Where your home sits on your land, and its orientation, is an important factor to consider when building a new home. With a little consideration when positioning your home, the need for additional heating and cooling may be reduced, and your home can be brighter and maximise the surrounding views from your land.
Brighten up your home
Flooding your home with natural light can change the mood in your home, particularly during Winter months when the Northerly sun is lower in the sky. With North facing windows shining light into your home’s living areas, it will be lighter during the time of year when it is most needed.
Maximise views of the land
If you are lucky enough to have land with a view, it is something you’ll certainly want to take advantage of. Even better if your view is on the North side of your home, as you may already be planning windows to help warm your home during Winter. If your view is to the West, you could add a veranda to your home to shade it from the Summer sun, or slightly rotate the position of your home to shade it whilst still making the most of your views.
Reduce your heating and cooling
The way in which your home is oriented can keep its temperature relatively consistent or make it fluctuate with the seasonal changes. Here are some considerations for positioning your home in order to maximise cooling breezes during the warmer months and solar heating during the cooler months.
- Allow the sun to enter your house from the East, but avoid it entering from the West. This will minimise the Summer sun coming in during the warmest part of the day. Consider placing your garage, laundry or bathroom to the West to reduce the heat entering the house.
- Southerly breezes are cool breezes, so make sure there are plenty of shaded windows on the South side of your house to create cool air flow during the Summer. When placing windows, consider placing them where a cross breeze will be created for an enhanced cooling effect.
- In cooler climates, orient the longest wall of your home to the north with living spaces along this side of the house and bedrooms to the south. This way the sun hits the majority of your home during the Winter, providing solar heating. Summer sun can also be blocked using eaves and window shades.
If you have any question on positioning your new home or finding the best floor plan to suit your land, we are always here to help, please contact us today!
Location is one important decision, when planning to build a holiday home. We’ve put together 4 key considerations for identifying the right spot to building your holiday home.
Personal interests
Pursuing one’s passion in life brings with it a sense of fulfillment and gives your life more meaning, so focusing on your hobbies and interests can help you identify the right location to build a holiday home.
Does a coastal retreat or bush getaway speak to you? Are you passionate about outdoor adventuring, hiking or swimming? Or are you a budding wine connoisseur? Consider narrowing down your search for a holiday home location to a location that can fulfil these interests.
Size & proximity
Plan a few day trips or become a virtual tourist and discover the areas you’re considering, to find the one that’s the right fit for your family. Are you drawn to a smaller, more secluded community? Or would you prefer a destination that has it all, with everything you need on your doorstep?
Proximity to home is also a consideration if you are looking for a location to travel to for weekend escapes – make sure it’s within easy driving distance, factoring in traffic at peak times. Would you prefer a location that is easily accessible by regional trains or buses?
Future potential
When planning to establish a holiday home, it’s important to keep in mind the potential opportunities for future income the holiday home may open up when it’s not in use.
With the rise of holiday rental homes, and the likes of Air BnB, beyond being a place where you seek solitude, building in a prime location presents a unique opportunity to double as an investment, and capture visitors who frequent the area. Remember tourist hot spots are not the only opportunities, with the right property, anywhere can become a destination for people looking for an escape.
Bushfire & flood prone areas
Before you commit, it’s important to do your research. Finding the perfect spot then learning it’s in a bushfire or flood prone area doesn’t mean the destination isn’t suitable, just that a little more consideration might be needed. If you plan accordingly when building a holiday home, you can minimise the risk and ensure your new home is built to suit the environment in which it sits.
At Manor Homes, we supply modular homes built to suit your location, in both country and coastal areas, contact us today!