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A modern homeowner needs to make sure their home is adding to their carbon footprint as little as possible and that it’s a sustainable part of its surrounding. These renovations may require some initial investments, but they will all end up saving you money in the log run.
Some of these will require you to hire a professional to give you a hand, but others are just a matter of maintaining your home in a responsible way or DIY projects everyone can undertake.
Windows insulation
Most of your electrical bills go towards heating and cooling your home. That’s why you should make sure as little of the heat is wasted as possible. It starts with insulating your windows. For the most part, it’s the older homes that suffer from poor insulation but it can happen to modern ones as well.
It’s something that’s best left to the professionals with experience in the field. It’s not an inexpensive renovation project, but if you choose the right person to do it, it needs to be done once in a few decades. The difference in your energy bill will be noticeable right away.
Green roofs
Green roofs are a great addition to your home for numerous reasons. They are a form of insulation, meaning that they keep your home cooler or hotter when needed and they cut down on your carbon footprint since they are basically a second garden on your roof.
The initial work on the green roofs should be done by an expert since there needs to be a system for watering the plants that won’t damage the home. When it comes to later maintenance, the owner could rent portable scaffolding and do the work on their own.
Solar panels
Solar panels are the most expensive addition we have on our list, but they are the most lasting one as well. That’s because there’s an early expense needed to install them, but when it’s done, the panels will lower your electrical bill or even eliminate it altogether.
The key is to combine the panels with solar batteries and thus be able to use solar energy even when the weather doesn’t allow for it.
Smart appliances
Smart appliances can be beneficial to your home in numerous ways. They are more versatile than traditional ones and could be pre-programmed or accessed based on your preferences from a phone or a computer. But, more importantly, these appliances are made to save power and that’s how they will make your home more sustainable and eco-friendly.
This is mostly done by letting the appliances shut off on their own when they are not used and connecting them to your phones. This will turn the appliance on when you’re approaching the property and give you a chance to have a detailed report about how much power you’re using.
A recycling system
Most homeowners understand the importance of recycling, but don’t do enough to actually recycle. This is because there’s no recycling system put in place to help them do it in a convenient way. A system of bins in your home, and one specifically designed for the kitchen, is often enough to help you remember to recycle every time.
It’s also possible to enter into an arrangement with local farms or organizations working with local farms. They will pick up your garbage or at least the ones that could be used for composting. Some even pay you for the opportunity to do so.
These upgrades will make your home more eco-friendly, but they will also lower your bills and give you more versatility in how you use the home and its appliances.
- This is a guest post not written by the site’s owner.