The COVID-19 pandemic has had myriad effects on almost every area of life…Including home remodeling! Indeed, professionals in this industry have seen a 58% annual increase in the number of homeowners contacting them for support.
It makes sense. After all, we’ve been stuck indoors for months now, unable to socialize with friends and do our usual activities in the wider world. Home renovations give us a project to alleviate boredom and deliver results that make life at home more enjoyable!
Are you thinking of jumping on the bandwagon and making changes to your property? Well, green home renovations are a sensible way to go. They’ll help you reduce waste, leverage energy-efficient processes and appliances, and save money at every turn.
Want some expert advice on how to do it? Check out these 6 top tips on green home design and sustainable indoor and outdoor renovations.
1. Repurpose Items Whenever You Can
A core tenet of green renovations is to reduce waste wherever you can. Sure, you could rip everything out and start again. But the eco-friendlier (and cheaper) option is to repurpose as much as you can.
For example, your kitchen cabinets might seem old and outdated. It might be tempting to pull them out and install brand new ones. Yet why not take the doors off, sand them down, and apply a fresh coat of paint instead?
Trust us, you’ll be amazed at the impact a bit of effort can make. The same applies outside your home. Something like tree pruning can transform the appearance of your garden and bring more light into your home, all while benefiting the tree itself.
2. Don’t Dump, Donate
You can’t repurpose everything though. For big renovations, in particular, you’re almost guaranteed to have certain items that are destined for the dumpster. Ask yourself one question before you put them in the dump them though:
“Would someone else want this?”
After all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure! It’s crazy how many functional pieces of furniture, expensive items of clothing, and serviceable appliances get thrown out for no good reason each year. In your bid for a greener renovation, don’t be so quick to follow suit.
See if somebody you know might want the stuff you no longer need. Advertise them on the Facebook marketplace and Craigslist. Or take them down to the local charity to check if they can put them to use somehow.
3. Source Other Peoples’ Unwanted Materials
Oh, and you can bet your bottom dollar that you’re not the only one donating, selling, or giving functional materials and household items away! It’s amazing what you can find on the internet nowadays. Do enough searching and you could acquire everything you need for your home renovation at a fraction of what it’d cost brand new.
It’s a win-win-win. You get the items/materials you require (and save money in the process), someone else disposes of their unwanted possessions, and the planet enjoys the fruits of the exchange! It’s recycling at its finest.
4. Install Energy-Efficient Appliances
Energy-efficient is the buzzword of our times! With global warming becoming a more pressing issue with every passing year, the need to swap inefficient appliances with efficient ones increases too.
Bear that in mind as you start buying new things for your home.
Everything from LED bulbs to modern washing machines (with a good energy-star rating) are great energy-savers. That means they perform their function without burning through as much power. You reduce your carbon footprint and the planet thanks you in the process!
The best part? Although energy-efficient items are more expensive to purchase upfront, you’ll save yourself significant sums of money down the line. They require less electricity to work, which lowers your utility bills at the same time.
5. Invest in Energy-Savings
Want to take your energy-reducing endeavors to the next level? Try keeping it at the forefront of your mind throughout the green home renovation process. There’s a whole host of changes and investments you can make that’ll limit future energy-consumption.
Installing solar panels is a prime example. Not only do they increase the value of your property, but they also limit your reliance on the grid and harness the sun for power instead. As a renewable, green energy source, this is awesome for the environment and reduces your monthly bills even further.
Additional updates include improving insulation and sealing your windows and doors against drafts. Both changes will help regulate the temperature inside the house. Because heat can’t escape as easily, you should have less need for expensive heating/cooling throughout the year.
6. Use Environmentally Friendly Materials
Not all materials are made equal when it comes to building eco-friendly homes. The best ones are often made from recycled materials, come from sustainable sources, and are durable enough to stand the test of time. Each of these attributes reduces the material’s impact on the environment in some shape or form.
Good examples include bamboo, reclaimed wood, cork, and recycled steel. If those don’t cut it, then sheep wool, low-E windows, and mycelium are a few more eco-friendly building materials to look into as well.
However, don’t forget the need to repurpose where possible! Only replace your current building materials with greener alternatives when they need to be replaced. Doing it for the sake of it creates unnecessary waste that calls the eco-friendliness of the situation into question.
Remember These Tips on Green Home Renovations
Thanks to the pandemic, homeowners have been renovating their properties like never before! From updating their kitchens to adding extensions, these changes are providing fun projects to pass the time and new spaces to enjoy as a family.
Are you thinking of doing something similar? Well, don’t forget these tips on green home renovations! Keep them in mind and you’ll end up with first-rate results that help the environment as opposed to hurting it.
These green home renovations tips are a great place to begin your eco-friendly endeavors. Yet they only scratch the surface of what we can do to live a more sustainable life. To continue your environment education, search ‘environment’ on the website now.
