Taking a greener approach to home building can help to save you money, as well as saving the planet. Here are a few ideas on how to keep things eco-friendly when designing your new home.
Interior design
Wasted space can cost you a fortune in terms of extra heating and lighting. When designing your rooms, it's really important to try to avoid too many corners that can't be used or leaving excess space around small islands of furniture.
Incorporating storage space in the form of extra rooms below staircases or a basement area can save you money and petrol on travelling to a storage unit several kilometres away. You can also create extra space for storage by using 'efficient' furniture. Instead of choosing bulky, traditional items, consider using things like bureau-beds with storage space beneath, long countertops with shelves and cupboards above and plenty of drawers below.
If you rent an office for your business, you might want to think about creating a home office instead and working there for all or part of the week. This could save you money on rent, travel time and petrol. On a similar theme, why drive to an expensive leisure club if you have the space to build your own home gym?
When it comes to designing your new home, let your imagination have free rein and see where your ideas take you.
Open fires
If you like to recycle fallen wood from trees on your land, you can still enjoy the cosy ambience created by a real fire without its inherent inefficiency if you opt for a log burner instead. Log burners generate more heat than open fires and can also be much cleaner and easier to operate and maintain.
Efficient natural drainage
A simple technique that utilises the natural topography of the land to improve the efficiency of your drainage is to build your new home with the ground sloping away from it on as many sides as possible. This draws water away from the foundations of the house, potentially saving you from flood damage during periods of very hot weather and also helping to keep your home free from damp.
In conclusion
When it comes to designing a greener, more energy efficient home, there's more to it than merely fitting a few low-energy light bulbs. By using a little lateral thinking and fresh ideas, you can really save yourself money and make your home greener.
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