How to keep your home pleasantly cool in summer?

Summer is when we appreciate a well-designed home the most. After their first summer season, many of our clients are pleasantly surprised by how comfortable their homes remain even during hot weather. As the team responsible for delivering Greenbud developments, we’re often asked: “What can I do to keep my home even cooler without constantly using air conditioning?” Here are a few practical tips that really work.

1. Make the most of the cool morning air

One of the biggest mistakes during hot weather is leaving windows open all day. When the temperature outside is higher than the temperature inside your home, hot air enters and gradually warms up the rooms. It’s best to air your home early in the morning and later in the evening. During the day, try to avoid opening windows on the sunny side of the building.

2. Stop the sun before it reaches the glass

Large windows bring plenty of natural light into modern homes, but in summer they need proper shading. If you have external roller shutters, it’s worth lowering them in the sunniest rooms before direct sunlight reaches the windows. This is much more effective than covering the windows from the inside.

3. Use your mechanical ventilation system in summer mode

If your home has mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, check the settings of the summer bypass. It allows the system to make use of cooler night-time air and helps cool the building naturally without having to switch on the air conditioning. This feature is often underestimated, but it can make a real difference to indoor comfort.

4. Remember that walls and floors retain heat

It’s not just the air inside your home that heats up. Heat is also stored in the walls, floors and structural slabs. That’s why airing your home at night is so important. By cooling the building structure after sunset, you can keep your home more comfortable the following day.

5. Your terrace and garden also affect the temperature

If you’re planning your garden, it’s worth considering plants that provide natural shade. Deciduous trees, pergolas covered with climbing plants and well-designed green areas can significantly reduce heat build-up around your home. It’s an investment that brings greater benefits with every passing year.

6. Don’t overcool your home

If you use air conditioning, don’t set it to 20°C when it’s 30°C outside. The temperature difference should be around 5–7°C. This is more comfortable for your body and also helps reduce energy consumption.

When designing Greenbud developments, we focus not only on the appearance and functionality of our buildings, but also on year-round comfort. Proper insulation, modern windows, carefully considered building orientation and energy-efficient systems mean our residents can enjoy a comfortable home both in winter and during the summer heat. We hope these simple tips will help you make even better use of your home and enjoy a comfortable summer.

Construction manager’s fact #1

A home often gains more heat through its windows than through its roof. In new homes, roofs are very well insulated. Meanwhile, 1 m² of sun-exposed glazing can let in more heat energy than several square metres of a well-insulated wall.

Construction manager’s fact #2

Opening your windows during hot weather can be like switching on a radiator. If it’s 24°C inside and 32°C outside, you’re letting in air that is 8 degrees warmer. Comfort levels can drop almost immediately, even though our instinct may tell us to do the exact opposite.

Construction manager’s fact #3

The first floor isn’t always the warmest part of the house. In many modern homes, living rooms with large south- and west-facing windows can be more prone to overheating than upstairs bedrooms. It’s usually direct sunlight, rather than hot air alone, that causes interiors to overheat.

Construction manager’s fact #4

Using your cooker hood helps control both temperature and humidity. Cooking produces a large amount of hot steam, which can quickly increase the perceived temperature indoors. To remove it effectively from the house, it’s worth regularly using a cooker hood connected to a dedicated ventilation duct. At Greenbud, we always provide a separate dedicated duct for the cooker hood in our kitchens, making it much easier to maintain a pleasant indoor climate in summer.

Construction manager’s fact #5

A tree can reduce the temperature more effectively than an awning. It’s not just about shade. Plants also cool the air through evaporation. That’s why a garden with mature greenery often feels noticeably cooler than a newly landscaped space consisting mainly of paving and a terrace.

Construction manager’s fact #6

External roller shutters can reduce the temperature in a room by several degrees. The secret is that they block the sun’s rays before they reach the glass. Once the heat has passed through the window, curtains or internal blinds are much less effective at keeping it out.

Construction manager’s fact #7

The cheapest form of “air conditioning” works between 4:00 and 7:00 in the morning. This is usually when the outdoor temperature is at its lowest. Airing your home thoroughly for several dozen minutes around dawn can be more effective than leaving windows slightly open for hours during the day.

Construction manager’s fact #8

Furniture retains heat too. In summer, it’s not only the walls and floors that warm up. Heat is also stored in furniture, worktops, stairs and tiles. That’s why a home needs several cooler hours at night to cool down properly.

Construction manager’s fact #9

In summer, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery can provide additional cooling at no extra cost. Many homeowners think of it purely as a winter solution. However, when the summer bypass is set correctly, it can make use of cooler night-time air and help prevent interiors from overheating.

Construction manager’s fact #10

The most comfortable home in summer isn’t the one with the most powerful air conditioning. It’s the one designed to minimise heat build-up in the first place. Good insulation, appropriate building orientation, modern windows and sensible shading can often have a greater impact on comfort than air conditioning alone.