Monthly Archives: December 2009

Home buyers … have you ever thought about buying a home according to the weather? Experienced buyers may already know how to do this. First-time-buyers or those relocating to central Ohio may not think about the weather when buying.

The basics you need to know are …

• the sun rises in the east and sets in the west (DUH!)
• at mid-day, the sun is higher in the summer – lower in the winter
• prevailing cold winter winds come from the west or northwest
• prevailing summer breezes come from the west or southwest

I’ve owned four homes in central Ohio, and rented several others. Based on that vast amount of experience here’s a list of things you might think about when purchasing a home:

SUMMER

• How will the hot summer sun impact your use of the deck or patio? Some experienced buyers don’t want a west or south facing deck/patio because of the hot sun, unless there are large trees to provide some shade.
• Many newer homes have large window walls. Direct sun coming in those windows may only be an issue if they are on the west side of the home because the sun is high enough during the day to likely not shine directly into the home.
• If you like to open windows to allow summer breezes, consider what windows are available on the west or southwest side of the home.

WINTER

• The really cold artic winter winds tend to come from the northwest. Which portion of the home is going to be subjected to those winds? How tight are the windows on that side of the home? Is there a garage that might provide a buffer?
• I’ve learned this the hard way. IMO, a south or west facing driveway is definitely the best. If any melting CAN occur, and there is ANY sun, these driveways are more likely to clear themselves. That’s a definite bonus – unless you enjoy shoveling snow or chipping ice!
• The lower midday winter sun will shine into windows on the south side and thus, help warm those rooms. Changing from DST to EST with days darkening earlier, means a setting sun isn’t much of a heat source.

ANY SEASON

• If you’re an early riser, you may appreciate having bedrooms on the east side of the home. Late sleepers may opt for north or west windows.
• Generally speaking: Rooms on the east side of the home will be cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter. Rooms on the west side will be warmer in the summer, cooler in the winter. Rooms on the north side will be cooler year-round. Rooms on the south will be warmer year-round. So, you may want to consider your lifestyle and how these temps will impact your comfort in the home.

When it’s 10° outside, it may be hard to visualize what the home will be like when it’s 90° and vice-versa. Of course, you may even want to forego all the considerations above if you’ve found the absolute perfect home at the perfect price. Living in a perfect home or perfect floor plan and paying the perfect mortgage amount beats dealing with the weather issues. Besides, maybe you can plant a big tree to shade that west deck or hire a neighbor’s kid to shovel the north drive.

Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.