If you and your family are working hard to reduce your carbon footprint, moving to the countryside might be the right idea. You can start your life completely off the grid, generate your own energy, and take advantage of cleaner air. However, you will also have to consider the area to make sure you don’t waste gas every time you need to do a small shop. Living greener might mean that you will buy food from local farms, or cycle to work. You have to get a househunting checklist made before you go house hunting for your perfect home that you can turn into a green paradise.
Househunting Checklist for Green Families
Insulation
No matter how good and modern your heating system is, if your home’s insulation is not up to standard, you will end up wasting energy. When buying an older home in the countryside, you have to check whether or not the roof is in a good condition. Also, if there have been improvements in the past, such as secondary window panels and attic insulation. If you will lose most of the heat in the winter due to low-performing walls, floors, roofing, and windows, you cannot say that you are doing something good for the environment. This is an important item on your househunting checklist.
Natural Light
When visiting a potential new home, check how much natural light it gets. The more lighting you will need to use the more energy your family will waste. Think about adding additional glass bricks over the doors to let light in. Always consult with a structural engineer to make sure that the installation of additional windows and light sources is possible and will not impact the home’s stability.
Greenery
When moving to the countryside, you might want to get as close to nature as possible. You may also have plans to keep animals. A home that comes with land and is surrounded by wildlife is the perfect environment for kids to grow up in. They can learn more about ecosystems and species. Depending on where you want to live, you can find a home with beautiful natural surroundings; either close to work or in a remote location.
Roof Space for Solar Panels
To live the green life, you might want to get the roof of your new house checked out to make sure it can support a solar panel or two if you are installing one. Green renovations can get really expensive if you have to make structural changes to your home. Not all old homes are constructed in a way that can hold extra structures. If you want, you can add a lean-on conservatory with a new roof that will be able to hold your new solar panels to power your home.
Garden Space
Garden space is important for green-fingered families planning to grow their own vegetables and fruit. You will, however, need to make sure that there is enough space in the garden after you have created your patches to relax and enjoy the great outdoors. It is also important to check the direction of your garden and the home, so you can get enough sunlight for your vegetables and fruit to grow. Growing raspberries and gooseberries will not take up a lot of space. You can plant your bushes by the fence or next to the walls.
Wind
If you would like to generate all the energy for your family, solar panels might not be enough. You can also take advantage of wind power, provided that there is enough around. Check properties in the area to see if any other residents took advantage of this free source of electricity. Check out properties at https://www.rumah.com/rumah-dijual/di-area-yogyakarta-idyo07 to find out more about the green features of modern homes that can make a difference in your lifestyle and budget.
Wildlife
The presence of wildlife nearby can improve your overall well-being and help you teach your kids to love all animals. If your dream is to have your breakfast and coffee on the balcony while looking at the nearby hills trying to spot birds and deer, you have to pick your location carefully. Living on the edge of the forest, however, comes with complications. If you start a vegetable garden, you might have to deal with uninvited visitors looking for food coming down from the mountains during drought.
Soil Quality
If you are planning on growing your own food, you will have to make sure that the soil is not contaminated. Find out as much as you can about the history of the area before you commit to buy. It is possible that there used to be an old mine or industrial landfill site where your house stands now, so always consult with a soil quality assessor and ask for a detailed real estate report.
Building Materials
It is also important to look after the health of your family and avoid pollution. The more environmentally friendly the building materials used in the house are the greener your home improvements will be. If you have asbestos in the house, you will have to get rid of it and pay thousands of dollars for a specialist company. This is another important item for your househunting checklist.
HVAC System
The efficiency of the current heating and air conditioning system is usually included in your home report before you buy the house. However, you will also have to check how much improving the current HVAC solutions will be, and whether or not you can switch to alternative, greener fuel options without changing all the heaters and the furnace. If you want to reduce your family’s carbon footprint, choose a home that is easy to adapt to your new lifestyle.
Families looking to get close to nature and enjoy cleaner air often have their eyes on properties in the countryside. If you plan to relocate, grow your own food, and reduce your carbon footprint, you need to visit potential homes with a househunting checklist to make sure you don’t end up with a huge bill after moving in to improve the energy efficiency of your new house.
Do you have any other suggestions to add to the househunting checklist for green families? Please add your suggestions to the comment box below.