Sustainable Home Buying Guide

There are some new terms out there we’ve never had to consider before, at least not in the context of home improvement and interior design. These included phrases like “carbon footprint,” and “personal environmental impact...” but stop to consider where these phrases came from and why.

Previous generations probably never considered “single-use” items, like food storage containers, bottled water, razors, bags, etc., but in our fast-moving lives, we have a throw-away version of almost everything. We certainly can’t change this over night, but we can make small changes around our homes that can eventually make a larger impact on the world around us. Not to mention the difference these changes can make on our energy bills. Your current appliances, decor, and home goods may be perfectly good - and you should make them last as long as possible in the interest of being unwasteful. But, if you are in the market for an appliance upgrade, ready for a decor refresh, or even buying a new home - there are so many ways to have a more sustainable household.

A few of these improvements can be done immediately and are cost-free; others will take longer and require more of an investment, but all of them are worth considering.

Use Energy-Efficient Appliances

Energy-efficient appliances are easy to find and install. As well, many states offer rebates for purchasing them.

Use Less Energy

Use apps to monitor how much energy your home is using. Smart home devices allow you to adjust your thermostat from anywhere. Unplug your appliances when they’re not being used. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), or learn how switching to long-lasting LED lighting can conserve electricity and save money.

Use Less Water

Install water-efficient toilets or dual-flush toilets, which allow the user to decide how much water to use on each flush: a full flush (for solid waste) or half-flush (for liquid waste). Consider low-flow shower heads and sink faucets, which are also effective ways to significantly reduce household water use.

Utilize the Sun

Sunlight is free! The more you use solar power in ways like: opening your curtains and blinds to warm your home during the day and installing solar lights to illuminate your outdoor walkways at night, the less dependent on fossil-fuels your home will be. As well, your light bulbs will last longer!

Open Windows and Use Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans can be an amazing energy saver. They keep the air in your home circulating and more refreshing than running your air conditioner. Newer smart fans can be controlled from apps or smart home devices and are more intuitive to your home’s needs. As well, they can provide lighting for your space that can be easily dimmed or turned off to save energy.

Cork Flooring

Cork is sustainable because it is a type of oak tree that grows quickly and can live for hundreds of years. The bark is harvested for use every nine or ten years. It’s great for flooring because it comes in tiles that can be glued down or planks that can be floated; it cushions, insulates, and feels soft underfoot (which is why it’s also quiet); and it’s available in a variety of natural and stained colors.

Sustainable Decor

The best sustainable decor pieces are those made from natural materials by local artisans. However, there are some mass-produced items that are well-made as well as sustainable. It’s also a good idea to look for products that are made from reclaimed wood or furniture made from responsibly-harvested wood.

Outdoor Decking

Rather than choosing the typical redwood, cedar, or pressure-treated wood for your decking, choose composite decking. Composite decking is made up of wood and plastic; the wood being mostly sawdust and woodchips, and the plastic components coming from recycled materials.

Disposal

Use your garbage disposal to get rid of food waste rather than tossing it into the trash, where it will end up in a landfill. Or, if possible, compost it.

Recycle!

Sort your trash and recycling into visible, separate bins at every opportunity.

Final tips

Make a habit of it! The more you make conscious small choices, the more energy (and money) you’ll save and the more self-sustaining your home will become. Remember, big changes start with small steps.