Ahh compromise. It’s one word we hear repeatedly when people talk about house-hunting. I swear Kirsty and Phil must say it at least 12 times in every single episode of Location, Location, Location. And it was something we were fully aware of – after a while, anyway – when we were searching for our perfect home. And that’s the thing – yes, it can actually be perfect and you might still make compromises. We started our search with some kind of blind naive faith that we would get absolutely EVERYTHING on our wishlist. (We were so innocent then.) That was never going to happen.
Despite how pretty it looks, we still had to make compromises on our dream property.
We had a budget that we wanted to stick to, of course. And despite the fact it was a fairly healthy budget for what we were looking for, the more you look at various houses, the more you end up wanting. Suddenly you spot a house that’s basically nothing like your wish list but look! There’s a utility room! Now I must have a utility room! Or else… this broken down shell of a project that would cost us £100k to put right has beautiful original tiles in the hallway! Ok, wait, now that’s getting added to the list… What do you mean this bungalow has a full working alpaca farm that comes with the house? I don’t want that particular house but I need an alpaca farm!! Suddenly, your list is twice as long as when you started and the house that would actually have all those things is twice the price of your meagre budget. It happens.
So, for us, we realised about half-way through our search that there was probably no way we were going to find absolutely everything on our wish list. That every single house out there – no matter how closely it aligned with what we were looking for – would have some down-sides. It’s the nature of the beast. And while there were many, many things about the house we decided to buy (and subsequently moved into) that were absolutely spot on, there were a couple of things that we found ourselves happy to compromise on – and it surprised us both.
When we spotted our home on the listings, there were a couple things that jumped out at us straight away that weren’t quite right. But we decided that it had too much going for it so we wanted to look at it anyway. And I’m so glad we did. Here they are…
Compromise #1: A North-Facing Garden
What?! I hear you shriek. You bought a house with a north-facing garden?! Yes, yes we did. For some reason, the north-facing garden seems to be the death-knell of many homebuyers dreams. It’s absolutely a non-negotiable for many people. I spent hours on forums searching what people who live with north-facing gardens say. People who don’t have them hate them. They think they are going to be dark and miserable all year long. Nothing will grow! They say. It’ll be horrible and cold and damp ALL YEAR LONG. And yet, I found many people who were actually living with north-facing gardens saying they were fine. So, what was the deal?
We started to think about it closely. The house we just moved from had a south-west facing garden. Pretty much one of the best aspects you can have in this country with the sun on your garden through almost the entire day. And that was lovely. But the truth is, it meant the opposite side of our house – where the living room was – was always dark. Always. I had constant problems taking pictures of my living room because there just wasn’t enough damn light in there aside from about an hour first thing in the morning.
So, compromising on a north-facing garden meant having a south-facing house. One where the sun would be at the front of the house (ya know, where we actually spend most of our time) all year long. For our home, that means that the living room, dining room, dressing room and master bedroom (all at the front) had wonderful light pouring in all day long. How was that a bad thing? As a blogger who takes an awful lot of pictures in her home, this was actually really really good. I had a light-bright filled home!
I mean, how often are you actually sitting in the garden anyway? Maybe 3 months of the year – if that? Let’s face facts, we live in a pretty damp country here. It’s not like we live in the Mediterranean where you spend half your life outdoors. It’s cold here most of the year. Or raining. Or overcast. Even in our old house with our southwest facing garden, in the winter, the garden didn’t get much sunlight at all because the sun was so low. So… was having the sun in the garden for those 3 months worth the price of having a dark house all year long? Do you see where I’m going with this?
And now, we are actually living with a north-facing garden. Is it cold and dark and nothing grows? Erm. Not even close.
Our dark, miserable, damp and cold north-facing garden where nothing grows. And yes, in case you wondered, that was sarcasm.
Here in the UK, we just had a bank holiday (ie 3-day) weekend. The weather was glorious. I mean, it was around 25 degrees in the shade and in the sun? Well, it was really really hot. Which, don’t get me wrong, was great and we spent plenty of time in the sunshine. But we also felt the need to retreat from the sunshine from time to time and we found that lovely shade right near the house. It really was the best of both worlds. And that shady bit right at the back of the house didn’t bother us a bit.
