With the growing awareness of environmental degradation, more and more people are beginning to see the light of day and the reality of a bleak future if action is not taken. Apart from separating recyclable materials from other household waste, what else can one person or indeed a family do? As it happens, one doesn’t need to look to far from home. Eco-friendly homes are a great way to express your participation in the “Green” movement.
An eco-friendly home is any house incorporating green techniques in construction or maintenance. Typically, when building a green home, one would look towards alternative environmentally friendly building materials and making a conscious effort to reduce the consumption of non-renewable energy during construction.
Taking pride in building an eco-home and knowing you are going that extra mile for the environment is one of the benefits for embarking on this kind of project. One downside to remember is that some house insurance companies will refuse to insure a non-traditional building, so make sure you shop around. However, there are economic benefits to take advantage of.
4 Reasons to go green:
1) As the culture of being environmentally conscious is growing so is the demand for environmentally friendly homes. Current supply is not keeping up with demand and this increases the value of your eco-home should you wish to sell in the future.
2) Whilst traditional building techniques and materials have been proven to cause health issues, the use of environmentally friendly alternatives reduces and nullifies these effects. For example, paints that contain volatile organic compounds, known to cause respiratory disorders, can now be replaced with VOC free paints. By doing this you are ensuring the health and wellbeing of loved ones.
3) Large traditional homes can burn a whole in your pocket trying to keep up with electricity and heating costs. Alternatives, depending on your location, are available. Visit the option of installing solar panels or windmills as a source of energy. Granted the installation costs can at first appear quiet drastic however, they will begin to pay dividends in no time. Even if these alternatives only meet a portion of your energy requirements you will soon see a significant drop in your bills.
4) Finally, a house built with a desire to contribute to the environment comes out to be more aesthetically pleasing. Usually, such a house will have bamboo instead of hard wood, countertops made of recycled glass, plants around the house, a small garden etc. All of these elements give a very organic and soothing feel to the house. At the same time, you are bound to feel great about being a responsible homeowner. All in all, considering all these factors, environmentally conscious homes are definitely the way to go!
