How to Make an Eco-Friendly Home

Most home remodeling projects these days are made with the goal of making the property more eco-friendly. That’s because those are the most responsible and most long-lasting features you could add to your home as well as the ones that will save you the most in the long run.

There are a few pillars every eco-friendly home is based on. Those are usually simple and following them will also help you save on construction and repairs. The goal should be to have your impact on the environment in mind at all times.

Clean up

Before you can start working on the remodeling, you should take this opportunity to clean the home up and get rid of the items you’re not using or don’t plan to use from now on. Some of these could be sold at a yard sale and thus help your budget overall.

It’s also useful to have a plan for the cleanup after the work is done. It’s going to be necessary to do so, especially after a larger project and it often gets overlooked. It’s both an additional expense and annoyance since your home won’t be useable immediately after the repairs.

Energy waste

The most prudent eco-friendly change you could make is to minimize the amount of energy you’re wasting. The cost of heating and air-conditioning your home is probably higher than it could be if your home was isolated properly.

It’s best to start with large doors and windows because when these are insulated, your energy consumptions could be significantly lowered throughout the year. The price of this repair depends on how much natural light your home gets and how old the windows are. If you choose the right windows, repairs may not be needed for the next decades.

Patio

A small patio could be a great addition to your home, especially if you plan to throw parties and entertain guests outdoors. The biggest challenge for setting up a patio is keeping cool it without wasting too much energy and boxing your yard in.

Try installing commercial shade sails in the yard, and make sure you have enough greenery at all times. Installing a few water features such as fountains could help a lot as well. The sails are easy to maintain and you can take them out when the weather permits.

Materials

Take the time to carefully investigate what kind of materials will be used when you remodel your home. It’s not a good idea to leave this choice to the contractor. They could purchase the materials on their own, but you need to be involved.

There are two main considerations to take into account. Firstly, you want the materials to be recyclable and secondly, if you’re able to, you should purchase all of your materials locally. That way, you cut the carbon footprint added by the repairs. When this isn’t an option, try to buy in bulk and in cooperation with others.

Making sure your home is eco-friendly isn’t just about the environment; it also means you’ll choose the materials and energy consumption practices that will save you money in the long run. It’s important that you consider how the remodeling itself is affecting the environment and that you are responsible in that regard as well.