I do want to make one note, however, about why I think this particular house’s north-facing garden works for us. The house is not long and thin like our last house – it’s more of a box shape. This means when the sun is at it’s highest, the shadow from the house isn’t that long. So there’s maybe a metre of shade right at the back of the house and the rest is in sunlight. I think if you had a long rectangular house, the shade will be a lot longer so bear that in mind. Second, we have a fairly long garden. Which means half way down the garden, we get sunlight all the time, most of the year. I think if the garden wasn’t quite as long and the house wasn’t the shape that it is, we wouldn’t have as much sun as we do. So there ya go. I think it helps to look at stuff like that and I think that’s part of the reason why it wasn’t such a big compromise for us.
Compromise #2: Nearby Train Tracks
Yep, we live near a train line. It’s probably one of the reasons why we were able to afford the house to be totally honest with you. But after living under a flight path for such a long time and getting used to it, we knew a few slow-moving trains (they are not up to speed by the time they get to us) every once in a while wasn’t that big of a deal. They come by a few times a day (so not very often really) and they aren’t really even all that loud. Certainly, the planes that used to fly above us when we lived in Manchester were far louder and far more frequent. And even that we got used to.
Would I prefer if there wasn’t a train track nearby? Of course, I would. But it also means we don’t have any neighbours behind us for quite some distance which is a plus as it means we’re not at all overlooked as you can see in the image above. Our garden has a high fence at the back and in front of this are thick, large bushes and trees and the train tracks are in a deep embankment behind this (also surrounded by fencing).
Because I know some people will wonder: If our cats were more adventurous, I might have been more worried but well, they just aren’t. They barely leave our garden at all and if they do on the odd occasion, it’s just to go on top of the neighbour’s shed. That’s about as far as they go (they never ventured far in our old house either). The dog certainly couldn’t jump the fence regardless. And even if by some chance one of the cats did decide to go over, they’d have to then be determined to jump yet another high fence to get to the tracks below. And then there’d have to be a train going by for that to be dangerous and there are so few trains that the whole scenario is very unlikely. So yeah, you don’t have to be worried – the cats are fine! ;) (I know, despite me saying all this, people will still worry. I get it, really.)
Compromise #3: A Big Driveway
That little patch of brick tiles at the front? That’s our driveway.
So this is sort of a smaller compromise but I thought it was worth mentioning. We wanted a driveway. That was one of the biggest, most important things on our list. After living with just on-street parking in our old house, we felt it was time to graduate to a home that had a proper parking. We didn’t exactly get this. What we did get was a dropped curb which meant the front of the property at some point was transformed into a very small long driveway at the front of the house. No one can park there except us which is great and there’s room enough for two cars parked parallel to the front of the house. Is it perfect? No. But can we fit our car on the drive pretty easily? Yep. And that’s really all we needed from a drive. So the fact it’s not a ‘normal’ driveway really doesn’t bother us too much.
And maybe the fact that we have a north-facing garden and a nearby train line and only a small driveway would be compromises that some of you might not ever make, they were ones we decided we could live with and everyone’s choices will be different. We got everything else we were looking for in the end: a period property that needed some work, the potential for an open-plan kitchen diner, good size reception rooms with high ceilings, plenty of original features, the potential for a utility room (yep, that one stayed on the list), 4 bedrooms, a full size cellar, a great area, walkable distance to town – the list goes on and on.
I think my point is that you may be surprised when you find THE ONE what compromises you find yourself willing to make. Because you will make them. It’s about deciding between your MUST HAVE list and your NICE TO HAVE list. For us, the other aspects of this property far outweighed what compromises we did make. And now, after living here, barely feel like compromises at all. What compromises have you made when searching for your own home? I’d love to hear from you!
I was absolutely adamant I didn’t want to live on a main road, especially given that two days before our househunt trip, our cat was run over on our very quiet side street (he’s fine though! Some expensive surgery later and good as new happily!). I almost didn’t look at the house we bought, because it was on a main road.
However, once inside, the space on offer and the huge potential meant I completely forgot about the road, and in fact it backs onto woodland and fields and the cats never venture the other side of the house as they have no need to – the fun stuff is at the back. And the noise is barely noticeable. It hasn’t been a problem for us like I thought it would.
