A home’s orientation directly affects indoor comfort and can lead to energy savings of up to 70%, as well as an increase in its sale price

It’s not the first thing that comes to mind, and yet a home’s orientation is a key factor. Beyond individual preferences, choosing one orientation over another has, for example, a direct impact on a property’s selling price.

Like location, size, and condition, a apartment’s orientation is a key factor, since it affects, among other things, aspects such as the amount of natural light in the unit and its energy consumption.

A property’s price can increase or decrease by more than 10% depending on whether it faces north, south, east, or west; therefore, choosing the best orientation for a home is no trivial matter.

The percentage increases to as much as a 70% savings when it comes to energy efficiency; in fact, with the right orientation, the reduction in energy consumption can be significant. If it also provides attractive views and helps create a greater sense of comfort, it’s highly recommended to take the time to carefully analyze which of the four cardinal directions is best for orienting your home.

Key Factors for Choosing a Home’s Orientation

Talking about the best orientation for a home is synonymous with talking about light and heat; after all, the amount of sunlight that enters the interior depends on it. A well-oriented home offers a higher quality of life than one that isn’t, thanks in part to the brightness of its interior spaces. Light also creates a greater sense of spaciousness, in addition to energy savings that can reach up to 70% on heating, cooling, and lighting.

But how do you choose the best orientation for a home? The answer is open to different interpretations, although the location, intended use, or climate of the area where you live can give you some clues—especially if you’re looking to optimize energy consumption by taking advantage of sunlight to minimize heating and air conditioning costs.

The first thing we need to consider is the sun’s path. Although it rises every day in the east and sets in the west, tracing an arc, this path takes on different nuances depending on the time of year or our location. Thus, discussing the best orientation for a house in the Northern Hemisphere is not the same as doing so in the Southern Hemisphere.

The key is knowing how to identify the sun’s path and create openings that face it so you can make the most of the sun’s benefits. In this regard—and to put it very simply—the best orientation in the Northern Hemisphere is usually toward the south, and toward the south in the Southern Hemisphere.

However, each house orientation has its pros and cons, which are worth knowing if you’re thinking about building your own home or have simply started looking for a place to live.

What is the best orientation for a house?

North

We mentioned this a few lines ago: when it comes to homes in the Northern Hemisphere, orienting a house toward this cardinal direction isn’t the most popular choice. The main advantage is that it provides consistent natural light throughout the day, with winter mornings and summer afternoons being the times when it receives the most sunlight.

It can be an interesting option in areas with particularly hot climates, although this orientation is typically chosen for offices or garages rather than for apartments and houses.

South

According to experts, a south-facing orientation is one of the most desirable for a home. The reason is simply that homes facing south receive sunlight practically all day long. That said, it is an ideal orientation for homes located in cold climates.

Natural light is synonymous with comfort and energy savings, although in hot climates, it must be complemented by a well-designed ventilation system. Using awnings or solar-control glass can help improve indoor comfort in the home.

However, a southeast orientation may be the best option in very hot areas where, during the winter months, the house will receive sunlight throughout the day—mainly in the morning—while in the summer, sunlight will decrease starting at noon.

This

The best orientation for a house is the one that meets your needs. From this perspective, an east-facing orientation can be an alternative to a south-facing one, especially if your home is located in a warm climate. The main advantage of this type of orientation is that sunlight is limited to the first hour of the day—that is, in the mornings.

As a result, the rooms store heat until noon but release it in the afternoon, which leads to lower energy costs. However, in the winter, the afternoons can be a bit chilly.

West

Unlike the previous example, a west-facing house means that solar radiation hits it in the afternoon. From noon until sunset, the homes will receive sunlight, which, in practice, can be a viable alternative depending on our lifestyle but, above all, on the climate of the location where the building is situated.

Since this type of building accumulates heat during the middle of the day, this orientation is recommended for cold climates but not at all advisable in excessively hot areas.

As you can see, determining the best orientation for a house depends on various factors, although checking it is relatively simple (and very useful if you’re thinking about buying a home). A simple compass or mobile apps like Google Maps may be enough to determine whether the property faces north, south, east, or west.

Generally, for new-construction homes, this information is usually included in the documentation provided by the developer to potential buyers. For resale properties, it’s also possible to consult the land registry and request the property’s floor plans, which usually include a compass rose to help determine the orientation.