Best Direction for House to Face in Australia: Unlocking the Ideal Home Orientation for Comfort, Energy Efficiency, and Property Value

Finding or building the ideal home for you and your family is important if you want to get the best value for your money. Furthermore, it aids your comfort and makes living in your newly-acquired home worthwhile. Living in a house with the best direction in Australia has a lot to offer.

Which is the best direction for house to face in Australia, anyway? Hold on tight and read through to find out what the ideal orientation is and why choosing the perfect house is important.

Importance of Good House Orientation

One crucial thing to remember when buying a house is the home orientation. This is important for many reasons, including overall comfort. While your excitement about buying or building your own home may be all you feel right now, you must keep the house orientation in mind such as knowing the best direction for house to face in Australia.

A good house orientation has its benefits and is important for the following reasons:

Solar Gain/Natural Light

A good house orientation enables solar gain and natural light, allowing you to maximize their benefits. For example, with the appropriate orientation, you can enjoy more direct sunlight during winter, which warms up your house interiors. This keeps you warm during winter and reduces your energy usage when it’s cold.

Furthermore, you get more natural light in your house during the day, reducing your need to use artificial light during the day, thereby cutting your power bills. In addition, it benefits you if you plan to install solar panels for the house to generate electricity. When the house is well-oriented, you can expect optimum performance of the solar panels.

Energy Efficiency

Another reason to consider a good house orientation is because of the energy efficiency benefit it provides. If a house is well-oriented, it can use wind patterns, sunlight, and shading to reduce the cost of heating and cooling or lighting. For example, the solar gain enjoyed from good house orientation can reduce your reliance on heating systems during winter, resulting in energy savings.

Also, good orientation through aligning windows and openings for cross ventilation allows natural breezes into your home, cooling it and saving energy consumption from mechanical cooling or air conditioning.

Comfort

A house with good orientation offers optimum comfort in many ways. For instance, a well-oriented house will have adequate natural lighting, positively affecting your mood, productivity, and well-being. It also helps regulate your circadian rhythm for improved sleep patterns and comfort.

Furthermore, with proper airflow and ventilation, you can enjoy a comfortable temperature and reduced stuffiness, odour, and pollutants. Likewise, a well-oriented house gives you great outdoor views, improving relaxation and comfort. This also enhances privacy and noise control.

Property Value

Buying a house with a good orientation will benefit you over time as it can potentially have a higher resale value. When homebuyers are property hunting, they often look for efficient and sustainable houses, especially when they’re energy-conscious.

They’ll most likely consider the house’s energy efficiency, views and privacy, outdoor living spaces, natural light, comfort, and other important factors. Considering all of that when building or buying your home is an awesome way to maximise your investment and make it count.

Health

A well-oriented house indirectly impacts health. You can get natural light and vitamin D from sunlight which has various health benefits. In addition, a house with a good orientation will indirectly impact your mental well-being. For example, exposure to sunlight can improve mood, productivity, and overall mental well-being. 

Furthermore, a well-oriented house contributes to circadian rhythm regulation, which helps in maintaining optimal health.

Best Orientation for Houses in Australia

Now that you know how important good house orientation is, you owe yourself finding the house that’ll enable you to enjoy the benefits. However, you should note that the best orientation for houses in Australia differs depending on different factors. Consulting an architect, building engineer, or other professionals is a good first step.

However, there’s no harm in knowing the best orientation for houses such as the best direction for house to face in Australia before you start looking for houses. Your answer is below:

Overall Orientation for Houses

The best overall direction for houses to face in Australia is north. However, you should note that this doesn’t indicate that the front of the building will face north. Instead, it refers to the orientation of the main living areas and garden in relation to the sun.

This is because rooms facing the north tend to receive sun for the longest time of the day during winter and can be easily shaded by the roof’s eaves during summer. A north-facing orientation is the best in Australia because, during the full force of summer, your living room and garden will be protected from the sun’s force through shading. Likewise, since the sun moves slowly from the east to the west in winter, your living spaces and garden will enjoy more sunlight. Either way, you can ensure comfort and energy efficiency all year round.

Orientation for Houses in Hot Tropical Climates

While north facing orientation is the best for houses in Australia, a few factors can change that. One of the deciding factors for house orientation is climate, so you should pay attention to that. If you intend to build or buy your home in the hot tropical climates in Australia, the best orientation for the house is south facing or north-south. 

Since it gets hot in the north of Australia, your house should have a south orientation to block the sun from penetrating your home and making you uncomfortable. This, in turn, lowers your cooling costs. It reduces intense east and west sun, lowering heat gain and increasing natural ventilation. Of course, beyond the house orientation, you must put other things in place to ensure comfort. 

For example, cross ventilation, insulation, landscaping, high ceilings, and more must be considered. Talk to an architect or a professional about what to put in place for optimum comfort in hot tropical climates.

