The Power of Land Orientation
by Carlisle Homes
Here’s How the Orientation of Your Home Can Save Costs and Add Value to Your Space.
The direction your home faces affects everything from how much natural light you receive to your heating and cooling bills. Here, we shed light on what your home’s orientation means and how to optimise what you’ve got.
When you’re building or searching for a new home, a north-facing orientation can seem like the holy grail. But what does it actually mean? And what can you do about a block with a less-than-ideal aspect? Read on to find out.
Make the most of natural light and improve your home’s energy efficiency down the track - consider your block’s orientation in the early stages of your new build.
What Does Block Orientation Mean?
Orientation is the direction your block faces. A block with a north-facing orientation gets the most direct hours of sunlight during the day. East-facing blocks get the morning sun and west-facing blocks get the afternoon sun. South-facing blocks get the least amount of sun.
It is important to select a south-facing home design that suits your block’s orientation in order to maximise sunlight and energy efficiency.
What Orientation and Layout Should I Choose for My Home?
Ideally, choose a block that situates your main living spaces and outdoor living spaces to the north, so they get the maximum amount of sun. Aim to have your bedrooms on the south or east so they don’t get too hot during the day.
Situating living spaces to the north will maximise natural sunlight and regulate the heating of your home. Featured here: Sorrento Grand Retreat, Mt Atkinson Estate, Truganina.
Why is a North-Facing Orientation Desirable in Melbourne?
More natural light
North and north-eastern facing homes are considered the best because they get the most direct sunlight through the day, particularly in winter when the sun is at its lowest.
Energy savings
Not only is a home filled with natural light more pleasant to be in, but it can dramatically affect your indoor temperature. Sunlight from the north delivers radiant heating into your home, which creates passive solar heating in winter. In summer, it’s easy to shade northern facades to prevent heat from entering. As a result, the temperature inside a north-facing home design remains more consistent year-round, which means you’re less reliant on artificial heating and cooling (so lower power bills!)
Also, having more natural light means less need for artificial lighting – another way to save on electricity costs.
If you’re putting a pool into a north-facing backyard, it won’t be cast under shadow during the day. However, you may want to consider adding some shading if you’re worried about users getting too hot in the peak summer months.
With Carlisle’s front-flipped design options you can flip your home’s floorplan to suit the orientation of your block. Featured here: Canterbury Grand, Minta Estate, Berwick.
Can I change the orientation of my Carlisle home floor plan?
In many cases, yes.
We have introduced front-flipped options to our most popular home designs, which means you can flip your home’s floor plan from left to right or vice versa to suit the orientation of your block and optimise daylight and views.
Homes that now have front-flip versions include the Affinity Collection Canterbury Grand, Montague Grand, Sorrento Grand and Sorrento Grand Retreat.
Interested in finding your perfect home with the right orientation? Call 1300 535 416 to speak to one of our friendly staff or come and visit one of our many display homes across Melbourne.