By Kendry Lee
Over the last few decades, green homes have come a long way. Opting for a sustainable home is a great way to shift from the established route of building a house. Many homeowners are looking to make their homes more eco-friendly but are not quite sure how to do it.
When talking about a sustainable home, we don’t mean the off-the-grid, completely self-sufficient house since this way of life isn’t realistic for many people. Instead, think about making your current house eco-friendlier than it already is. Check out some ideas on how to make your home more sustainable.
Go Solar
One of the easiest and most economical ways to upgrade your house is by installing solar panels. Sun power is one of the cleanest forms of energy out there, and it is very cost-efficient. Although the upfront cost is a bit steep, by making solar power the primary form of energy in your house, you’ll save a lot in the long run.
Before you opt for this installation, be sure to take advantage of geography, positioning, and light to get the most out of your investment. The placement of the panels will have a significant impact on the amount of power you can collect.
Solar panels are a worthy investment, especially if you plan on staying in that home for a more extended period.
Choose Bamboo Products
If you want to start small when creating an eco-friendly home, you can switch some of your products to bamboo products. Bamboo products are the perfect green choice for any purchase as they’re long-lasting, easy to recycle, inexpensive, and resourceful.
When renovating, opt for bamboo plywood panels for your shelves, countertops, bookcases, and similar. You’ll end up with durable furniture and elements with a natural appearance. Not only are they affordable, but they’re also resilient and versatile, so you can use them for anything.
You can also opt for on-the-go utensils, toothbrushes, straws, accessories, bottles, and even towels. The choice of bamboo-made products is abundant, so you can update your home anytime.
Build Smaller
In case you’re starting a home from scratch, we recommend a smaller, more sustainable house. If you want to have an impact on the environment, use eco-friendly construction techniques.
Tiny homes are the latest trend, but building smaller doesn’t necessarily mean living in a cramped space. You might not want to restrict yourself to living tiny, but creative design principles might impact your footprint.
With smaller houses, you can expect reduced maintenance costs, more efficiency, affordability, and a lower impact, regardless of the setting. The main point is to be mindful when planning your living space, keeping it cost-effective and manageable.
Plant a Garden
A step closer to a completely sustainable home is a garden. We’re not talking about the classic flower garden. On the contrary, opt for a veggie or herb garden that will help you cut back on your grocery bills and give you an earth-friendly hobby.
Even if you don’t have room for an outdoor garden, you can plant herbs in smaller pots or used cans and keep them on your window sill. It’s an excellent way to refresh your home and stay green — a win-win situation.
Install a Smart Thermostat
Installing a smart thermostat is an easy task but quite helpful for eco-friendly homes. As you might know, heat is the biggest consumer of energy for many households. This is especially true in the long winter months when people leave their heating systems on for longer than necessary.
To fight against unnecessary energy consumption, install a smart thermostat. These thermostats allow you to program heating periods during the day. That means you’ll be able to decide when the heat is turned on and when it’s off. For instance, you can turn the heat off when you’re at work and set it to turn back on while you’re driving home.
Purchase Energy-Efficient Appliances
Before you start buying appliances for your newly sustainable house, you might want to do some research. Unfortunately, many devices use a lot of water and energy — something that you can easily avoid.
That’s why you should look into energy-efficient appliances that will balance your budget and needs. Additionally, look into their durability. It’s not worth purchasing the most energy-efficient appliances if their lifespan is short. It will end up costing you and the environment more in the long run.
