afternoon tea or evening cocktails person then a West facing garden might be ideal as these gardens are in shade in the morning but will receive afternoon and evening sunlight in a similar way to South Facing gardens. If you enjoy growing soft fruits and berries such as strawberries then the warm, ripening sun in a west-facing garden would be ideal.  Whilst it may be cooler in the mornings the house will receive natural bright sunlight for longer hours during the afternoon and evening, meaning you only have to switch on the lights or even central heating later into the evening, even on colder days. Helping you to use less energy.

Plants here must be able to withstand the heat of the afternoon sun over the summer months.

What Are The Advantages Of A North Facing Garden?

Not everyone enjoys the hot sun. North facing gardens are great if you like shade during the heat of the day, as the rear of the house will be shady and If the house has a conservatory on the rear of the property this won’t get uncomfortably hot in the summer months.

1. Not all plants will thrive in direct sunlight you will have a different range of options available when planting your new garden and you will have to water plants and lawns less than in a South facing garden. Delicate plants that are easily scorched will love your North facing garden.
2. The rooms at the rear of the house won’t get too hot during the summer and if you have a conservatory the temperature will not become uncomfortably hot.
3. If you have children you want to protect from the sun, this is easier to do in a north-facing garden.
4. If your lounge is at the front of the house this will be warm and bright during the day. As will the other rooms at the front of the house.
5. Woodland plants which don’t mind lower light levels like Northerly parts of the garden, such as lily of the valley, periwinkle, snowdrops, pulmonaria, fragrant honeysuckle.
6. Ferns and Hostas are also a great choice.
7. Ivy, Climbing Hydrangea, Jasmine, Pyracantha and Parthenocissus Henryana (the Chinese Virginia creeper) all love north-facing walls.

What Are The Advantages Of An East Facing Garden?

If you enjoy nothing more than breakfast on the patio or a morning coffee and newspaper read on the decking then an East facing garden would be great for you. East-facing gardens get mostly morning sun. You will also benefit from protective shade when the sun is at its hottest. So you will be able to be outside from Dawn till dusk without getting too hot.

Plants that like partial shade and need shelter from strong sunlight will thrive here. So woodland gardens filled with ferns and foxgloves wood be a perfect choice for your east facing garden.

There are so many flowers that adore a shaded, cooler garden meaning your east facing garden can certainly be a beautiful garden.  Sitting amongst your shrubs, trees and perennials admiring the dappled light that stays constant throughout the day can be a pleasure.

For Feng Shui fans an East facing garden occupies a special place. Focusing on the element of Wood: The Wood is represented by straight and upwards lines, tall plants will grow well here and climber will grow successfully, but also bamboo and plants such as clematis and purple verbasco, fit well in this area. The Wood element is represented by the colours green, light blue and turquoise. The Wood element combines very well with red flowers (Wood feeds Fire). All colours and shapes of the Water element (Water nourishes Wood) are favourable to the energy flow in a garden oriented to the East. The introduction of a Metal element (Metal exhaust Wood) will serve to balance the energy. To create a place of strength, the positive energy – or Chi – must circulate freely.

So there is still lots to love about your East facing garden!