Tell me about your south-facing house

[Streap]

We’re about to exchange on a lovely house that faces full south. Lots of windows on that side and also a loft conversion with a south facing roof and velux.

Is it going to be stupidly hot in the summer? We have been living in a damp north-east facing cottage and I’ve been so excited about the southerly aspect that I am only just realising there may be downsides.

South facing house here. On very hot days we draw the curtains/blinds during the peak sun but in the UK that is really just a few days a year. All year round the rooms get sun which is a plus.

A lot depends on insulation as well as windows. Our house has lots of glass on the south side but with some management it's actually fine. We have solar glass in the bifold and French doors which reduces heat transfer.

As others have said, closing curtains and blinds in the daytime helps and then also having windows open on the north side as well to get a breeze through the house in the evenings.

The heatwave last year was pretty unbearable but I think it was for most people.

If it bothers you then things can be done like solar glass or shades outside to break up the sun getting to the windows or even shutters.

Sorry to be a grump, but my south facing house is too bright! I'm in the south and the weather is usually white clouds, the living space constantly feels too bright and have blinds closed practically all the time. Definitely feel the benefit of winter sun though.

I'd say a couple of weeks a year it's far too hot but the rest of the time it's lovely. Spring and autumn are really wonderful too as well as not too hot summer days. Can recommend a tower fan for sleeping.

Our old flat was actually worse because we only had windows on one side of the building so it was impossible to get a cross breeze.

I would only ever have a south facing garden. It’s lovely. Just open the doors and windows if it gets too warm (which happens pretty rarely).

I agree.

I had a south facing garden (all the main rooms on that side of the house, too) and it was too hot for much of the time. Great for growing mediterranean plants but it needed lots of shade adding for me to be able to sit out for much of the time. But the patio hardly ever needed cleaning, because the sun baked it clean. My bedroom was stifling hot in summer and I was just grateful it was not overooked by anyone and I could sleep with the windows and curtains wide open.

I now have a north facing garden and while growing some plants is tricker, it is lush and green and I have plenty of flowers. And I can sit out at any time of day and find a shady, comfortable spot. It's a bit grey in winter and the patio is always a bit mossy by the end of winter, but otherwise, I get more enjoyment out of it.

I'd consider a south facing again, but only with the space and freedom to plant lots of trees in the garden, for shade.

I stayed in a house with a south facing kitchen and dining area and it was too bright and very warm even though it was only 10degC outside. The breakfast bar seating was too hot to sit on and we couldn’t leave any food out. I had a headache by the end of the day because of how bright it was.
Plants were parched so I think a garden that has moving shade is nice for the garden to give the plants some respite.
It must be roasting in the summer but the winter warmth was nice.
Pros and cons to all and you will adapt to your own home.

Love our south facing house.
On hot days the windows and curtains / blinds get closed around 8/9am before it gets too hot.
Open again for the late evening.
We have plenty of windows on the north side as well, so in the evenings there is air flow throughout the house.
We have a blackout velux blind which is worth it; curtains & blinds are ordinary.

I love ours.
We have blackout blinds on the south facing walls for the summer, and open the loft hatch on very hot days.

Washing dries almost instantly on hot days with the relented heat off the south facing wall. We had solar panels installed a couple of months ago, which have been pretty good so far, so looking forward to how they do in the summer.

Yes - my previous house and current house are both south facing and fine in summer. All the rooms in my current house are on the south side, bathrooms and landing on the north. My previous house had a loft room with a big south facing dormer window. All absolutely fine and far, far cooler than my other east/west orientated house. I find west facing rooms are the worst on hot days as the late afternoon/evening sun blazes straight in.

Even last summer the house was fairly cool. But it really depends on the type of house/insulation/size of windows - they will all be different. I went into my neighbour's house (same orientation) on the hottest day last summer and that really was an oven. I'm on the south coast.

Me.
I like it. Nice and bright most of the year. I rarely feel cooped up or claustrophobic at home. Shade at the back when it's hot. Great for drying clothes on airers if it's even a little bit sunny.
Our layout sounds quite different to your potential house though, with about half the rooms at the south-facing front and half at the back. Kitchen is dual aspect, which is nice because you can get a breeze through it but it's lovely and bright. Rooms at the back stay cool in the summer but have to be careful about mould in the winter.
Plant for a bit of shade at the front if you have space.
Downsides: external paintwork seems to weather quickly.
Misjudging whether you need a coat because the front of your house is toasty when everywhere else is not.
There's a permanently shady bit of the back garden where we haven't had a lot of luck with planting.

