It is amazing the range of directions in which people want to have their block facing. There are many reasons for this and its often worth considering before you buy your block. Some of the things to consider are:
1. Cultural Requirements – in certain cultures it is important which way the home faces. No doubt if this is personally important then you may already know which way the door/backyard needs to face. However if you are looking to buy a home, build and resell in an area that had a high proportion of certain cultures this would be important and worth checking out. A quick search on Google will give you plenty of tips.
2. More sunlight. Whilst we all know the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, some people aren’t familiar with the fact that the sun is actually within the northern part of the sky. In winter it sits lower in the sky. Without getting too astronomical – this means that a house facing north will get more sun.
3. North Facing. Many times we get people coming in and requesting north facing blocks. A friend, relative, or other – has told them ‘they must buy north facing’. Straight away they pick the block where the front (i.e. to the road) faces north. If the goal is to get more sunlight into the house – it may actually be worth considering whether you really want the backyard facing north. With the design of most homes now with the al-fresco, living etc. at the back you may prefer to have the rear of the block facing north. Essentially if you are buying an apartment – you will note the apartments facing south are usually the cheapest.
4. Morning People. If you are a morning person you may want the bedroom or the living area to face east. This is because you will get the sun streaming in the home in the morning. If buying a single level you have to choose carefully a design that has both the living and master bedroom at the rear of the home. There was recently a McDonald Jones Home I came across recently that was this design and it would be perfect for a morning person (or someone backing onto a golf course). The other up-side of having a backyard facing east is that the sun will set (the hottest part of the day) on the garage.
5. BBQ People/Pool People. If you are an afternoon entertainer and like firing up the BBQ you may wish to consider a home with the rear facing west, or north west. You will get the sun in the afternoon in the backyard till the very last part of the day. It will also mean the pool is warmed up and you will get more use out of it through the year. Often there is a payoff too – with many double storey designs having the bedroom upstairs at the front of the house. This means that the master bedroom will face east. You get the best of both worlds. Sun streaming through into the bedroom in the morning (and protected against the western sun in the afternoon) and sun always in the backyard in the afternoon. It may mean the living and alfresco heat up in summer but thats why you invest in some good blinds, shutters and airconditioning.
6. Looking at the stars. In conclusion after you’ve gone through all the hard work to get the home built, whichever way its facing – you will always enjoy a nice summer evening sitting in the backyard with a cool drink looking up at the stars and glad you went through the process to build your new home
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