You are driving home through your suburbia and you come across a newly built house. You stop to admire the garage door and that pet door that you’ve admired for a long time so that you can finally get that adorable Pomeranian.
You get home and as you open the door to your dull living space, you are hit with an idea! Your house needs some improvements. Immediately you start coming up with ideas including those that you came across the other day when you used your work’s internet.
Now, any home improvement project is not an easy task whether you decide to do it yourself or hire a contractor. It can be particularly tricky to make all those ideas a reality while considering the various costs and the possible impact on the environment. Well, worry no more!
Here are seven simple (yet effective) eco-friendly home improvement ideas.
1. Lighting Things Up
The right lighting is paramount for you, your home, and the environment. Choose proper lighting like Compact Fluorescent Lamps and LEDs that emit very minimal emissions, unlike most regular bulbs that emit a traceable amount of mercury.
These lamps are the best as they produce less heat yet are brighter; a necessity to brighten the whole home. In addition to this, you can also invest in cool lamps for your outdoor space. These will not only help improve the curb appeal of your home but also brighten up your yard at night.
When it comes to eco-friendly outdoor lighting ideas for your driveway, patio, backyard, and pool, consider investing in solar-powered options. These are cost-effective, aesthetically appealing, and will require very little effort to install. The exterior of your home needs a more sunny touch, especially when you consider the security of your home.
Similarly, instead of keeping the lights on during the day, consider a skylight to illuminate your house naturally. On the other hand, installing solar panels will help ensure lower your electric bills.
2. Go Bright On The Walls, Naturally
Unfortunately, the guy at your local hardware will not tell you that some paints contain harmful levels of volatile organic chemicals. While they might look good, they’ll not help you to achieve an eco-friendly home. Most of the chemicals used today on paints are not friendly to the environment in terms of toxicity and how they are packaged.
In this case, you really should consider natural paint which is easy to make even at home. So, when going through the paint selection process, always ensure to check the ingredients used on the paint by going for those that are naturally sourced and eco-friendly
3. Go Green
There are a lot of indoor plants that you can easily buy locally or even plant on your own. Just visit the local florist and purchase some already planted seedlings or alternatively, buy the seeds and plant them yourself.
Indoor plants blend very well with all kinds of colors or themes and they are very eco-friendly. They’ll also and will give your home a pleasant feeling because as you may be aware, plants do help in purifying the air we breathe.
You can also invest in eco-friendly bamboo products such as the sustainable bedding products offered by Ecoy Australia which is as kind to your skin as it is to the planet. Bamboo grows without pesticides or harmful chemicals. It requires limited water and it feels incredibly silky to touch once turned into bedding.
4. Save Water, Save A Life!
Yeah, water is life and should be preserved as much. A lot of water can get wasted because it’s a commodity used in every aspect of a home, from the kitchen to the bathrooms. However, it is essential that you regulate this wastage by upgrading your faucets and checking for leaks in your plumbing.
Similarly, you can include a water recycling system to save water. This way, you will not only have protected the environment but you’ll also minimize your water bills.
5. Out With The Old Appliances
Modern electronic manufacturers have realized the need to save energy and are now producing top-notch appliances that are energy efficient. These appliances cannot be compared to older versions. So, as much as you are sentimental about that electronic gramophone or that cassette player that you bought from your first job, it is essential that you upgrade to more energy-efficient appliances. Doing so will help bring down your energy costs.
6. Consider A Garden
Nothing compares to the feeling of waking up to a beautiful flower garden. Flowers have soothing and healing properties that are not found in most plants. The best thing is that they can be used as hedges in your back and front yards.
If you have enough space around your home, you can break out the hand trowel and get some garden going. Plant some beautiful flowers on your front yard and some veggies in the backyard. Both are essential to the environment as they also attract other important organisms that are crucial in supporting life such as bees.
7. If It’s Not Broken, Keep It
When upgrading your home to a more eco-friendly zone, you may be tempted to get rid of things that are not often used around your home. Instead of getting rid of them, consider repairing them and using them as a source of extra cash.
For instance, doors and windows can always be given a new lease of life by retouching them with a fresh coat of pain. But if they don’t fit in an eco-friendly environment, they can still be reused elsewhere.
Constant home improvement is important and so is saving on costs as well as protecting the environment. Choose eco-friendly methods, be an eco-warrior, and let your home look beautiful again while at it.
