10 Ideas to Go Green in Your Home

Submitted by massrealty on Thu, 04/18/2019 - 09:33
Go Green in Your Home

How to Go Green in Your Home

Do you desire to go green in your home? Do you know how to go about doing so? Going green in your home is less complicated than you may think. Many homeowners would like to go green but are put off by the costs. But, does it have to cost a lot of money to go green? Not really if you know what you are doing.

There are lots of simple solutions which you can implement yourself. And here is the kicker - going green often means saving LOTS of money.

Use Solar Power at Your House

The lure of having solar power at your property is significant. Not only will you be saving money on energy costs but helping to preserve the environment as well. There is, however, a lot to know about the installation of solar panels on your home.

Given the fact the initial cost to purchase solar power is so significant, you better be sure that you're planning on staying in the house for a while. It will take years for you to recover your initial investment. While you will save money in the long run, it doesn't make sense to install solar if there is a high probability you'll be transferred in a few years.

For this reason, it's essential to educate yourself on what to know when selling or buying a home with solar. For example, where the solar panels are located is vital. You might be thinking about this strictly from the point of view of capturing the most sun. Did you know, however, that putting solar panels on the front of your home could make it harder to sell or reduce the value? It's true.

These are the kind of things you'll want to educate yourself about solar installations. The resource at Maximum Real Estate Exposure is excellent for that.

Water Is Money

We often forget to look at water as money. As a matter of fact, most homes waste more water than they consume energy sources such as oil and gas. You can easily cut down your water costs, and go green at the same time, by installing low flow water devices. They can be ordered from places like Amazon and be delivered to your home within days.

You can also install water recycling systems. They are not necessarily expensive and will save you a lot of money in the long run.

Cut Down on Electricity Usage

Yes, you can install solar panels, and that is a great idea. However, you can start cutting down on your electricity bills today by changing the way you cook. Instead of using traditional means of cooking your food, check out options such as steaming, slow-cooking, and grilling. Not only will you save money, and go green but you will lose weight and get healthier as well.

A nice little side perk of going green! There are other ways to save energy around the house as well. Educate yourself with all of these great tips.

Smaller Rooms

Does your home have huge rooms? In that case, you should try to find out how you can make those rooms smaller. Large rooms are expensive to heat, and cutting down on heating is an excellent way of going green and saving money.

It does not mean that you need to build dividing walls. Check out the Japanese home styling tips such as sliding doors and lightweight divider walls. They look great and divide up a room without too much effort.

Harness the Wind

If you live in a windy part of the country, you should check out wind power. It is much easier to install than solar power and is even more environmentally friendly than solar energy as well. Small windmills are not expensive to buy and are an excellent way of going green and saving money.

Insulate, insulate, insulate

A well-insulated home will help to improve climate control in your home. Temperature fluctuations are expensive. Stop and think about it and you will soon realize that we are always trying to cool or heat our homes. If we could avoid doing so, we would save money on energy bills and go green at the same time.

There are lots of environmentally friendly insulation materials available many of which are easy to use. You may not even have to call in a contractor to start going green. A side benefit of adding extra insulation is that it prevents ice dams from forming when you live in a cold weather climate. Anyone who lives up North can tell you that ice dams can be a real winter hassle when you don't take the necessary precautions.

Recycle and Reuse

Going green is not only about upgrading your home but an attitude of mind. Think about how you can recycle your plastics or reuse them. For instance, did you know that you can use plastic bottles to build a greenhouse?

Recycling and reusing materials can be made easy. Think and come up with some ideas on your own. Don't forget you can recycle household and garden waste. Invest in a composter or a hot rotter, and you will find you will soon be throwing less waster material.

Sustainable Materials

When you do come around to upgrading your home, check out the available materials. Instead of going for standard options, go for viable alternatives. Wood flooring is one example, and kitchen worktops made from sustainable or recycled materials are often cheaper than standard ones.

Additionally, they are in style as well. You help the environment while also making your property conform to what the real estate market likes too. Here are other improvements you can make to help sell your house when the time comes.

Grow Your Own

Part of going green means working with the land that you have available. With the right kind of water systems, you can quickly grow many of your own fruit and vegetables. It is easier than you may think and will help to cut down on your grocery bills. Once again, going green means saving money.

Alternative Roofing Materials

Before you go ahead and insulate the attic, you should check out if you can save money by re-roofing. Some materials such as terracotta tiles are much more sustainable and will help to lock in the heat in your home. Most of the heat in our homes escapes through the roof. Going green means making sure your home is not "leaking" vital assets such as heat.

Of course, these kind of materials are only going to work in certain parts of the country. Make sure you do your due diligence. A roof may or may not have a good return on investment. It really depends on whether you will be selling your home soon or not. Don't plan on a significant return if you are selling your home in the near future. It will take a while to recapture your money.

Windows

Our windows used to be just about glazing. These days you can get windows to do so much for you. Start checking out various options, and you will soon discover that you can get windows which will help you to control the temperature in your home. If you can keep the heat around the same level, you will not need a traditional HVAC system. That will save you a lot of money and benefit the environment.

Going green is about working smart and thinking about what you do. It does not have to be complicated; however, it can help you to save a lot of the green stuff.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you have enjoyed these tips for going green in your home. Put your best foot forward, and you will not only be saving money around the house but helping to protect the environment as well - all good things for a sustainable future!