Choose a house that has good orientation or can be easily adapted for better orientation. This means that windows facing the North West (1 to 3 in the illustration) will get partial afternoon sun for half of the year Observe the Sun's path for the months Sept - Dec - March As for the walls (4 in the illustration), they tend to heat up in the afternoon sun for the other half of the year from Sept - Dec - … For those who are looking for an abundance of sunlight in their home, south-facing houses are preferable. Home buyers are often attracted to houses that receive plenty of natural light, which is why real estate agents like to tout a southern exposure: In the northern hemisphere, south-facing … A north-facing home gets sun at the back of the house and is typically darker and naturally cooler than a south-facing one. And then there's the whole concept of Vastu Shastra, which according to Wikipedia is "an ancient doctrine which consists of ... how the laws of nature affect human dwellings. The direction a home faces is something buyers want to know. Southern light changes direction throughout the day. These spaces, like north-facing rooms, have consistent light all day, but with crisp strong shadows and beams of light. Winter jasmine also looks pretty falling over a wall. And bedrooms with an eastern orientation should probably be equipped with sturdy or sun-blocking window treatments so sleepers won’t be unnecessarily roused by the dawn’s early light! But I do wish I had some more sunlight at the front of my house, particularly in my foyer. One orientation is not necessarily better than another; in fact, each orientation offers a different set of benefits. South-facing rooms are the brightest in the house, with the daylight being dominant from late morning to mid-afternoon. The main advantage of a south-facing house or garden is the amount of sunlight you’ll enjoy. Copyright © 2021 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. I live in a north-facing home, and I love the sun I get in my bedroom, which is at the back of the house. I can't wait to hear.... * Vastu Shastra also considers other facets of the house, including the kitchen, dining room and bedrooms, and recommends the ideal positioning and directional alignment for these areas. The views expressed here are the author's own. * A north-facing wall is often best for a glass-roofed room. Bright and airy, south facing gardens are perfect for summer BBQ’s, and just enjoying time in the garden. Thinking About Gutting Your House? Think of a house as four distinct quadrants, each with its own potential for daylight and free heat, depending on the sun’s position during the day. RELATED: 10 Low-Light Houseplants You Can Grow Practically Anywhere. RELATED: These are the Places With the Best Weather in America. If you’re lucky enough to live in an area with a scenic vista—be it a lake, beach, mountains, or a skyline—the direction your home faces really matters. It can be grown as a climber on a trellis, where it will reach 12-15 feet tall. The Best Grass to Grow in Your Shaded Lawn, 10 Low-Light Houseplants You Can Grow Practically Anywhere. How Reliable Is Your Massachusetts Electric Provider? Fans of bold or dark colors may want to confine them to south-facing rooms, which get enough light all day to stand up to intense tones. However such faults can be rectified with the help of vastu remedies.". SOUTH FACING DIRECTION: A NYC apartment with Southern Exposure When you face south in an apartment in NYC you generally get direct sun for most of the day. You agree that BobVila.com may process your data in the manner described by our Privacy Policy. East windows are often good for plants that need moderate sunlight or morning sunlight only. Naturally, in the midst of Arizona heat, this might not be the most viable option. If your house has big windows on the back and you want a lot of light in the house, then you want the back of your house facing south. A home’s orientation is important not only for sunlight, but also for warmth. RELATED: Solved! Conversely, if you want a lot of light from the direction your house is facing, then having it face south would be best. A south-facing yard will have sun all day, so sun-loving plants may flourish there, as will sun-loving people. Or it can be left to become a groundcover that will reach about 4 feet tall. This makes sense given the towns of Weston, Wellesley and Wayland (as well as the surrounding towns) in which we live where our winter days are darker and colder. The south-facing side of your home will be most affected by sunlight, so you’d be wise to anticipate and budget for such home maintenance as repainting or re-siding. Some would argue that a west facing garden is better for sitting in the evening sun. But instead of doing so, here's another one for you. One of the biggest aspects of the south facing house pros and cons, surrounds the sunlight that a south facing garden receives. Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. How Reliable Is Your Massachusetts Electric Utility? One downside of direct sun exposure is the damage it can cause over time to siding, roofing, furniture, fabrics, and flooring. But in the summer that heat can lead to increased cooling bills. Have you heard of the the vastu principles? North-facing views provide lighting that is consistent throughout the day, never too harsh or too dull. But knowing the benefits and drawbacks can help homeowners make smarter choices. Orientation refers to the position of a structure on its site, and it’s typically described by the compass direction that the front facade of the structure primarily faces—for example, a house with its main entrance facing north would be described as north-facing. They let in the light all day long, and don't have as many problems with glare and heat as east- and west-facing windows do. These are the Places With the Best Weather in America, Solved! Southern light changes tone and warmth as the sun rises and falls in the sky throughout the day – see point 2 above. In an urban area where sunlight is at a premium, this can make a world of difference. Sun shining into a house all day in a hot climate can be problematic — not to mention that sun beating down on a house for most of the day can result in significant wear and tear (on the paint especially). East facing houses.. Racial Justice Advisory Group hosts “Community Conversations", Your Heart is in Your Hands: reduce your risk of heart disease, WEBINAR: Financial Safety – Protecting Your Identity & Assets, Green Day recycle a bike home pick up March 5th and 6th, "Virtual" After-school classes at Canvas n Cup in Westborough. And remember, in Florida, the back yard is possibly the most important living area in the household, so it’s best to focus on your back yard activities, rather than on the ones you do on your front … Our current house has a SE garden, and its great in the mornings and midday (when it's sunny), but we do lose the sun over the roof by … Here are some of the best Vastu tips for a South facing house: A south facing plot is best for people involved in the administrative services like police, IAS, and judiciary. The designs are based on directional alignments....  [It] is concerned primarily with architecture — building houses, forts, temples, apartments and other buildings. Register for a user account. As very few gardens are 100% directly South facing, would you prefer it to be more South East facing or more South West facing? This is very interesting because it presents a different perspective about the preference for which direction a home should face — at least different from the south-facing preference to which that I had always subscribed. The views expressed in this post are the author's own. This post was contributed by a community member. East windows benefit from the morning sun when the rays are not quite as strong. It’s also important to note that, because the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, east-facing homes will receive the most morning sun. What is your preference for the way a home faces? If your main entrance faces north and you live in a region that gets ice and snow in the winter, your home could experience greater cold-weather challenges. The sun rises from the east, moves towards south and ends up setting on west. “Location, location, location!” may be a well-known real estate rallying cry, but “Orientation, orientation, orientation!” is important as well. Similarly, for warmer climate locations, this should be avoided, or at least … Essentially this will act as passive solar heating in winter, but in summer it is easy to shade the northern facades of the house to stop the heat from penetrating. Typically a south-facing home gets sun for most of the day, especially at the front of the house, and is therefore usually brighter and warmer. As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the south side of any house will see the most hours of sunlight during the day – especially in the Northern Hemisphere – so a south-facing garden takes advantage of this. The direction a home faces is also important in some cultural traditions. I could go on and on. You’ll want to maximize the aesthetic qualities of the site by orienting your house properly in relation to the view and placing windows and outdoor spaces so that they make the most of the beauty of your surroundings. Morning sun is dominant in east-facing rooms. This positive energy not only creates healthy vibrations but also ensures the prosperity of the people living in such plots." Free Leadership Zoom Session- Overcome Pandemic Fatigue.