While being at home due to COVID-19, you might be thinking about all of the ways to transform your house into an eco-friendly home. Before you run off to Home Depot, make sure it’s smart and safe to do so!
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When it comes to your house, there are changes and upgrades you can make so that your day-to-day doesn’t change, but the effect of your choices will be less harmful to the planet. Things like switching the household cleaners you buy won’t change how you clean, just like adding solar panels to your roof won’t change how often you leave your lights on. These are types of easy adjustments to consider depending on your budget, lifestyle, and what you’re ready to take on!
[convertkit form=5279526]It’s becoming increasingly important to people all over the world that our lifestyles support a sustainable planet. It doesn’t matter if you’re starting your journey towards an eco-friendly home or if you’ve been living this way for years, everyone doing their best for the planet can make a difference.
Where can I start if I know nothing?
When you’re about to begin your first eco-friendly home venture, you may consider making small changes to your lifestyle. For starters, seek out ways to improve the air quality in your home. Simple things like buying plants, washing your textiles, and testing your home for radon can keep the air inside clear of toxins. Next, make sure to rid your home of cleaners and personal-care items that don’t use natural ingredients. You’d be surprised at the plethora of information you can find on sites like Pinterest for making DIY cleaning products and natural personal care items. Finally, you can start to recycle, compost, or reduce the amount of plastic you use around your house. For recycling practices, it’s best to review your town, city, or county’s regulations to ensure your efforts are worth it in the end. Shopping for products like beeswax wrap, reusable sandwich bags, and reusable water bottles can quickly reduce the plastic you throw away. Affordable and simple changes like these are ideal for beginners who want to make their homes environmentally-conscious.
Reusable jars. Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Why should I make eco-friendly home upgrades?
The first thing you may ask yourself is, why is an eco-friendly home important? Or why should I spend my valuable time and money on updating my house to make it greener? The reasons are endless and you can choose your motive for creating a sustainable home depending on the values of your household.
If you already live an eco-friendly lifestyle, whether it’s committing to zero-waste, driving an electric car, or making lifestyle changes outlined above, upgrading your home may be the obvious next step! Maybe you’re ready to modernize your house, and to you that means creating an eco-friendly home. Whatever the reason is, there are more ways to make your home green beyond buying non-toxic cleaners and filling it with houseplants. You can rebuild your house to be environmentally-conscious and sustainable from floor to ceiling!
How can I budget for this?
Once you’ve established your wants and needs to make your home environmentally-friendly, you have to talk money. This may come in the form of a conversation with your significant other or a financial advisor, but a budget should be on your mind throughout the process. Some would say this is the best place to start your renovation process. Still, in other cases, it’s best to do research and know what you want before thinking about your budget so that you can set a realistic amount.
- Saving money is always a smart option so you don’t have to worry about being in debt or accruing interest on a loan. However, it can make the home improvement process much longer. When you have decided on the amount of money you need to make your eco-friendly dreams come true, plan how much you need to save every month to achieve your goal. The most effortless way to save is to reach out to your employer and get the amount of money taken out of your paycheck each period and put directly into a specific account!
- If you’ve owned your home for an extended period, you may be able to make use of your home equity by refinancing your mortgage or taking out a home equity loan. Both allow you to unlock the true investment you made when you purchased your home. Whether you decide to lower your monthly mortgage payment or take out a second loan with a lower interest rate, you will be able to free up cash right away!
- When you have some cash saved for your project, but may need some more for the materials or new decor to make your house feel like a home, a personal line of credit may be the way to go. This way, you can find the best credit card for you to make your monthly payments as manageable as possible.
What upgrades should I do first?
Just like any home improvement, you can pick and choose what works best for your lifestyle while still considering the planet while you browse options. It’s not necessary to spend your valuable time and money improving a part of your home that doesn’t need it. Make these eco-friendly improvements by choosing a green option for something you already want to upgrade in your home!
For example, if you’re considering revamping the flooring throughout your house, you have more than enough eco-friendly options to choose from. You may be surprised to find out that bamboo flooring is environmentally-friendly for your home. Harvesting bamboo has positive benefits for the planet and it’s easier to clean so you can keep those toxic cleaners out of your house. A less well-known eco-friendly flooring option is carpeting that is made from recycled materials or organic cotton. If you have kids, your family may benefit from soft carpeting around the house. Take the time to research options instead of settling for other carpeting that may be toxic to your family and the environment.
One thing that often comes to mind when considering upgrading your home to be more green is solar panels, which are an excellent option for a cleaner source of energy. Another way to make your home more energy efficient are new windows or adding additional windows. If you’re prepared to take down walls and restructure the look of your home, then it’s beneficial to add more windows and skylights. Windows are now made to keep your heat or air conditioning inside to reduce energy waste and help keep your bills low. Adding windows can allow the warmth of the sun to heat your house naturally.
Photo by Tiia Monto on Wikimedia Commons
If you’re beginning to shift to a more sustainable way of living at home, it’s essential to stay prepared and stay informed. Take the time to set realistic goals and a manageable budget. Remember that you’re sure to be successful with your upgrades if you start small. As you curate your home to be more eco-friendly, you’ll save on monthly expenses and help save our planet. Though making eco-friendly changes to your home can feel like a big transition at first, the pay-off will be well worth the time and effort you put into the process.
Author Bio
Jacqueline DesLauriers is a recently returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Morocco with her husband Dylan for 18 months. Now, she runs two websites. The first covers all things about the seven wonders of the world and the second is a Peace Corps blog that dives into topics like ethical volunteering, the outdoors, and responsible lifestyles!
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