Building a sustainable home is possible but does require some planning on your part. All this might feel overwhelming at first, but it can be done, and the following tips will help you reach your goals.
1. Sustainable Materials
Do your best to only use sustainable materials when you start building your home. You might be surprised at how many materials you can use.
For example, you can use sustainable insulation as you build your home. This type of material isn’t always made with sustainable materials, but there are good companies offering insulation made from recycled materials. By making this small change, you are helping the earth by reducing the amount of trash that is sent to a landfill.ย
2. Consider Walkability
It’s important to make sure your home is near the places you frequent, like grocery stores or your place of work. The closer you are to these places, the better things will be because it means you may be able to walk or bike to your job or to get groceries.
If you must drive, the drive should be short. Plus, constructing your home near places like grocery stores or even schools is good because your home will have a higher value. If you ever want to sell your home, that’ll be a few points in its favor even if you aren’t thinking that far ahead.ย
3. Go Small
No matter how sustainable the building materials are, you are still using materials. The next thing you have to keep in mind when you are building your home is that it should be as small as you can handle. No one is saying your home should be uncomfortable, but try to make your house as small as you can.
If you can reduce the size of your home, that means you’ll be using fewer materials. A small home also means you are disturbing less of the natural earth around you. All those little critters that live within the grass, bushes, or trees around you are going to have more of their home left.ย
4. Stay Local
One mistake some people make when building their home is they purchase items from all over the country. You don’t want to buy materials that have to travel hundreds of miles to get to you. Think about all the gas that must’ve been used to get you the materials you’ve requested.
What you want to do instead is talk to local providers and do your best with them. Yes, if you are dealing with smaller providers, that means you might find every material you want but they should have alternatives. Sometimes, this means you’ll have to wait a bit longer, but all of these inconveniences are worth the trouble if it means your carbon footprint is smaller.ย
5. Consider Efficiency
You must also consider energy efficiency as you build your home. A smart step is to install good insulation material that’ll help keep your home warm or cool depending on what you need. This means your AC system is going to work less, which will stop you from wasting energy.
You might also want to consider installing energy-efficient appliances to help reduce the amount of electricity your home uses in a day. Those who are willing should also consider installing solar panels so that the energy you end up using is renewable.
Talk to your construction specialist to see if he or she has additional options for you or suggestions. A sustainable home is possible and should make you feel great as a homeowner.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
