Going to view a few houses tomorrow with a view to purchase.
A south facing garden is a must for us as we spend alot of time in the garden and would like sun to come through to the rear kitchen etc.
How can I find out (apart from asking the owners) which way the house/garden faces?
Thanks in advance
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- stand out front door n look up?
- Type the postcode into Google maps, so long as you don't rotate the view the top of screen will be north
- Wow... Are you sure you're ready to buy your own house??
- Capture a sparrow, walk outside the said property, throw the sparrow straight up in the air. Whichever direction the sparrow flies off in, follow it until you see a satellite dish, see which way that's pointing, then that's probably south.
- Look where sky dishes are
- Failing you dont have a phone app or traditional compass.You could always try the old fashioned method of looking at the sun, unless you are up north,lol. The sun rises in the East and sets in the west so that will give you a good indication of which way its facing.
- Satellite dishes face (very) approximately south.
- It's hard to believe that as a species, we managed to navigate vast oceans hundreds of years ago without smartphones, Google maps or by looking at satellite dishes. How we have advanced.
- Anonymous UserPlace a bowl of water in the front garden, put a leaf in the water with a magnetic paper clip balanced on top.
- West is best especially if you like summer BBQ's. Why because where does the sun set. My garden is south facing but it would prefer it not to be. Kitchen and bathroom are at the back like most houses and it can be unbearable when it's sunny. That's not many times a year lol but still flipping hot.
4th Mar
Suncalc.net
Wow! What a find - not only is it great for house hunting but also keeps my 10yr old entertained for ages!- Author
21/03/2019 22:01
Hello I would use a accurate app and if your living in the United Kingdom …Hello I would use a accurate app and if your living in the United Kingdom then the sun does not come out that much and even if it does it can rain out of nowhere and become sunny again and I would search on Google too.
Urm.. You do realise this post is from 2017 right lol?? 21st Mar
Urm.. You do realise this post is from 2017 right lol??
Hey yeah I knew that but still commented.- compass app?
- Have you got a compass on your phone? Could always use that ...
- Most estate agents would tell you if it's south facing normally its a good selling point
- When you mention the Sun I presume you are not talking about this country. (_;)
- Author
Suncalc.net
Spot on! Typed in the road name and it showed me the direction the sun goes to the property through out the day, including previous months (eg. if you want to look in a July summer).
Thanks, much appreciated! Most estate agents would tell you if it's south facing normally its a … Most estate agents would tell you if it's south facing normally its a good selling point
Lol
You trust an estate agent to tell the truth on a negative?- Anonymous UserHold a watch with 12 o'clock at the left. Rotate the watch until the hour hand points at the sun. Halfway between the hour hand and the 12 is south.
- Anonymous UserIt could be neither.... They can face any direction at all
- Hello
I would use a accurate app and if your living in the United Kingdom then the sun does not come out that much and even if it does it can rain out of nowhere and become sunny again and I would search on Google too. - Anonymous UserSun calc thing doesn't work for me. I typed in addressed and pressed go and it just stayed the same!!
04/03/2017 20:23
It's hard to believe that as a species, we managed to navigate vast oceans …It's hard to believe that as a species, we managed to navigate vast oceans hundreds of years ago without smartphones, Google maps or by looking at satellite dishes. How we have advanced.
It's the sparrows we have to thank.

The simplest way to find out the direction that your home is facing is by using a compass on your smartphone. All Apple iPhones come with a built in compass app installed. Android users will find an array of free compasses in the Google Play Store to choose from.
Once you’ve found the compass app or downloaded one, follow these steps to measure the direction your home faces. You can also use a physical compass if you want an accurate measurement.
If you want to find the direction of your house online, this can be done simply in Google Maps. This is also a great way to find out which direction a potential property you want to rent or buy is facing.
Go to Google Maps.
Which way does my garden face
You can follow the same procedure to find the procedure for your garden. If your front garden is north-facing, then your back garden will be south-facing (and vice versa).