Life is easy if you have a big and comfortable home to spend your days in. But, even though obtaining such a place sounds far from easy, it does not have to be. Living in a nice environment is actually easier than ever with the concept of building an eco-friendly home.
Now, you too can create an embracing space that will make you feel good and still be the best possible solution for our planet and the environment. This type of home can either be built from scratch or you can remodel an existing home, transferring it into an eco-friendly one. Here are the differences between these two approaches to help you decide whether to start remodeling or building an eco-friendly home.
The Right Approach – Go Radical or Not?
No matter what kind of home you are looking for, the dilemma between renovation and rebuilding is always the same. Some people advocate the former choice, the others favor the latter, but who is ultimately right?
The first thing you have to keep in mind are restrictions: do you have all the necessary documents and permits to knock down an old house and build an eco-friendly home? Furthermore, how restraining is your budget? And what are your actual needs and desires?
In the end, it all comes down to this – if your home’s present state is good enough to endure reconstruction, go with that solution; if not, starting from ground zero is probably a better, albeit a slightly costlier option.
A Chance to Make Things Right
When trying to build an eco-friendly home, it is important to think things through in advance. If you have a chance to make sustainable and visible changes, you might as well make the best ones you can – in other words, there is no use in redecorating or building a new home if you are not going to do something new, special and exciting with it. And going green is the best way to go.
There are many ways to go green and a number of things to take into consideration – from insulation and water consumption to eco-friendly materials and a unique green wall of plants. All of these will not just create a unique atmosphere when building an eco-friendly home, but also make it a much cleaner, more pleasant, and cozier place to live. Of course, it is easier to introduce them when building from scratch, but adding them to your renovations list is a good option as well.
One Step at a Time
What is not to be omitted when building an eco-friendly home? First of all, you must get an energy audit and determine how efficient or inefficient your place already is. This will show you which steps to make in the future and how to manage the project more thoroughly.
After that, consult an architect and make a solid plan. Involving a proper crew is also essential, especially when it comes to demolishing and building professionals. The same goes for the people who can introduce special features such as the wonderful SMA inverter that can take the eco-friendly potential of your home to the next level.
Finally, talk to a few friends who have already gone through this process and listen to their experiences – they might tell you something new and help you turn your home into the greenest home in the neighborhood.
Look Into the Future
One of the problems homeowners around the world are dealing with is what to do when building an eco-friendly home in the future. Nobody loves renovating their home too often, which is why you need to make sure you cover every important area in your first go.
However, even if you don’t do that, you shouldn’t worry too much – you can always spice up a thing or two on your own. Hiring contractors, builders, and designers isn’t always a must, especially if you’re one of those handy people who aren’t afraid of doing some work on their own.
Some of the projects you can complete yourself include replacing bathroom fixtures and fittings, replacing your floors with eco-friendly solutions, and making the most of your empty space so that your sustainability level is as high as possible. Investing time and energy into these projects won’t be easy, but you’ll feel amazing knowing you’ve done something great for your home and for the entire area.
Final Thoughts on Building an Eco-Friendly Home
These steps take a significant amount of time and do not be surprised if your contractor starts predicting months or even a full year. Moreover, be prepared to stretch your budget to breaking point. However difficult this all may sound, you will soon see that building an eco-friendly home is worth the trouble.
Do you have any opinions or thoughts on remodeling or building an eco-friendly home? Please share them in the comments below.
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