Before the viewing: choose three questions
Decide which spaces matter most and when you use them. For example: breakfast in the kitchen at 08:00, working at a desk at 14:00, and sitting on the balcony at 18:30. Those are example times; replace them with your routine and use the property's local time.
Ask for a floor plan with a north arrow. Mark the relevant windows and locate the building entrance so you do not confuse the street frontage with the apartment's actual orientation. Read our orientation comparison if you need a starting point.
At the property: record what you can observe
| Record | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Visit | Date, local time and cloud conditions |
| Room and window | Room name, window direction and floor |
| Direct sun | Where a distinct sunlit patch reaches, if visible |
| General daylight | How the room feels away from the window, with lights off if possible |
| Obstructions | Opposite buildings, trees, balcony slab, side walls and awnings |
| Comfort | Screen glare, blinds, external shading and ventilation options |
| Follow-up | Questions that this visit cannot answer |
With permission, photograph the window and room from a consistent position. Keep the timestamp with the image. A cloudy visit can still reveal sky view and general daylight, but it cannot establish the clear-sky interval of direct sun.
Ask for evidence from another season
- Which months and times does this room receive direct sun?
- Are there dated winter photographs or an opportunity for a second visit?
- When does the balcony lose sun behind the neighbouring building?
- Are trees deciduous, and how different is the view when they are in leaf?
- Are there relevant planning proposals to verify with the local authority?
Do not turn an owner's recollection into a guarantee. Mark it as reported information until you can verify it. Summer and winter solar angles differ; the Australian government's orientation guide explains why climate and season affect solar access.
Afterwards: compare like with like
Create one row per room and property. Separate “observed,” “reported” and “still unknown.” Compare whether each home supports your routine, rather than giving every hour of direct sun the same value. More afternoon sun may be less desirable if the room overheats or lacks shading.
Where a shadow map fits
Use Coffee in the Sun to explore mapped building shadows around the address and identify dates or obstacles worth checking. The app does not calculate the exact light through a window or at your apartment's floor. Trees, awnings and terrain are not represented in its building-shadow model; cloud cover is a separate weather question.
For a covered balcony, use the separate overhang checklist. If a legal or financial decision depends on a precise daylight assessment, seek property-specific professional advice.
