With the world becoming increasingly green, Gen-Z and Millennials’ lifetime spending and buying habits have also transformed.
Going eco-friendly isn’t simply a fashion trend anymore; instead, it’s a way of living. Eco-conscious young adults and teenagers try to incorporate green habits in every aspect of their life, including home decor and ideas like biophilic design.
Read on to learn the benefits of green home design, and ways to transform your traditional house into an eco-friendly property.
By the team at Home City
Why Go Green and Create an Eco-Friendly House?
Creating a sustainable house ensures economic wealth, improves indoor air quality, and mitigates the global climate impact, among many other benefits. Read on to learn the top pros of creating an eco-friendly house:
Water and Energy Efficient
Energy prices continue to grow with an increasing population. Incorporating energy-efficient systems in your home is an effective way of cutting down on utility bills.
In addition, you can rest assured it will recoup your setup costs through savings and performance efficiency.
Reduce Environmental Impacts
Using energy-efficient, recycled, and renewable materials effectively reduces your carbon footprint and impact on pollution and resource use. A green home ensures fewer carbon emissions, reduces landfill waste, and lessens the impact of new construction on natural resources.
Taking small steps towards sustainability and spreading information helps produce a positive environmental impact.
Less Maintenance
The goal of creating an eco-friendly home is to ensure sustainability to have as little effect on the surroundings as possible.
For this reason, green building materials are comparatively durable, require less maintenance, help refresh your home’s look, and save money on costly repairs.
Healthy Indoor Environment
Most traditional construction products, including materials used during the manufacturing process, contain harmful substances.
One incredible benefit of choosing eco-materials is that they are free of harmful chemicals and pollutants, and finishes.
The Top 12 Green Home Design Ideas
Here we’ve created a list of the top 12 ways you can build a greener home:
Building Vertically Instead of Horizontally
Building a house vertically rather than horizontally costs comparatively less and helps reduce the amount of plumbing required.
Another benefit is it has a smaller carbon footprint as they take up less ground space.
Multiple-story homes are the perfect way of saving up on energy owing to their condensed design, ability to hold more heat, and fewer issues with ice dams. Although keep in mind that these homes can cause ventilation issues.
Conserve Water
Considering the world’s increasing population, ongoing droughts, pervasive pollution, and climate changes, we need to change our water use habits.
By creating low-volume bathrooms, kitchen fixtures, low-flow toilets, dual flushes, and much more, you can transform your house into a green building.
Upgrade to a Smart Thermostat
Switch your manual thermostat with a smart thermostat. This revolutionary thermostat includes an eco-mode that automatically reduces the temperatures whenever you’re not home.
Select Sustainable Building Materials
The best way to create an eco-friendly building is by using sustainable materials:
Recycled or Reused Material
Recycled materials refer to reprocessed items like converting rubber tires into flooring. Reused materials are typically used whole like doors, windows, and flooring.
Sustainably Harvested
Wood is the perfect example of a sustainably harvested material which means that it’s sourced from well-managed forests.
It also means that the material comes from a well-documented and certified supply chain.
Smaller is Better
Here’s the thing: a smaller home with eco-friendly techniques has a smaller environmental impact. The fact is that a larger house is likely to cost more to cool and warm.
Try to keep your place cost-effective and manageable.
Track Your Home Energy Use
By creating a fixed-rate energy plan you can enjoy saving money on your energy bills, as well as ensure you’re not caught off guard with a sudden, high bill.
By setting a fixed-rate energy plan you’ll pay about the same rate per month.
Shop Vintage
Reinvent your living room and dining room by adding vintage furniture. You may visit your local thrift store to check out their collection.
Water Your Plants Using Used Water
Instead of throwing away the water, you wash your vegetables in or the rainwater you collect, use it to water your plants.
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Try to reduce your need for purchasing new products that are not eco-friendly. Reuse old materials like wood doors, floors, and windows in your next home.
On top of that, recycled materials like aluminum, recycled plastic, recycled tile, and such can be used in eco-friendly homes.
Install Solar Panels
Installing solar panels is an innovative and effective way of reducing your electricity bill. These panels generate power from your sun and help power your entire home.
Any excess energy stored by the solar panel is sent to local energy sources. You can then save this energy to use during the winter months and at night.
On the whole, by producing extra energy you can cut down your electricity bills. In addition, you can qualify for a tax credit!
Eco-Friendly Lighting
Although LED and CFL have greater upfront costs, they use less energy and last longer. Both are incredible additions to your new greenhouse since they offer excellent cost savings.
Choose Simplicity Over Complexity
Build your house for the purpose, not for ornamentation. For instance, clean roof lines are preferred over fancier options because they are cheaper, easier, and simple to build.
Unnecessary and fashionable options can be nixed. Done correctly, choosing simple designs over complex can create a natural sense of purpose for your home.
Creating a Greener World One Step at a Time
Luckily, the market offers you a wide variety of green products and smart building options. Talk to your friends and family members about the importance of creating a greenhouse to incorporate eco-friendly changes in your everyday lifestyle.
In the infographic below from HomeCity, we further discuss the best ways you can transform your house into a green building. Share your journey towards creating a sustainable and eco-friendly house to connect with like-minded people.
I found it helpful when you told us that smaller is better if we are trying to build a green and eco-friendly home since there will be less environmental impact and fewer costs when keeping the place cool and warm. I will be moving to Hampstead next year once my job transfer has been finalized, so I wanted to have a house built in the area since I will be bringing the kids with me during the move. I’ll take note of this while I look for custom home builders in Hampstead to hire for help with this project soon.