Everyone is going eco-friendly. Even huge business establishments are showing interest in making their enterprise more environmentally sustainable. And while we constantly hear all these terms, we have to ask ourselves: “Is our home environmentally-friendly?”
Although we may purchase eco-friendly and sustainable products, the house we live in might pose a threat to the environment. It could be structure-wise or simply the household items we use in our day-to-day tasks. So what exactly is an eco-friendly home?
What Is an Eco-Friendly Home
Everything around us is made up of energy. The primary goal of having an eco-friendly house is to minimize costs, energy, and recycle as much as possible. In constructing eco-friendly houses, the raw materials used are not only safe for the environment, but they are proven to be durable, so they last a lifetime. There are elements involved in making your home eco-friendly, here are the main ones.
Design. Eco-friendly homes take advantage of the natural climate. This is done by using “passive design.” If done correctly, passive design can significantly reduce the need for a household to use heating and cooling. It could be opting for wider windows here the sun hits during the daytime to warm up the room.
Material. The materials you use in constructing your house determines how environmentally-friendly your property is. When you opt to use sustainable, durable, and recycled materials during construction, you reduce the likelihood of needing new materials down the line, which reduces the environmental impact of homebuilding.
Energy-efficient elements. Eco-friendly homes are more than just building an eco-friendly home. It is also about reducing one’s environmental impact as a homeowner or renter. Renewable features, including solar panels and rainwater tanks, make your home more energy-efficient.
Benefits of an Eco-Friendly House
Energy Efficiency
Energy prices continue to hike each year, and energy sources continually deplete day by day, whether it is electricity or fuel. With eco-friendly homes, households consume less energy than typical homes. There are plenty of reliable resources for sustainable energy. You can up your game with solar panels, or simply opt for LED or CFL bulbs.
Low Maintenance
Who does not love things that only require minimum effort? That is the case for eco-friendly houses. Green homes are constructed with durable materials that will last just as long as regular houses but with the perk of being less harmful to the environment. Since green building raw materials are durable and safe, they help save up on costs and do not need frequent repairs and maintenance.
Healthy Indoor Environment
The biggest bonus of an eco-friendly home is that all the materials used indoors do not have any harmful chemicals in them. You can ensure that you and your family will live in a safe home environment. To some degree, most standard quality products have some harmful substances in them. Perhaps it is from the materials they are made, or they picked it up during the manufacturing process.
Reduced Carbon Footprint
The amount of carbon dioxide we release in the atmosphere due to our actions results in the greenhouse effect and ozone layer depletion. Reducing the carbon footprint is another goal of sustainable living. Since environmentally-friendly houses use less gas and electricity, it is effective in reducing the carbon footprint. Thus we help build a much better future for our children.
Portability
One offshoot of green living is the invention of mobile or “tiny homes”. Tiny homes may sound like a regular RV except that it is sustainable and eco-friendly. They also have the essential features of a typical home, including a kitchen, study area, and living room. Homes that are built on portable wheels are able to move their houses anywhere in the world, rent-free.
Durability
Opting for an environmentally-friendly home also means building a sustainable home, something that will last a long time. Regular homes would usually need repair and maintenance in a shorter period. But with eco-friendly and sustainable homes, you no longer have to worry about costly renovations since your home is made of the highest quality materials.
Increased Property Value
As more people are turning towards sustainable living, having an eco-friendly house is a good investment. If you are planning on selling your house in the near future, buyers are more than willing to pay more for homes that are sustainable and environmentally-friendly. Apart from that, embracing green living in your home saves you hundreds of dollars. So it is essentially a win-win for you.
These are just a few of the many benefits you can enjoy with an eco-friendly home. So start to consider having one today.
