How will the orientation of your home impact on your lifestyle?

Tuesday, 05 July 2016

Orientation rarely makes it on to a home buyers checklist but it can play a critical role in how big your energy bills are and how much you’ll enjoy living at home. The wonderful thing about building a new home at Warralily you have the ability to incorporate good orientation into your home before you build it and take advantage of what nature gives us.

How will the orientation of your home impact on your lifestyle?
Most large scale subdivisions will have streets that go in either a north to south direction or an East to west direction. The sun rises in the East and will set in the west, what this means is that you will have all day sun to the north. Easterly or morning sun is normally softer while westerly or late afternoon sun is general fiercer especially during summer.

Traditionally in Australia the north rear yard has been highly desired as most homes had living situated to the rear of the house thus enjoying the vast majority of sun whether it is summer or winter. Modern homes, while still catering for living at the rear of the home, now have living areas that will feature living room windows and - or alfresco areas to the side of the home. This allows you to catch the northerly sun down the long side of your home whether it is rising from the east or setting in the west. The other major benefit of having north running the length of one side of your home is you can then have the majority of your bedrooms & utilities on the opposite side or the south side. This side is generally going to be cooler during summer thus saving you cooling the entire house especially if you only have a split – system.

Eaves which are a design requirement within Warralily, play a very important part in protecting your home from fierce summer sun but still allowing the warming winter sun in. This works because the sun is at a higher angle during summer than it is in winter. Generally the more sunlight your living area’s get during winter the less your heating bills should be.

When choosing an allotment with a south rear yard we would suggest that when you choose your preferred house plan, that you consider having a living or sitting room from at the front of the property. This room is then facing in a northerly direction and will be a lovely place to sit during a cold winter’s day. We would also suggest that if your preferred plan has an alfresco area that you would ideally want to have it orientated in a south westerly direction thus capturing the setting sun – ideal during daylight savings, giving you hours of sunlight to entertain.

Finally each person’s lifestyle differs slightly; some people love lots of sun while others prefer a cooler climate, some entertain and live in their backyards whilst others spend the majority of their time inside. Builders can certainly help orientate your chosen home to suit your family – that is the beauty of building new at Warralily, you get to design your home to your own unique requirements. 

Loading...