When looking for an apartment, you surely ask yourselves many questions about the pros and cons of a given unit or location. You probably know roughly what kind of space you’re looking for, how many rooms. But how many other aspects do we pay attention to? This most often depends on our past experiences. Sometimes you might ask questions in groups, on social media, like the one found below:
“Is it better to buy an apartment with a north exposure, quite dark but quiet, or south-facing but on the street with commercial premises downstairs?”
I think the author has already partially answered the question himself, as he values peace and quiet more; however, of course, dozens of comments appear below the question, with everyone sharing their perspective and preferences. Below are a few selected ones:
“Do you prefer depression or neurosis? I would choose the south-facing one.”
“The electricity bill for AC cooling will be lower, and there will be relative quiet. I would take a dull gray one, but cooler in summer.”
“First of all, no single-sided ones. North-facing means year-round gloom, and south-facing in summer means the sun burns so intensely that you can’t stand it without AC, because you can’t even create a draft, and being under AC all day isn’t good either…”
“If the apartment is for you and not for rent, I wouldn’t choose any of the above. A place to live should be comfortable; I had specific requirements and only looked for those. I have the top floor, a corner apartment with south-west exposure, and I have absolute peace. I am overjoyed with my choice and would still choose the same apartment. Also, if you want to buy something on a lower floor and it’s north-facing, I advise against it – it’s perpetually cold; from autumn throughout winter, I see my neighbors always have their lights on.”
“None, keep looking.”
Who is right? Who should you listen to? Yourself, ideally. The arguments cited above are very important, but as you can see, each person has a different answer, because what’s important to each of us varies. However, while we can still have some influence on the interior layout (though not always), we will no longer have control over the window arrangement, cardinal directions, and consequently – light and sound – after the fact (perhaps with very few exceptions).
Noise
Sound – meaning what’s outside your windows. Is it a view of the street, a school, a playground, or perhaps a park? Or perhaps you like the hustle and bustle of the city, and can’t function in total silence, so you turn on the TV for some background noise? Commercial premises – do you have a restaurant under your windows, in other words, do you like the buzz, constant movement of people, and the smell emanating from the kitchen? Trash bins – we have no control over waste collection times, so if the sound of breaking glass in the morning isn’t what you love most, check the location of the trash bin relative to the apartment. Garage entrance – of course, the traffic won’t be constant, but if you see the entrance from your windows, you will definitely hear cars entering.
Orientations
Light and orientations – a very important issue. As we know, for most of the year in Poland, it’s quite gray and dark. For 4 months we can enjoy the sun, for 8 months on average we have much less of it. When designing houses, it is assumed that bedrooms are best located to the east (we wake up with the sun); the living room to the southwest, so it’s the most sunlit room for the longest time; the kitchen to the north, because we cook a lot in the kitchen, so we generate warmth from within anyway. However, not every house design, let alone an apartment, will be able to meet these guidelines. In modern construction, two- or three-sided apartments are generally less common (especially smaller units), while in the secondary market, in tenements – they are more frequent. It’s important to remember that a south-facing exposure will have the most light, but will also be the warmest. If you like plants, few species enjoy such intense sun all day. North-facing exposure: direct sunlight doesn’t reach here at all, unless it’s early in the morning in summer and a bit in the afternoon. If you don’t like strong light, and generally prefer dimmer rooms, then a north-facing orientation won’t be a bad choice for you. East – if you love mornings and waking up with the sun, and the morning rays give you energy and charge you for the rest of the day, then an east-facing orientation will be perfect. West – golden hour, beautiful light color; if the most important moment for you is returning home in the afternoon (you come back around 4 or 5 PM), then a west-facing orientation will be very pleasant. You’ll be able to enjoy dinner on the balcony (if the apartment has one).
Windows
The size of the windows also affects the amount of light, and there’s a significant difference here between older and modern construction. Currently, larger, taller windows are often installed because they have better thermal parameters. In the past, windows were usually smaller, and additionally, walls were thicker, so the amount of light entering the apartment would differ. Therefore, it’s not enough to just look at the floor plan and determine that apartments have the same number of windows. Their arrangement and size are important.
Building Layout
The distribution of light is influenced not only by the cardinal directions but also by the location of the building itself and its surroundings. Neighboring buildings, which floor we choose, whether there are balconies or not, whether the windows are tucked into a corner. Light will behave differently, even south-facing light, in an apartment on the top 5th floor, differently on the 16th floor, and even more differently on the ground floor, under a tree, or in the shade of a balcony from an apartment above or a neighboring building. And so, looking at the south side, the ground floor might seem quite pleasant to some, because there is light, but it’s lightly or heavily filtered. However, if we imagine, for example, a north-facing side in an alcove and also surrounded by trees, it might truly turn out to be an apartment with very little daylight. It’s important to know what makes us feel good and to make a conscious decision.
Temperature.
In the current warming climate, with the disappearance of very frosty winters, generally short winters, very hot summers, and warmer transitional periods (spring and autumn) – light exposure affecting the apartment’s temperature is crucial. An apartment with south-facing exposure and large windows will turn into a true greenhouse. Already in early spring, the apartment temperature will quickly reach 30 degrees Celsius. In summer – even higher. Therefore, if you’re not a fan of such temperatures in an apartment, you must consider installing air conditioning and know that it will be turned on very frequently. A north-facing exposure will be more pleasant in summer, but in winter – it can be both colder and darker. East- and west-facing exposures sometimes offer a temperature reprieve in summer (although west will be warmer than east), while in winter they allow sunlight to enter, at least for part of the day.
Stairwell
I would personally also pay attention to the building’s stairwell, whether it’s lit by natural light or not. It’s much more pleasant to function when, upon leaving the apartment, we can use natural light during the day, and not just artificial light. This affects not only our well-being but also economically (or perhaps ecologically?) the building’s energy consumption.
As you can see, the choice of cardinal directions (exposure) is very important for your continued functioning in the space, so it’s worth choosing consciously. You can handle this yourselves, or you can consult with an architect, asking which apartment would be better for you.
Finally, I will refer to a fragment of one of the quotes I cited above. “If the apartment is for you and not for rent” – if I may appeal to those buying investment apartments (not to mention developers) – it’s also worth taking care of the future tenant’s living comfort. Ultimately, they will decide whether to rent it from us or not. Let’s try not to cause anyone depression or neurosis. By buying consciously, we can influence the well-being not only of ourselves but also of others.
Best regards,
Malwina
