# North v South Facing



## Joe Nonety (6 Oct 2005)

I'm not sure what the whole deal is with a houses directions as I always learnt that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West so surely these directions are more important than whats facing North and South?
Anyway a house I'm looking at in a new development has the kitchen, garden and dining room South facing while the master bedroom and sitting room are North facing.
There is another house facing it available which is exact opposite.
Is the first house better?


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## Eve1 (6 Oct 2005)

Your right, the sun rises in the East and sets in the west but it has to travel between these two points during the day. Therefore if your garden is South facing it means that you will have sunshine for a good part of the day, this would be the warmest part of the house. If you buy the other house you would have the sun in your sitting room. A North facing wall is colder beause it gets no sunshine. Personally I would prefer the sunshine in the back garden than in the front garden.


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## Joe Nonety (6 Oct 2005)

Got further details today.
The house with a South facing kitchen and back garden is €10k extra and is overlooked while the other house isn't overlooked. 

Is the South facing house still the better option?


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## Carpenter (6 Oct 2005)

The house with a south facing kitchen, facing the garden is infinitely preferable and is worth the 10K premium.  When we bought our first house 6 years ago we had an option of purchasing the house with the south facing garden (which we did buy) versus another house which had a northen aspect BUT did have a bigger garden.  The south facing garden can be enjoyed all year round, particularly if you have a patio heater but in general lends itself to more use, you can also incorporate a patio/ deck area to avail of the sun.  Plants will grow better in a garden which enjoys a southerly aspect. This is all in addition to the kitchen and other south facing rooms being warmer when the sun is shining.  A sunny sitting room is of little value.  Each summer I chuckle when I see my neighbours across the road bring their deck chairs out to the front of the house because there's no sun out the back, all while we sip G&Ts on our south facing deck!!!!  There is no contest.


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## Joe Nonety (6 Oct 2005)

I plan to have BBQs in the Summer so South facing garden it is. Thanks for your help.


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## decembersal (6 Oct 2005)

I also paid extra for a westerly facing garden- well worth the money!


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## redstar (6 Oct 2005)

Our house has a North facing back garden.
Our back garden is not overlooked and we can actually look out over open countryside. We usually sit out the back on sunny summer days because the sun is actually high enough in the sky to shine over the roof and cover about 80% of the back garden.   I wouldn't pay an extra 10k just to get the extra 20% of garden sunny.

The downside is the winter. The back garden is always in the shade.


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## Carpenter (6 Oct 2005)

redstar said:
			
		

> Our house has a North facing back garden.
> Our back garden is not overlooked and we can actually look out over open countryside. We usually sit out the back on sunny summer days because the sun is actually high enough in the sky to shine over the roof and cover about 80% of the back garden. I wouldn't pay an extra 10k just to get the extra 20% of garden sunny.
> 
> The downside is the winter. The back garden is always in the shade.


 
Obviously the bigger the garden the (slightly) less impact aspect will have, in that if the garden is big enough you can move out of the shadow cast by the house- but you don't want your patio/ deck 50 yards from the house, especially if you're doing a BBQ.  10K is not much to pay if you can enjoy and take full advantage of the few sunny days we do get in this fair isle.  You'll probably spend a lot more than tis on your garden, patio furniture etc over the years you spend in the house.


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## maryrose (6 Oct 2005)

What a cheek to slap on 10k to the price of already inflated house prices, especially in the 'burbs. 
I know , wrong forum an all that, before anyone jumps in.

I bought my house many moons ago, without checking the orientation, never dawned on me tbh, it was the middle of winter and the thought of a twenty five year 'debt' (mortgage) filled me with fright in my early twenties.

Anyway all these years later, the single most enjoyable aspect (pardon the pun) is the south west facing garden on an early summer's morning, surrounded by mature trees, with the birds in full song, and the sun rising from the eastern corner.

They can bury me in that garden!

And yes, I hate to admit it, If I had to pay the extra 10k today, I probably would.


