Energy-conscious buyers should consider the sun's orientation

UK property investors should consider the sun's orientation when it comes to buying a new home as this could play a large part in cutting energy bills, according to an industry expert.

Julie Morgan, an urban design and planning consultant, said that it was important to examine where the building is placed within the plot and whether it will get a large amount of sunlight.

"If your kitchen, for example, is at the front but your living room and office are at the back, they're not going to be as sunny. If you're spending more time in them, you're going to want to put the heating on more, so think about orientation," she added.

Ms Morgan advised that when looking at properties for sale light and heating should be thought about in the way that buildings are located within their plot, as this can help to maximise sunlight.

"In terms of the ways people spend time in a building, obviously the more sunlight you can get into the building via the amount of windows and things like that is significant," she said.

Topography of the land is another thing to consider as properties which are higher up are likely to take the brunt of any windy conditions. This could lead to the home being colder as the wind direction and levels of shelter will have an effect on wind chill.

"You can have environmental surveys done in terms of sun path analysis, and there's modelling software to tell you how much sunlight you get through your windows and things like that. How buildings and homes relate to the environment is very important, and that obviously affects the users as well," Ms Morgan added.

When it comes to winter, it might be worth thinking about access to local transport systems in case of snow.

If the property is out in the countryside or away from the centre of a town then it might not be cleared of snow and could lead to problems getting in to work or picking up vital supplies.