Guest post by Stacey Cooper*
If your home is in need of an update, investing in environmentally sustainable or eco-friendly upgrades is not only good for the environment, it can be good for your wallet too – especially when you consider that over time, eco-friendly choices are likely to increase your home’s value too.
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Choose Your Flooring Carefully
One of the most costly areas of your home to renovate is flooring. Hardwood floors are amazing, but they are often expensive and could require a lot of maintenance in the long run. Rather than opting for expensive wood, which can also be a contributing factor in deforestation, go with bamboo flooring. Not only will you end up with high quality floors that are easy to take care of, that feel comfortable during summer and winter alike, and you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that the bamboo harvested for your home is a much greener option that hardwoods.
Opt For Planet- Friendly Paint
Repainting a room is not much work, if you prepare well and if you buy good quality paint, but have you ever thought to check whether your paint is eco-friendly or not? Low-VOC paint is perhaps a bit more expensive, yet it will protect your home and help keep the environment safe too. VOC – or volatile organic compounds in paint are not great for people in your home either – the fumes can cause dizziness and nausea, and it is not recommended for use around children or pregnant women.
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Pick Pre-Loved
Buying new furniture can be an expensive endeavour, but cheap furniture is not a good solution either – you will inevitably have to invest in it when it breaks, or replace it sooner than you would a quality piece of furniture. A good solution is to either upcycle and make your own reclaimed wood furniture pieces, or find pre-loved items at garage sales or in antique stores.
Let the Sunlight In
If your home is dark, you can either install more lights and lamps, which will up your energy usage and your electricity bill, in or you could install new windows, and skylights to use daylight as much as you can. Do be aware that windows are a major source of heat loss in the cold weather, so invest in “smart” windows. These use a small amount of electricity to control the nano-crystal coating which can be used as part of your climate control system.
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Insulation Is Essential
Even if you live in an exotic part of the world, you need insulation to help maintain the temperature of your home. If it is too cold, you need more energy to warm it up, and vice versa. With good insulation installed you will reduce your energy consumption on climate control, and save money!
*Please note that the views are that of the author, not necessarily that of en-form.
Author Bio
Stacey Cooper is a business consultant with a genuine love for the environment and living in balance with nature. She is a full-time mom with a passion for writing and providing useful tips on how to stay healthy in unhealthy times, as well as how to be more green. She also enjoys reading and cooking for her family and friends.