Apartment orientation – where do you get the most sun?

Apartment orientation

The orientation of an apartment has a major influence on how much natural light it receives. Anyone searching for a home should pay attention to the orientation of the different rooms. The same applies when building a house. After all, you want all rooms – as well as the garden – to receive enough daylight.

When and where do you get direct sunlight?

As the position of the sun changes throughout the year, the amount of natural light also varies by season. In summer, west-facing rooms usually receive the most sunlight. If your living room faces south or west, you can generally expect sunshine from the afternoon into the evening.

During spring, autumn and winter, south-facing rooms receive the most sunlight. Anyone looking to reduce heating costs and avoid excessive summer heat should therefore check whether the living room faces south.

Rooms with windows facing north receive little direct sunlight. Bathrooms, for example, are therefore often positioned on the north side. East-facing rooms benefit from morning sunlight, making them ideal for people who enjoy waking up with natural daylight.

Tips on apartment orientation

• Ideally, daylight should enter the apartment from at least two different directions.
   
• West-facing sides are often more exposed to wind and rain. Good window protection is therefore recommended.
   
• Don’t forget blinds or shutters on south- and west-facing windows – especially during hot summer days.

A floor plan helps you understand sun exposure

To assess how much sunlight an apartment receives, you’ll need a floor plan and a compass. Position the plan according to the cardinal directions. The easiest way is to align it directly using a compass. This quickly shows, for example, whether the bedroom faces east and receives morning sunlight.

Our tips

• If no floor plan is available, it’s a good idea to bring a compass to the viewing. This allows you to check exactly how the windows are oriented and estimate when the apartment receives sunlight throughout the day and year.
   
• If you don’t have a compass, you can also use an app. Most modern smartphones already include a built-in compass.

The apartment’s location also affects natural light

But orientation alone doesn’t determine how much sunlight enters an apartment. It’s also important to check nearby buildings and trees. In general, apartments on the ground floor tend to be much darker than those on higher floors.

If there are buildings or trees very close to the south or west side of the apartment, your home may remain in the shade for most of the day. This is especially noticeable in winter, when the sun sits lower and may no longer clear surrounding rooftops.

Our tip

If possible, visit the apartment at two different times of day. This gives you a better idea of how sunlight enters the rooms throughout the day.

If the apartment has a south- or west-facing balcony, also check how far the roof or overhang extends above the windows. This can significantly reduce the amount of sunlight entering the apartment.