If you’re thinking about constructing a green home, you have recognized the value of having as little impact as possible on the environment. And this is important because we want to help preserve and protect our earth for many generations to come.
During the planning stages, it’s important to take careful consideration about every aspect while designing your new home.
You’ll have to consider things like an environmentally friendly cool roof, your home’s foundation, air quality, electrical, and everything else that goes into designing an environmentally friendly green home.
The cost is always going to be a major factor as well.
We’ve really advanced as a society. And we have a wide range of information and knowledge available to us that makes it really easy to stay environmentally conscious.
Here are five mistakes to avoid when building a green home.
1. Planning without Thinking Ahead
There’s a lot to think about when designing the plans to build a green home.
How long do you plan on living at this property? Are you going to be here for the next 10 years? How about 20 years? Will you be here for 30 years or more?
Are you currently single but hope to start a family one day?
You have to answer all of these questions ahead of time so that you can properly plan for your future dream home.
So take some time to carefully consider your future needs, the lifestyle that you plan to lead, and make sure your new home will be able to accommodate you for many years to come without making serious additions and major changes.
2. Don’t Build a Bigger Home than Necessary
When designing and building a green home, you really have to anticipate your needs so that your home is the perfect fit.
One mistake that many new homebuilders make is they build a home larger than the one that they actually need.
If you’re trying to have less of an environmental impact, building too much home will go against what you are trying to achieve.
Plus, you’re going to waste a lot of space when your home is too big; it’s going to cost a lot more than it should, and you’ll have all of this additional space that you need to cool and heat.
We also have a tendency to fill our spaces with unnecessary junk. So, to prevent additional future clutter, it’s best to build a smaller home that will perfectly meet your needs. In case you are missing some space, a great backyard pub shed can go a long way.
3. Forgetting to Go Solar
It doesn’t really matter where you live at this point, it’s relatively easy, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly to install solar panels on your home.
As you build your home, always make sure that you have a southern exposure. So the front of your house needs to be due south.
You’ll be able to cut down on your energy costs and help the environment this way.
4. Ignoring Energy-Efficient Equipment
At this point, there are many energy-efficient appliance options available today.
There’s no good excuse to avoid these appliances any longer. Highly energy efficient appliances are affordable, easy to install, and readily available for purchase.
Consider an environmentally friendly tankless water heater or any other energy-efficient options.
A rated boiler are another great source of energy efficient appliances that can be added to a home. Did you know you could apply for a central heating grant under the ECO 3 scheme? Read more on how to qualify for a central heating grant here.
5. Not Adding Adequate Insulation to Your Home
You’ll save tremendously on heating bills and cut down on your environmental footprint if you have adequate insulation in your home.
Recently, the minimum requirements for installation in the US have increased. They have changed the codes to help prevent heat gain/loss in your foundation, windows, roof and walls.
Conclusion
If you plan to build an environmentally friendly green home, please use this information to avoid making serious mistakes.
Author Bio
Wendy Dessler
Title: Super-Connector at OutreachMama
Wendy is a super-connector with OutreachMama and Towering SEO who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition. You can contact her on Twitter.