• The north side is warmer in winter and the best place for rooms you use a lot, like living areas.
• The west side gets hot in the afternoon and is best for rooms you don't use often, like bathrooms, garages and laundries.
• The south side is the coolest and good for bedrooms in warmer climates, as well as rooms you don't use often.
• The east side gets morning sun and is good for breakfast rooms, kitchens and bedrooms.
• If you can't get an ideal position for every room, you can still have an energy saving home.
• You'll just need to pay more attention to design and this might cost a little more.
• Good position on the block gives you a headstart and makes the rest easier, so lock it in if you can!

• You might be planning to live in this home for a long time so ask for features that will make your home a safe and easy place to live as you grow older, like entries and showers without steps.
• These features make good sense anyway and come in handy when you have small children or elderly or less mobile visitors.
• They could also make your home attractive to a wider range of people when it comes time to sell.

Your Home factsheets:

• Orientation
• Passive design
• The Adaptable House
• Health and safety

Choosing your new home

• Know the rules
• Choose the floor plan that works for you
• Find the perfect fit
• Why north for living areas?
• Checklist

Know the rules

First, it helps if you can find out the requirements for homes at your chosen location. You can do this by checking with your builder and with the local council. If you're buying into an estate there may also be additional requirements made by the developer that you need to follow.

These requirements can cover a range of different things including types of building materials, façade style, fences and hot water systems, to name a few. Often these are called 'design guidelines' or 'covenants' for the estate.

'We discovered there's so much more to it than cost per square metre... our home has character and spaces that work well for us.'

Choose the floor plan that works for you

Looking at builders' floor plans is where you can start to compare your 'must haves' and 'wish list' with what's on offer. You can make choices based on how many square metres you can get for your money, but smart investors know that there's much more to a good investment.

Think carefully about what you really need. It's tempting to want more area for your money but bigger isn't always better - you'll have less garden space and more house to heat, cool, light, clean and furnish. This adds to your costs now and into the future. Good design that doesn't waste space feels great to live in and holds its value better.

Find the perfect fit

Make sure the homes you're considering will fit well on your block. For example, check the width of the home frontage and any setback requirements (the distances you have to leave between your home and your site boundaries). Your builder should be able to help you here - and do the work for you!

Choosing a floor plan that faces the right way on your block will make your home more comfortable, and you won't need to spend as much on heating, cooling and lighting.

Here are some tips for positioning your living areas:

• If the front of your block faces south, place living areas at the rear of your home - an easy solution!
• If the front of your block faces east or west, place living areas at the rear of your home, facing onto the north side of your block.
• If the front of your block faces north, try placing your living areas at the front of your home and increasing your setback from the street with a private, spacious front garden.

If you have a sloping block, think about the kind of home that would make the best fit with minimum excavation and drainage costs. Discuss this with your builder and ask them to suggest a suitable home design.

Check with your builder that the position of your home will maintain privacy for you and your neighbours. Keep bedrooms away from noisy areas like driveways or neighbours' living areas.

Now is also a good time to think about where you'll put cost saving features like an outdoor clothesline and water saving features like a rainwater tank.

Why north for living areas?

North is the best position for rooms you spend a lot of time in because north-facing rooms get sun for the longest part of the day. They are also the easiest to shade from unwanted sun. In summer when the sun is high, the right size eaves will shade north-facing rooms, while in winter when the sun is lower, sunlight will come in under the eaves.

If it looks like your living areas won't get good sunlight ask your builder if you can flip or rotate the plan for better positioning on the site, or make minor modifications to the plan.

Checklist - Orientation

Your Home is a collaborative project of the government and the building and design industry

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