When looking for a home to buy, we usually pay attention to a number of basic aspects, such as its price, its location, its layout, its measurements…
However, there are also other very important factors that tend to go unnoticed, such as orientation. Since this is a key aspect when it comes to knowing if the apartment we like is the right one to buy, at Casas&Raluy we explain how it affects the orientation of a house and how we can calculate it.
Why you should know the orientation of your home
As we say, the orientation of a home is an extremely important factor that can affect not only energy expenditure but also the value of the home.
Many experts have stated that good guidance can reduce household energy consumption by up to 70%. In fact, most homes are already designed and built thinking about their orientation, thinking about this aspect.
Also, the way it is oriented, together with other factors, such as its height or state of repair, can increase or decrease the value of a home by up to 25%.
In fact, this is one of the aspects that are analysed when carrying out real estate valuations, which allow us to know the official target value of any dwelling and which are needed to apply for mortgages or make property distributions, among others.
Therefore, a good orientation will allow us to reduce the energy consumption of our home, increase the value of the home, and know such important things as how much light it will receive, when it will be brightest and whether it will be hotter or hotter, depending on the season of the year.
The best orientation for your home
The orientation of a house allows us to know if it is located to the north, the south, the east or the west, which will obviously depend on where it is located.
- If your home is facing east, which is where the sun rises, we will have light in the morning, which will allow it to accumulate heat during the day. It is the best choice for warm places.
- If your house is facing west, which is where the sun sets, we will receive light from midday until dusk, which will allow you to enjoy light in the afternoon. It is a good choice for cold places.
- If your home is facing north, we will receive light in the early morning and late afternoon, so we will generally not have too much light. It is a good choice for hot places and not very cold winters.
- If your home is facing south, we will receive light throughout the day in spring, autumn and winter and in summer during the middle hours, when it’s warmer. It is a good choice for cold places.
How to calculate the orientation of a house?
As we have seen, the orientation of a house is very important; however, few people know how to calculate it. There are several ways to do this, which we tell you below.
Calculate the orientation of a house in the “catastro”
One of the ways to find out what the orientation of a house is by consulting the data of the property in the cadastre, either face-to-face or in your virtual office. In any case, it is important to remember that the planes are always facing north, i.e. upwards.
Calculate the orientation of a house using a compass
Another of the options we have to know the orientation of a property is using a compass. Everyone knows that their needles always point to the north; this will be the point of reference to know where our house is looking.
Calculate the orientation with Google Maps
The Google Maps app is another tool that will allow us to know the orientation of any property. To calculate the orientation, just enter the address of the house and press the compass that appears in the app, which will immediately tell us where it is looking.
Finally, we should not forget the simplest option: to ask directly the real estate agency in which we are interested for its orientation.
