To renovate, or not to renovate, that is the question. Home renovations are an excellent way to bring your dream home designs to life. Those saved Pinterest boards, bookmarked Instagram posts, and that folder full of screenshotted home interiors can be used to help you design the home of your dreams.
When making plans to renovate your home, numerous factors must be considered. The project’s timeline, the costs, who is completing the renovation, and the plan for each space are just some options you will have to consider. Another one and one that is starting to feature highly on many homeowners’ lists are making their homes greener.
Of course, we are not talking about how to make your home greener in terms of colours used or plants that feature. Greener in how eco-friendly and sustainable the home is. Finding ways to make your home greener is not uncommon. More than half of homeowners are considering and planning to make green home improvements in the future.
If you plan to make some renovation changes to your home, here are a few solutions to help you create a greener home renovation project.
Consider Donating Items No Longer Needed
Part of the renovation project includes having to part ways with old items. These could be items that you no longer use or will not fit or be needed in your renovated home. When renovating, you will likely have a skip close by to throw any unwanted items that serve no purpose or are not suitable. However, before you throw away all unused items, consider donating them or finding them a new home.
If you no longer need furniture, look for a charity shop to donate them to. Alternatively, if the items are in good condition, you could look at selling them on an online marketplace. It helps you to avoid throwing these items away where they will find a new home in a landfill, to find them in a new home where they will be used, and you make a small profit.
Repurpose Any Materials
Aside from throwing items away, you might even want to consider repurposing old materials. There might be materials that could work in some parts of your renovation project. Repurposing will help you to avoid throwing these materials away and instead find a purpose for them.
Materials these days can be costly to buy. As such, repurposing old materials could help you save money whilst ensuring that your home renovation project remains as green as possible.
Choose Sustainable Materials
Consider the materials that you are using during your renovation project. Check to see if they are sustainable or will help you to create an eco-friendly home – or both! Think about what parts of your home you are hoping to renovate. Are you looking at adding an extension, or are you planning to renovate the spaces you already have?
If you are hoping to create an open-plan kitchen dining room that opens out onto the back garden, consider corrugated roofing. It is durable and can withstand harsh climates, making it ideal for unpredictable British weather. When searching for polycarbonate sheets for your corrugated roofing, use merchants like Clear Amber Shop. You can get all the materials you need for corrugated roofing from their online store. Choosing sustainable materials can help you to create a greener home whilst ensuring that the project is as environmentally-friendly as possible.
Invest In Eco-Friendly Appliances
After all physical renovation works have been completed, consider the finishing touches that help complete the project. If you have recently updated your kitchen, you might find that your old appliances, such as kettle and toaster, no longer fit the overall aesthetic of your renovated kitchen. As such, you might consider treating yourself to new appliances that suit your kitchen’s fresh new style. When choosing appliances, look for ones that are the most eco-friendly. You might notice that these appliances might come with a slightly higher price tag compared to the non-eco-friendly options. However, they can be a worthwhile investment.
Eco-friendly appliances often use less energy to operate, which in turn can help to lower your monthly bills. While it might seem like a splurge to purchase, it can be a worthwhile investment in the long term. Along with eco-friendlier appliances, you might also want to update your lighting. Change the lightbulbs to LED lights or compact fluorescent lightbulbs. Again, these might cost a little more, but they can help you to save on your energy and electric bills.
As preparations begin for your home renovation project, keep some of these tips in mind to help you make it as green as you possibly can. Choosing to make your home greener can be beneficial to more than just the environment. There are many benefits that come with making your home eco-friendly, including less maintenance and lower bills. Ensuring your home renovation project is as green as possible can be worthwhile in the long term. Be prepared for the process of creating an environmentally-friendly house.