Greener Pastures: A Guide to Purchasing and Maintaining an Eco-Friendly Home

By Lisa Walker

With climate change worsening and inflation driving up the cost of utilities, living sustainably has become more important than ever. Every little eco-friendly practice goes a long way, but if you’re choosing a new home, it makes sense to consider purchasing a place that can kickstart your green lifestyle. 

 The Benefits

The benefits of shifting towards sustainable living are innumerable. Here are a few advantages you can expect from your new eco-friendly home:

●      Conservation: When fewer single-use items are in demand, there is far less strain on the earth’s natural resources. This means that there is ample time for these resources to replenish and remain available to future generations, including your own kids or grandkids.

●      Lower Cost of Living: By making use of alternative sources like solar, you’ll be far less reliant on electricity to power your home, and will ultimately save a lot on energy costs. Depending on which region you live in, you might be able to make full use of only your solar panels during the summer.

●      Market Value: If you’re planning on implementing eco-friendly amenities into your home, you’ll significantly increase the value of your property. Remember to keep receipts, before-and-after photos, and track your changes so that they can be noted during your next appraisal.

●      Health: Most foods and products that are not sustainably produced carry negative long-term repercussions on your health. Eating organically, or reducing your consumption of animal products, will benefit your body by helping you avoid dreaded diseases like hypertension and diabetes.

Finding the Right Space

Moving into a space that’s already geared towards sustainability is far easier than modifying your home after the fact, however, some eco-friendly features are more common than others. Consider taking a closer look at properties that have been built using eco-friendly materials, or that have made use of the best available insulating techniques, including double glazed windows, underfloor heating, and well-fitted doors and chimneys to avoid draughts. These keep the energy usage low, which is not only great for the environment, but for your budget too.

Implementing Green Practices 

Aside from implementing the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra, there are a few small ways you can begin living greener, like composting, decorating with houseplants, or avoiding using your dryer as much as possible. Be sure to remove the need for single-use items in your household as far as possible and install a smart thermostat that can track your heating needs. Once you’ve taken baby steps, it will be far easier to start considering more major lifestyle changes.

Going the Extra Mile

Some people feel far more committed to the cause than others, and choose to live the most sustainable, zero-waste lifestyles they can manage. Veganism is a popular diet choice for those concerned with the emissions from livestock reared for consumption by humans or by the depletion of the ocean’s resources. There are others who refrain from shopping at supermarkets altogether and survive solely on the food they have grown or reared themselves.

It’s important to note that every contribution to saving the environment makes a difference, so it’s okay to slip up from time to time. By implementing green initiatives into your home, you’ll be setting yourself up for success, and enabling even the least committed members of your household to do the same.

Image by Pexels

Lisa Walker is the creator of NeighborhoodSprout.org.