How to check the sun facing of a home
- Search the address, block, or condo name in the box above the map.
- Watch the 3D map fly to the spot and drop a pin on it.
- Drag the time slider to any hour to see the sun direction and altitude at that moment.
- Drag the month slider to see how the sun position shifts through the year.
- Look at the shaded areas on the map to see which nearby buildings currently block the sun.
- Tap Sun summary for a month by month readout of sunrise, sunset, sun side, west sun hours, and shaded hours for that spot.
What the readouts mean
The time the sun crosses the horizon at the searched point, in Singapore time, for the selected month.
How high the sun sits above the horizon at the chosen time, in degrees. Zero degrees is on the horizon, ninety degrees is directly overhead.
The compass direction of the sun from the searched point, at the chosen time, for example west or south west.
Whether the midday sun passes to the north or the south of the point that month.
An estimate of how many afternoon hours the sun sits low enough and far enough west to shine directly on the spot that month.
An estimate of how many daylight hours a nearby building currently blocks direct sun from reaching the spot that month, based on building heights recorded in OpenStreetMap.
Why west sun matters in Singapore
Singapore sits at about 1.3 degrees north of the equator, so the sun tracks almost directly overhead through the year rather than staying low in one part of the sky the way it does further from the equator. Roughly from April to September the midday sun passes to the north of overhead, and roughly from October to March it passes to the south.
Whatever the month, the sun is always low in the sky near sunrise and sunset. A home facing west receives that low afternoon sun directly, typically from around 2pm as the sun swings west, through to sunset. Because this falls during the hottest part of the day, west facing rooms can feel warmer through the late afternoon and evening than rooms facing other directions. Homes facing north or south tend to avoid this direct low angle sun for most of the year, which is why north south facing is often preferred in Singapore.
How much of this actually reaches a given unit still depends on its floor level, its exact orientation, and what buildings, if any, stand between it and the setting sun. Use the tool above to check a specific address rather than relying on a general rule of thumb.
Methodology and limits
Building footprints and heights come from OpenStreetMap, served through OpenFreeMap map tiles. Where a building's height is recorded in OpenStreetMap, this tool uses it. Where it is not recorded, a typical block height is assumed based on the building type, for example a taller estimate for an apartment block and a shorter one for a landed house.
Sun position, sunrise, and sunset are calculated using standard solar position formulas for the exact latitude and longitude searched. Shadow shapes are calculated from that sun position and each building's footprint and height.
Because OpenStreetMap building data is community maintained, some buildings may be missing, outdated, or approximate, and new buildings that have not been built yet cannot be modelled. Treat the shadows and sun exposure hours shown here as a strong guide, not a survey. For a decision as important as buying, selling, or renting a home, walk the unit at the time of day that matters to you, or message Winfred Quek to talk it through.
Frequently asked questions
A home's facing is the direction its main window or balcony points towards, measured from true north. In Singapore, homes are commonly described as north facing, south facing, east facing, west facing, or a mix like north east. This tool shows the exact compass direction and the sun's position for any address you search, at any time of day and month.
Singapore sits close to the equator at about 1.3 degrees north, so the sun tracks almost overhead through the year rather than staying low in the south the way it does in temperate countries. Homes facing north or south tend to avoid the harshest low angle morning and afternoon sun that east and west facing homes receive. This reflects general sun geometry for the region, not a valuation judgement on any specific unit.
West facing units in Singapore receive direct sun in the late afternoon, roughly 2pm to 6pm, when the sun sits low enough in the sky to shine straight into windows. This afternoon sun lands during the hottest part of the day, so west facing rooms can feel noticeably warmer through the late afternoon and evening. Nearby buildings, awnings, or landscaping to the west can reduce how much of this sun actually reaches a specific unit.
North south facing units generally avoid the low, direct morning and afternoon sun that east and west facing units receive, because at this latitude the sun stays mostly to the north or south of overhead through the year. This is a general tendency based on sun geometry, and how much sun actually reaches a unit still depends on its floor level, surrounding buildings, and the time of year. It does not apply in exactly the same way to every unit in every project.
That depends on which direction the unit faces: east facing homes get direct morning sun, west facing homes get direct afternoon sun, and north or south facing homes get comparatively even light through the day. This tool calculates the sun's exact direction at any time you choose for any Singapore address, so you can check a specific unit.
There is no official Singapore data measuring temperature by unit facing, so no single verified figure applies to every west facing unit. What can be measured is the sun's position, which shows west facing units receiving direct sun roughly 2pm to 6pm, adding heat load during the hottest hours of the day. Curtains, films, or shading can reduce this effect, and this tool itself measures sun exposure, not indoor temperature.
A taller building built nearby can cast a shadow over a lower unit for part of the day, depending on its height, distance, and position relative to the sun. This tool models shadows from buildings already recorded in OpenStreetMap around any address, so you can see current shadow patterns, though it cannot predict buildings that have not been built yet. The URA Master Plan for a site shows what could legally be built nearby in future.
Search an address on this tool to see the compass direction the home faces, when direct morning or afternoon sun reaches it, and which nearby buildings currently cast a shadow over it, for any month and time of day. Checking a few different times of day and months gives a fuller picture than a single site visit, since sun angles change through the year. For a closer look at a specific unit, including a valuation, message Winfred Quek directly.
About Winfred Quek
Winfred Quek is a Singapore property agent who built this tool so buyers, sellers, and tenants can check sun facing and shadows for themselves before making a decision. He works with buyers, sellers, and landlords across Singapore, from HDB resale to private condos.
CEA Registration No. R073319H · Crestbrick Pte Ltd, Estate Agent Licence No. L31010886H · winfredquek.com
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See the sun path, sunrise and sunset times, and typical west sun hours for HDB towns and URA districts across Singapore.