Have you always dreamt of building a stunning and efficient house?
In this day and age, the majority of people are looking to lead a more green lifestyle. In fact, one study found that 77% of people are interested in learning how to live more sustainably. With thanks to the younger generation, a greater emphasis has been placed on saving Planet Earth.
Whether it’s eating less meat or finally getting serious about composting, these seemingly small changes have the power to change the world. But, if you really want to lead a more green lifestyle, why not start with the home in which you live?
In building an efficient house, you’re creating a lifestyle that is centred upon eco-friendly principles. From your energy sources and appliances to the materials used to construct your home, it’s highly possible to create a home with a minimal carbon footprint. To help, we’re going to show you six simple ways to construct a more efficient house.
1. Start With Sustainable Materials
Let’s get down to the bones.
If you’re wondering how to be more green, it’s crucial to construct your home from sustainable materials. From the framing of your home to your choice of flooring, it’s easier than you might think to source and invest in eco-friendly building materials, such as ecobricks.
Unsure as to what’s considered a green material? Here’s a list of some general eco-friendly home-building materials that you can take advantage of:
- Metal -often used for a roof
- Composite lumber
- Plant-based foam insulation
- Hemp concrete
- Cork -often used as flooring
- Recycled steel beams
- Recycled glass
It’s also important to source your materials from reputable suppliers that practice green initiatives and recycle. For example, in sourcing wood for your framing, opt specifically with a supplier who follows sustainable planting practices.
2. Opt for Energy-Efficient Appliances
Whether it’s your dishwasher, your stove or your washing machine, it’s crucial for every efficient home to use eco-friendly appliances.
Are you unsure as to whether or not this will actually make a difference? If so, think again. One study found that if just 10% of homes switched to energy-efficient appliances, it would reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of 1.7 million acres of trees.
Not only do energy-efficient appliances function at a greater capacity than standard appliances, but they’ll also save you money over time. This is because energy-efficient appliances rely on using far less energy, heat and water than standard appliances. While these appliances can be more costly to purchase, you’re sure to see the value after a few years of usage.
3. Ensure Proper Landscaping
A properly designed landscape can make the world of difference in the efficiency of your home.
For example, trees and shrubs can be carefully planted and designed to provide shade for your home. In the winter, this can reduce your home’s reliance on air conditioning. You can also build your home into the natural landscape surrounding your footprint. This will cause minimal disruption to the land and will provide natural heating and cooling barriers.
You can also look into creating a green roof. In the summer, a green roof will protect your home from direct heat and provide for an abundance of greenery and even vegetables. In the winter, the green roof will act as an added layer of insulation for the home.
4. Take Advantage of Smart Home Technology
In this day and age, every efficient house deserves to have smart home technology.
Fortunately, smart home technology is becoming much more affordable and widely available to the average homeowner. In this world, we can now control our homes from our smartphones.
Turn down the heat? Check.
Turn off the porch light? Check.
Pre-heat the oven? Check.
Let’s take The Nest thermostat, for example. This is a small device that can be affixed to any wall in your home. Not only will this thermostat begin to learn your living patterns, but it will allow you to program and change the temperature of your home from your smartphone.
Like all smart home technology, this makes it easy to reduce the amount of wasted energy present in our home. It also ensures that our home is functioning well and that we’re not wasting money.
5. Make Use of Solar Energy
Investing in solar energy is truly one of the best decisions any homeowner can make in building an efficient house.
Solar panels work by converting the energy from the sun into usable energy for your home. As a result, you’re going to rely far less on unnatural and costly sources of energy. In some cases, you might even be able to sell excess energy that your solar panels have produced that month.
Are you curious if solar energy is a good option for your new home? If so, be sure to reach out to a solar panel installation company for the answers to all of your solar questions.
6. Bigger Isn’t Always Better
At the end of the day, it’s important to remind yourself that bigger isn’t always better.
In crafting an energy-efficient house, resist the urge to create a large expansive floorplan. Instead, opt for a house that will comfortably fit all of your essentials. It’s easy to see how a smaller home will naturally create a smaller carbon footprint during the build process and for years to come.
Be thoughtful about how you use the space in your home. To help resist the urge to go big, make a point in sourcing dual-purpose designs and furnishings. With a cleverly designed room, you won’t miss the extra square-footage.
The Secrets to Building an Efficient House
In today’s day and age, building the house of your dreams doesn’t have to result in a destructive carbon footprint.
If you really want to lead a more green lifestyle, why not start by building the most efficient house possible? In doing so, you can ensure that your home doesn’t just look great, but that it also functions well and is helping to better our planet.
The good news is that creating a building plan for an eco-friendly house doesn’t have to be rocket science. With the right plan in place, you can look forward to crafting a stunning home that will actually save you money in the long run.
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