What is the best direction for a house to face in Perth?
Are you looking to build or buy a new luxury house in Perth, Western Australia? If so, you’ll want to consider the best direction your house should face. The position of your house can have a huge impact on temperature, light and air circulation. A well-positioned house can reduce energy costs and make your living space more comfortable. Let’s explore the best direction for a house to face in Perth.
The benefits of north-facing homes in Perth
North-facing homes in Perth offer many benefits to homeowners. However before we explain why, let's define what we mean by the word 'facing'.
Essentially, we are talking about the direction your most used areas of the home are facing, which is usually the living areas, which also generally have the biggest windows.
Ok, now that we have covered that, let's get back to it.
During the winter months, north facing homes tend to receive more direct sunlight into the windows, which helps keep heating bills lower than south-facing homes due to increased solar radiation from the sun's rays.
This is because the winter sun is lower in the sky, so it shines into the windows during the day, meaning north-facing homes absorb more of the sun’s energy, compared to in summer, the sun is usually directly overhead during the middle of the day and therefore shines onto the roof.
The benefits of east-north-east facing homes in Perth
While north-facing homes have their advantages, east-north-east-facing homes also offer benefits to homeowners living in Perth.
These homes not only receive direct sunlight during winter months, but they also benefit from the morning sun, which is less intense than the afternoon sun.
This is obviously a huge benefit in summer, when you are trying to keep the house cool, as it means that homes facing east-north-east are less exposed to the hot afternoon sun, which hits windows facing west in the afternoon.
In addition to receiving direct sunlight during winter months and indirect morning sunlight, east-north-east-facing homes in Perth also benefit from cooling breezes in the summer months. This also adds value to the home should the time come to sell the house in the future.
The benefits of west-facing homes in Perth
During summer months, west-facing homes can become quite hot due to the direct afternoon sun. This can be particularly brutal on very hot days.
However given the ocean is to the west of Perth, there are plenty of would-be home builders who choose to face west, so it’s important to consider window tinting, shades, landscaping and other natural barriers as well as insulation or thermal mass materials when building a home with this orientation.
Homes that face west can benefit from natural heating in winter, due to their orientation towards the sun's path. West-facing homes get plenty of light during winter months which helps warm up the interior in the afternoon and provides natural illumination during darker times of year.
The benefits of east-facing homes in Perth
East-facing homes get plenty of natural morning light but not too much heat from direct afternoon sun which makes them perfect for bedrooms (as long as you don't mind getting up with the early sun in summer) where people want an abundance of natural lighting but don't want excessive heat buildup indoors during hotter months.
Additionally, these types of houses are great if you want some outdoor entertainment areas such as patios or decks because they provide ample morning sunlight while avoiding harsh direct heat in the afternoon.
The benefits of south-facing homes in Perth
South-facing homes may not have many advantages over other orientations but they do have one distinct benefit - they tend to be cheaper than other orientations due to their lack of desirable features such as natural illumination or reduced energy bills through cooler temperatures in summer months.
However, if you live in Perth, a South facing home has minimal benefits and is not overly desriable.
Conclusion
No matter what direction your home faces in Perth some advantages and drawbacks come with each option; it is important that you carefully weigh up all factors before deciding which direction is best for your needs and lifestyle requirements!
By understanding how orientation affects temperature control and energy efficiency you'll be able to make an educated decision about what direction is best for your new home! With careful consideration of so many factors, there’s no reason why your dream house can't be perfectly suited for life in Perth!
If you are looking for a luxury home design in Perth, then get in touch with Novus Homes to find out how we can help. Our team of experienced designers can take your ideas and turn them into reality.