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## onekeano (10 Oct 2005)

An extra 10k for south or westerly - definitely would pay that, provided it's not too overlooked.

Roy


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## MandaC (10 Oct 2005)

Having had both a north facing back garden and south facing back garden, I would never again buy a house with a north facing back garden.  Now I get the sun permanently in the kitchen/dining room and the whole house feels bright permanently.  With the north facing garden, I used to have to have the lights on all day in winter.  There is just no comparison.


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## Guest127 (10 Oct 2005)

have to agree with all above. Built a small bungalow 25 years ago and believe it or not it was considered 'bad' by the builder that the house was north facing.  how wrong he was!
built an extension about 15 years ago which unfortunately took a chunk out of the garden but as  nearly everyone above says, you couldnt pay for the amount of enjoyment you get in a back facing garden on a lovely hot sunny day, and yes, there was a few of them this year.


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## Molly (11 Oct 2005)

have to agree with the south facing option, but I would'nt been keen on being overlooked.... How overlooked is it ????


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## Niallymac (11 Oct 2005)

Be very careful that it is facing at least due south. If it is for facing anyhere east of due south, you will loose the evening sun on the back of the house. You'll still have it most of the day, but probably not when you want to sit out late on a summer evening. 

Lots of builders sell a SE facing house under the description of south. I would contend that a NW facing garden is better than a SE facing garden, OK you won't pick up the sun until it reached the SW sky in the early-mid afternoon, but will have until sunset. 

Depends I guess on whetehr you value the morning use of the garden or the evening use of the garden. Might all seem a little anoraky, but get a good compass and check it out, its a big difference.


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## z102 (11 Oct 2005)

With rising fuel costs a non shaded south facing roof / wall is a better deal due to the extra heat from the sun ( passive solar design ). A solar panel is most effective when facing south. And this is a sales point , solar panels are already producing the hot tap water cheaper than other methods.


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## todeaus (11 Oct 2005)

Dothese points apply to apartment purchase. I am looking at an apartment with living area/bedrooms facing north-east. Any opinions appreciated.


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## Carpenter (12 Oct 2005)

Regarding apartment- south aspect is still as relevant, particularly if you have a terrace or balcony.  North-east aspect is not fantastic, you will enjoy mid morning sun in your bedroom/ living area but this will diminish towards the mid afternoon.


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## minion (18 Oct 2005)

North and South facing aspects are only relevent with 2 story houses with very small gardens, such as the ones being built these days.

Aspect is completely irrelevant for bungalows or house with big gardens because the shaded area is very small.  In fact given that front gardens are much smaller than back gardens these days you're better off with the front garden facing south in the new small garden style house.
I wouldnt pay 10K extra for a southerly back garden.


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## flusteredma (18 Oct 2005)

Hi minion,

aint neccessarily so! 

My mother in law has 1/2 acre north facing back
garden AND the house is a bungalow.  Unfortunately there is no sun in
her beautiful big patio beside the house so it's rarely used.

Yes they could build a deck at the end of the garden but more
often than not it is totally inconvenient for regular dining/entertaining
as everything (food/dishes etc) has to be carried right down the end
of the garden.  

My own mother has a very small corporation house (smaller than what
they build these days) but gets a lot more use from her garden and
we all love to visit in the summer because we know we can sit there
right through the evening and enjoy the weather - yes its true- she
is more popular without a doubt because of the aspect of her garden
whereas nobody likes to dally at the 1/2 acre site in the summer
because its not so user friendly - despite its size!!!


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## minion (20 Oct 2005)

I suppose if you visit her at 12 o'clock every time you visit then you might have a problem with the patio being in shade in the winter when the sun is low 
Surely the sun doesnt only shine from the south (assuming of course that it shines at all)


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## flusteredma (20 Oct 2005)

Sure don't you know..."the sun only shines on TV"....

or was that "always" shines on TV????   Hmmm - must start a new post!!!


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