Firstly, you should know that the following contents are based on that you are located in the countries of northern hemisphere, which means the sun rises in the East, moves to the South and sets in the West. Let’s take the north facing garden sun diagram in the UK as an example.

*North facing garden sun diagram in the UK

  As the above diagram shows, the north-facing garden of a house is mostly at the back of the direction of sunlight casting since the house blocks the sunlight. In this case, a north-facing garden in most of the daytime is in the shade unless the garden is long enough to receive some sunlight on its both sides when the sun rises and sets or the house is a type of bungalow to let the sun casting over the garden during the daytime.

  By reading the sun diagram, you must have known about the basic conditions of the house of a north-facing garden. The facing direction of your garden will have certain impact on your indoor house, so you have to know potential threats of a north-facing garden, and of course, there are a number of advantages of this type of garden.

Pros of a north-facing garden

1. Favorable price: the price of this type of houses is relatively cheap. Houses with a north-facing garden have poor conditions of sunlight. Most of house buyers prefer a garden with sufficient sunlight so that they can keep the lawn grass thrice and raise some fruits and vegetables in the garden. Therefore, for those who don’t need sufficient sunlight and love to enjoy the shade and coolness in the garden this type of north-facing gardens may be very suitable and economical.
2. Coolness in hot days: Inhot seasons, there won't be too dazzling sunshine in the morning and afternoon in gardens facing the north because they can't get the sun in most of the daytime. It can be said that this kind of gardens are very suitable for living in summer. Mild sunlight and comfortable temperature provide good conditions for people to rest and play in the garden. To conclude, a house with a garden facing the north is suitable for people who are afraid of heat and sun-sensitive.

Cons of a north-facing garden

1. Dampness: the lack of sunlight might cause dampness in the garden. What’s worse, if the garden is not well ventilated and took cared often, mould will grow in the garden and even near the house, which is very troubling. The shady and damp conditions may even pose a threat to your health.
2. Heavy cold wind: the garden facing north cannot withstand the influence of strong north or north-west wind in winter. So it will be easily affected by the southward flow of cold air in the north, resulting in the garden being very cold and plants and furniture being messed by the wind. What’s more, this type of gardens is unfavorable to the elderly.
3. Poor conditions for plants growing and drying clothes: it is difficult to plant flowers or vegetables in the garden facing the north and dry the clothes. Firstly, most of plants take in sunlight to survive and the clothes need sunlight to remove moisture, but without sufficient sunlight, the vitality of plants decreases, and clothes are difficult to be dry, which eventually brings more trouble to the household who lives in this kind of house.

  Nevertheless, whether the type of gardens facing the north is suitable or not for you depends on your personal needs and living habits. The above contents may be a reference. But if you decide to buy a house with a north-facing garden, you can improve the conditions of the house to minimize the drawback. For example, you can consider installing floor-to-ceiling windows in the house to let the sunlight shine through the glass over the garden.