Orientation for Houses in Cold Alpine Climates

Houses are designed differently in Australia due to different weather conditions. Cities like Melbourne and Hobart are popular for cold winters, so you need to get as much sunlight as possible. Therefore, your house facing the north is a smart idea. In that case, you should consider northeast or northwest or west-facing orientation. If it’s northwest orientation, you’ll get more afternoon sun in the house and morning sun for northeast orientation.

However, don’t forget that other factors must be considered to ensure your house is comfortable throughout the seasons. Talking to an architect or expert will help you know what to implement to make that happen.

Orientation for Houses in Temperate Climates

The best orientation for houses in temperate climates in Australia is north-facing. This helps you utilize solar energy and enjoy comfort throughout the year. You can enjoy solar gains, passive solar heating, natural lighting, natural ventilation, shading opportunities, and more with a north-facing orientation in a temperate climate.

Other Considerations for House Orientation

A lot goes into making a house livable and comfortable regarding house orientation such as knowing the best direction for house to face in Australia. Therefore, you should speak with an architect when designing your home or an expert to help you determine the best-oriented house when buying. Beyond deciding which direction the house faces, other factors determine a house’s orientation.

They are:

Site-specific Factors

One of the things to consider is site-specific factors. First, the land’s topography, if you’re building, will determine the best orientation for the house. For example, the slope and contour of the land will determine retaining walls, drainage, excavation requirements, the overall design, and the house’s orientation.

In addition, you will consider the climate, solar access, and prevailing winds of the area the land is located. You can hand over this part to the professionals who will help determine which orientation is best for the site location and specifics.

Building Regulations and Requirements

Building regulations and requirements in an area can affect house orientation. Australia’s States and territories have different general regulations regarding housing, including house orientation. Ensure you consult your state, territory, or local council guidelines regarding house orientation before building.

Feng Shui

Another thing to consider for your house orientation is feng shui. You should choose the orientation that will balance yin and yang energies in your home by avoiding excessive darkness or brightness. Also, Feng Shui masters can apply bagua to map out the house’s interior layout and determine a befitting orientation. 

You should also assess the water and energy flow on the property by considering the location of water bodies near the house. You may want to avoid the main entrance facing a water body to prevent an excessive flow of energy but rather a harmonious energy flow. Consider speaking to a professional feng shui master to analyse your property.

FAQs

Why is my house very hot in the afternoon?

If you suspect orientation is the issue, this is potentially due to you having large western-facing windows. The sun’s altitude angle gets very low in the afternoon, and if you have large west windows, you will be well exposed to direct sunlight. It is recommended to have smaller highlight windows on the west that bring the sunlight into the deep-shaded part of the house to store heat during the colder nights and reduce solar heat gain on the immediate western wall and rooms. 

What if I have a party wall on the North shared with my neighbour?

Certain rights and responsibilities are attached to sharing a party wall on the North with your neighbour. You should know that you and your neighbour have shared ownership of the party wall, and you both have responsibilities regarding the maintenance based on agreed terms. In addition, you must communicate with your neighbour and agree on terms if you plan on making alterations or extensions to the party wall. Overall, ensure you have a party wall agreement in place with your neighbour to avoid disputes and check with your local authorities regarding applicable laws.

How much natural light is recommended for a North facing window?

A north facing window should have a minimum of 150 lux of natural light based on A16 of ResCode. However, this can vary from time to time depending on weather conditions, the size and orientation of windows, and the time of the day. You can improve the natural light in your home by removing obstructions, using light-coloured paints as they reflect sunlight, installing skylights, and cleaning your windows.

My neighbour is building a tall fence on the North; are they in breach of any building rules? Is there any building standard for solar gain?

The fence height and existing North window building rules  differ based on territory or state. Therefore, confirm height restrictions on fence, setback requirements, wall purpose, and material and construction standards from your local authorities. There are also building standards for reducing solar gain, including installing shading devices, using insulation, and using light-coloured materials on the roof and wall. General rule of thumb in Victoria, the neighbour should obtain the adjacent property owner’s consent prior to construction and if anything taller than 2m and require structural works, then planning permit or building permit may apply. You should consult your local building requirements to know which applies to you.

What are the disadvantages of a south facing house?

The disadvantages of a south-facing house include more heat in the summer, less sunlight, less value, and more exposure to the southern winds from the coast. However, you can mitigate these by planting some deciduous trees, installing solar panels, and installing good insulation or choosing a house with it.

What’s Next

The optimal direction for houses to face in Australia is generally north. However, various factors can influence the ideal orientation for your specific home. To ensure the best outcome, it’s crucial to consult with an architect who can consider all relevant factors and design a home that maximises comfort, energy efficiency, and property value. 

If you have any questions or need expert advice on house orientation, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at SQM Architects. We’re here to help you make the most of your investment and create a comfortable, sustainable living space.