Orientation: an important criterion for buying a property
Although it’s just one criterion among many, it’s worth paying particular attention to the property’s exposure before you buy your new home.
Although it’s just one criterion among many, it’s worth paying particular attention to the property’s exposure before you buy your new home.
The best orientation for a main home
Obviously, this will depend on the layout of the rooms in the dwelling, and the layout will need to be adapted according to sunlight requirements.
Facing south means you’ll get plenty of sunshine during the day and benefit from the natural warmth the sun brings. This orientation is ideal for a staycation.
If possible, rooms should face east. Exposure to the sun will be lower and of shorter duration, ensuring that those rooms we like to be cooler are not overheated.
North-facing windows receive the least sunlight. This exposure is ideal for kitchens or bathrooms, for example, which are easier to heat electrically from time to time.
To the west, this orientation is very popular for terraces or balconies, to enjoy the sunsets.
It’s important to point out that orientation doesn’t necessarily mean brightness. The brightness of a home depends on other criteria, such as the surrounding environment and the windows in the room in question.
These comments are also subjective, since they won’t suit everyone. For example, in the south of France, where the heat is very high during the summer season, homeowners tend to prefer a southeast or southwest orientation so as not to have to use the air conditioning too much. Facing south offers financial advantages in winter, but be careful not to lose them in summer.
The benefits of southern exposure
The apartment’s bright, sunny orientation makes it a pleasure to live in. What’s more, scientifically, we need natural light to be healthy.
A significant advantage of southern exposure and the warmth it brings is lower energy costs. In fact, a study shows that a home exposed to the sun can reduce heating bills by 10 to 30%.
Finally, south-facing exposure will add real value to your property in terms of price. We estimate a 10% premium for a property with a southern exposure, as opposed to a property with a northern exposure, which loses 10%. This argument will be very useful when negotiating the price of your property.
How can I be sure that I'll like the orientation of my property?
We advise you to visit the property you wish to buy in the middle of the day, to see how much sunlight it receives. In the same way, you can ask your real estate agent for a second visit at a different time of day.
You can also use online tools to check the exposure of your home. There’s the Lumen tool, for example, and on the “sun” icon, which will tell you all about the orientation of the dwelling.
In real estate ads, you’ll often find the exhibition mentioned. The orientation corresponds to the living area. In other words, even with a “due south” label, you can have rooms with a different orientation.
Solutions to compensate for poor exposure
Fortunately, there are solutions available to compensate for exposure problems.
If it’s a heat problem, with south-facing rooms for example, where it’s far too hot, you can use screens on the windows to limit incoming heat. If, on the other hand, a room is too cold, you can have it insulated. Although this work represents a cost, it will save you money on heating over the long term and add value to your home.
To optimize the brightness of a living room, it can be useful to enlarge existing openings, provided you have the necessary authorizations. We also recommend white walls with a streamlined decor for a brighter room.
Finally, the orientation of the property is an important criterion for buying real estate, although it’s not the only one, and its importance differs from one buyer to another. It’s the overall feeling that’s most important in making your choice.