How Green Home Remodeling Can Help The Planet And Your Wallet

02.03.2019 GREEN LIVING 0.0 0

green home remodeling

If you’re ready to remodel your home, either to increase your space for a growing family or simply to make it a nicer place to live, it can be a daunting project. Remodeling isn’t something to enter into lightly, especially if you want to help save the planet and stick to a tight budget, but there are lots of ways in which you can remodel your property in a greener way while also protecting your wallet.

Here, we look at some of the ways you can accomplish your home upgrade without breaking the bank or damaging the planet.

Identify the Areas for Eco-Improvements

First thing to do when remodeling is to take a look around your home to see which areas are already environmentally-friendly and which could do with an overhaul to make them greener. Look at your insulation – is your home well insulated? Although insulation materials aren’t usually eco-friendly, insulating your property will reduce your energy usage and so help protect the world’s natural resources. Also, of course, energy saving saves you money on your bills too, so it’s a win-win situation all around.

Take a look at your windows too. Do you have double glazing? If not, it’s time to consider investing in them since they are energy-efficient and sustainable. Choose wood-frames whenever possible as these are more insulating, last longer than uPVC and are simpler to repair.

green home remodeling

Start With the Small Stuff

Remodeling an entire home is a massive task, so it makes sense to start with the small stuff and then work up to the bigger projects. You can begin by switching your appliances to energy saving ones, replace your existing water heaters with on-demand units, investing in some high-efficiency home insulation and fitting solar panels. Switching your lightbulbs to LEDs will also help to save the planet and save you money.

Taking Bigger Steps

Once you’ve taken the small steps, it’s time to look at the next, more complex steps you can take. When working on construction projects in your home, consider using woods which have been sustainably harvested or even reclaimed lumber and fixtures. This will be the most eco-friendly option. Also, consider investing in a rainwater collection system to add into your plumbing so that this gray water can be used to flush your toilet and water your plants.

green home remodeling

Remodeling Your Bathroom

There are a number of eco-friendly, affordable changes you can make in your bathroom. Low flow faucets and showerheads are the perfect way to reduce your water usage in your home. You may also want to consider getting rid of your bathtub since bathing uses a lot more water than taking a shower. There are also lots of low-flow and dual-flush toilets on the market today which can help you to save water and you can find more on homeworthylist.com about how to choose the right one for you.

Remodel Your Kitchen

There are also lots of ways you can make your kitchen more eco-friendly. You can use sustainable and reclaimed materials in your kitchen to give it an overhaul. Reclaimed stone backsplashes look great and are eco-friendly, and you can repurpose old kitchen cabinets, giving them a new lease of life by repainting them with eco-friendly paints. Of course, choosing energy-saving appliances is vital – look for the Energy Star rating.

green home remodeling

Saving Money on Your Eco-Friendly Remodel

Reclaiming materials is a great way to save money on your eco-friendly remodel. You can visit a local salvage yard and find all kinds of useful items and materials to incorporate into your home makeover. Also, if you shop locally, you’ll be saving on shipping costs while also helping to reduce the fuel consumption associated with shipping materials across several states, or even from another part of the world. Think about looking for pre-owned materials too. You can find lots of items in garage sales or even online which have been pre-loved and which are affordable but which are absolutely perfect for bringing a cool new look to your home.

Follow these expert top tips and you’ll have a beautifully remodeled, affordable and eco-friendly home!