However, now that we have a daughter and she’s going to be walking soon, it’s bothering me again. Obviously I would never let her out of the front door unsupervised, but it is still a worry. Our next house definitely won’t be on a main road! :-) x
We’d initially ruled out houses on main roads for the same reason (pets!) but we did end up looking at a few anyway because the space on offer was so good! And you are right – our cats find enough entertainment in our back garden so seem to have no need to venture further which is great. Sounds like it worked out in the end! Perhaps you can install a border with a gate at the front if you are worried about the little one? xx PS Happy to hear kitty is fine ;) xx
I enjoyed this a lot. Some people are obsessed with south facing gardens. But you’re right, then they have cold gloomy front rooms.
I compromised on the size of the garden. It’s as big as it gets in a dense urban setting. Unfortunately, that means I can’t build the wallaby enclosure I’ve always wanted 😂
I honestly couldn’t believe how hateful people were being of north-facing gardens on forums! *facepalm* Amazing what gets people riled up! Shame about the wallaby enclosure – perhaps an alpaca farm in your next place would be better! Haha! xx
Loved this post! Here in South Carolina a north facing garden (backyard) is a must! And it still gets too hot. Luckily, when we moved a year ago to downsize, the house we bought has two patios. One is east and one is west, separated by a large sunroom. So, even with the heat, we have morning and afternoon patios. They are a super plus and make up for the very small driveway we have now.
Oh isn’t that funny – yeah, here people are obsessed with south-facing ones but I suppose there, it makes perfect sense to want the opposite! It sounds like you got a great compromise with two patios and a sunroom – that sounds so lovely! xx
I don’t have a utility room and it’s definitely on the wishlist for the next house. And I didn’t know I needed an en-suite until I had one. Now I don’t even want to entertain any house that is without that. Not sure though, that either are dealbreakers. A galley kitchen most definitely is.
Definitely wanted a utility room as well and we got one and it’s massive and a total waste of space so when we remodel, it’ll be much smaller but it’ll be there! ;) Funny about the ensuite – we found the same thing in our old house in that there were things we loved about it that didn’t want to give up! xx
I loved this post. Many people do not think about or acknowledge that compromises sometimes turn into benefits when deciding on a new location. Very important for those that are looking for a new home and get caught up in the “its my dream to have A B C and i want nothing else!”.I am happy your compromises worked out for you in the end. I look forward to the progress of your new home renovation!
So true! Nothing wrong with having certain requirements but leaving yourself open to the possibilities is so important xx
I really enjoyed reading this today! I live in Seattle, WA where it rains about 9 months out of the year. As rental prices skyrocketed, I started looking into buying a home for myself. As single, empty-nester I wasn’t looking for a large home and definitely made some compromises when I chose my 500 sq. ft. 1bed/1bath condo 2 years ago. Things that I felt were non-negotiables (a 2nd bedroom for visitors, more square footage, and a wood-burning fireplace) fell to the wayside after viewing multiple properties and learning they weren’t in my budget. What I did get was a walkable neighborhood with easy access to public transit, a balcony (north-facing!) with space for al fresco dining and a little flower/herb garden (my current DIY projects), and a cozy home that pulled me out of the crazy Seattle rental market. Perhaps one day I’ll buy my “dream home” but I know I’ll keep this place as a rental or even invite my grown son (who lives 800 miles away) to take ownership of it. In the end, the positives outweighed the few things I would’ve liked to have in my home.
This post really made me laugh! So much of it was so familiar. We compromised on having off-street parking to get the kind of house we wanted, as we don’t drive that much so it’s only an issue once or twice a week. It’s about thinking about how you really live and what you actually need. And your house is absolutely beautiful!
This was really interesting & very sensible. We have lived in our home for thirty years & we bought her from my parents who were finding the upkeep of a large house & garden a chore due to my dad’s heart condition. In effect this means she’s been home since I was seven which is both wonderful & awful because she’s my shell & without her I would be a slug..! Before moving here we had lived in two fairly modern, boxlike houses & my two rules when house hunting were a quiet road (cats) & a flat garden because we had friends had to abseil their first plot & the thought of doing that while cutting the grass didn’t appeal. I love all the detail on the front of your home, there is something so very substantial about all that Victorian embellishment.