We are south westerly and that’s ideal as still some shade, our estate agent thinks that’s more desirable. Our neighbours have air con in their loft conversion.

we have 8m of bi fold at the back and it gets hot!! We bought a portable air con machine.

Front of my house faces North. Lovely big windows letting in lots of north light (artists' studios are most desired to face north because of the beautiful quality of the light, I learned recently). Bedrooms and living room on north side never too hot. Can keep them very cool in summer.
Massive drawback of northfacing garden- shady most of the time. Daffodils only just out now compared to weeks ago if in more sunlight. Limits what plants you can grow but there are lots if you choose carefully. We can't really use our front N facing garden to sit outside unless it's a very hot day and you're seeking the cool.

I would be most concerned about your main garden being north facing in your situation OP. Is it long/ big enough to not be shaded all the time?

The back of our house is south facing. I do love it. The back garden is a fabulous sun trap. Everything grows. Kitchen and other S facing rooms so sunny. Helps heat us up in winter. Close curtains, blinds when needed in summer.
When Dd was a baby, one night her gro egg thermometer read 36 degrees during a heatwave at the time! That was an extreme example though usually it's just on the warmer side and you can open windows etc.

TLDR- my main concern would be a N facing garden would put me off

I love my south facing back garden, I wouldn’t entertain any house that didn’t have one now. Yes, the cars get a bit frosty on the north facing drive (the front of the house) in the winter, but all that beautiful summer sun on the back garden more than makes up for it. I absolutely love it. My little ones bedroom is on the back so we do need a black out blind in the summer.

We're south- west facing, big windows in front room & bedroom, gets very warm in the summer. Looking into wooden blinds/shutters when we can afford it. The front garden got baked tinder dry last year 😒

Does the OP say her garden is north facing? I’m confused.

We are south facing and while the light is incredible it's a problem in the summer.

Over the last two years we have lost about 75% of our trees and shrubs including some large established old beauties.

In the summer we can't enjoy the light as we have to keep all curtains closed and blinds down until after 3pm.

Our loft extension gets so hot it's unusable even with all windows and velux open and blinds down.

You'd assume it would be if her houses faces South, unless her garden isn't at the back?

I love my South facing garden. I sat out there most of the day on Tuesday, despite the temps not being that high. It was cold in the shade but glorious in the sun. It does get quite hot in the rooms at the back at the height of summer, but I have a lounge at the front that is lovely and cool. If I didn't have both though, I'd opt for sf, as I'd find lack of sun anywhere depressing.

Oh I was assuming they’d put the main rooms facing the garden.

Another vote for good thick curtains/blinds with thermal linings, and keep them closed all day in the hot spells. Makes a massive difference. You will love it in winter, leave internal doors open, and the thermal gain from even watery sun will surprise you. We have some bright cold days here when we are peeling off our woolies, we get so hot inside.

I guess so. Bit confusing as usually saying the house is x facing, means the front, not garden. You're probably right though! I'm a bit intrigued at the floorplan. We don't get houses with all major rooms on 1 side here!

Yes it's going to be hot OP, particularly the loft room & if you are in the south of the UK.
Personally I'd see how you get on (some people apparently have no issues sleeping in 28 degree + rooms - Maybe that's you?) & look at getting Aircon fitted if it's an issue.

In terms of the costs involved in buying/running an average house, fitting AC is pretty small fry, and with it you get the best of all worlds - light sunny rooms and comfortable temperatures.

We are south Europe, so much hotter summers and for longer. Our house faces south, as does our garden as it’s on a hill above house. Large windows and floor to ceiling 5m sliding doors in places.

We love it. It’s lovely and bright inside all year, we hardly every have lights on daytime even in winter. We have wooden shutters on bedroom balcony doors, awnings over large sliding doors and thin blinds to use as and when needed in Summer

It's not usual to have houses in the UK where all main rooms face in one direction. Our houses are too small.

If the front of a house faces north, the back of the house and the main garden space for most people will be south facing. These are the houses that carry a premium because people want sunny gardens. In smaller houses with south facing fronts and north facing back gardens, a smaller garden will be in shade most of the time since the house will create a shadow.

The front of my house faces South and it lets in loads of light. I have foil lined thermal blinds on the windows that I keep shut on the really crazy hot days but that's really not that many days of the year. Some of my plants out the front get scorch on their leaves in the summer.
The kitchen and dining is on the North side to avoid getting too hot. The back garden faces North but it does get sunlight, just not on the whole garden all day.
Most of the rooms are either dual aspect or get light from the front, I have one dark cool bedroom.
I also have a loft conversion but the major glazing faces East and there's an East facing balcony so on really hot days leaving the door open really helps cool the room down.