Here in the province of BC in Canada, we have built 3 new homes and renovated 2 places. I found that doing a renovation is all about compromise due to the existing structure and placement of services like electrical and plumbing. While money can fix anything, I’m told, we just created what we could and adjusted. With the new builds, we still didn’t get everything we wanted because we aren’t super rich. But we got what we needed. Big difference! And what you can afford, you don’t always get when you need it, like the number of bathrooms for our four children to prevent morning chaos, we only got those once the eldest 2 moved out! What you want changes with time…
We have a train track and Sebastian bloody loves it and I don’t even hear them anymore way less annoying than when I lived across the road from 15 minute interval church bells.
We wanted an ensuite we could technically have one but we want an office each and a spare room more so having a list sometimes helps you realise what the priorities are.
I wanted a larger garden but the one we have is fine and we are in the hills and have the allotment instead.
Nice reading!!!
Can I ask what year the house was built?
I’ve just bought a house from the 1930’s and I think the floorboards under the old dusty carpets could be the same type as pictured in the bedroom above.
I can’t decide whether or not to use the old wooden floor or getting something else. Hmm
Hi Kimberley,
What a lovely looking home! We lived in Shrewsbury in 2001 for a bit under a year St Michael’s gate. It’s a lovely town I loved visiting the gallery tea rooms for soup and scones and the gardens. I never got to see the historic church in the centre of town as it was covered for renovations. I hope to see it one day. I worked as a nurse at the local hospital and used to get the bus there from the town centre. On the way there I’d pass a lovely big eucalyptus tree that reminded me of home.
I wanted a fireplace and some outside space. I got neither! But I did buy a great condo in a small complex with beautiful landscaping. I volunteer with the landscaping so I can get my green thumb fix and we have many beautiful outdoor spaces to sit and read, get a tan and meet with neighbors for happy hour (which happens a lot). I love where I live! In my other, pre-divorce life, a big enough place for the Shelties to run around was necessary, particularly for those all-important sun baths. Obviously, Quito loves the new garden and I found my Shelties loved to sit in the sun! Haven’t they heard about the wrinkles the sun causes? I love your new home and hope you stay for years so you can re-do the whole house at least three times, thereby entertaining all of “your girls!”
HI Kimberley
The garden thing I wouldn’t consider a compromise at all – you have a big enough garden that you get the best of both: win, win! Train tracks? That would be a deal breaker for me – but as you’ve pointed out they are infrequent and you have plenty of screening and the tracks are lower than the house. Small drive – I probably wouldn’t use as a drive, but make a feature of it so that the front of the house is enhanced by having that additional depth to reveal its charm… I’ve been following your progress because I’ve been running in tandem with you on my house purchase. I was so jealous when you got your moving date (even though it was postponed) because at that point I had just had a purchase collapse, so it was back to the drawing board for me – but I got the keys three weeks ago and have just started the process of getting a few jobs done before we move down to Ramsgate in July. My compromises? uPVC windows (yuck), strangely configured bathroom/ensuite (back onto each other) and no connection between the kitchen and the garden – (also north-ish facing but long and narrow so sun at the far end all day). Happily these are all things I can do something about – when funds allow!
Oh how right you are. There really is no such thing as perfect, but near perfect.
We made some of the same compromises. We now have a North facing garden, and to be honest, here the south facing side of the house is far too hot to hang out at.
Love that you highlighted the struggle with house shopping. I think people drive themselves crazy for nothing.
Agree with so much of what you say here!
Our last garden was north facing and everyone advised against it, but it was about 70feet long so never a problem!
Our new house has definitely been a compromise. It’s not the house I pictured but I think the more you look the more you understand where your priorities lie and the rest is just optional.
For us it was being near a certain school and a period property with a garden. The rest were just semantics. So glad to see you’re settled in though (you’ve most definitely unpacked more than we have and it’s been about 8 months for us now haha the shame!!)
Loved reading this! I’ve never understood the obsession with south facing gardens in this country, a bizarre thing to get hung up about, especially when they don’t consider the benefit of bright indoor spaces. Our big compromise has been modestly sized rooms, relative to other 1930s homes. It’s as if our home was squeezed into a little plot and all wall sizes were shrunk down a bit. But a little bit of clever design when we renovate should make it feel much more spacious :-)
Very wise words. We’re trying to buy now and if we manage to succeed we will have a lot of what we hoped for. Our biggest compromise is the housing estate being built next door! I’ve also had to forego my dream of high ceilings, however as you say you can’t have absolutely everything!