Green Home Building – Five Tips to a More Sustainable Home

Think green home building is a passing trend or the domain of hippies with composting toilets? Think again!

The global temperature is rising and the cost of green technology is dropping so if you’re building a new home, considering its sustainability is just smart. Improving the eco-friendliness of your home minimises energy consumption, maximises health benefits and reduces your environmental impact. Consider these five tips to make your dream home a green home.  

1. Build smart, not big

It can be tempting to want to build the biggest house that your block can handle, but the simple fact is that the bigger the house, the more energy it will likely consume. Instead, clever design can maximise the space you have without blowing out in size. This results in a home that feels spacious and is perfectly tailored to your lifestyle.

Also think carefully about the orientation of your home on the lot. Thoughtful design can maximise natural light and considering the local climate enables you to zone your home in a way that makes the best use of natural heating and cooling.

2. Choose sustainable materials

Cutting down on the need for virgin materials when building your new home is not only a more eco-friendly choice but may prove cost-effective, too. From salvaged lumber and steel, recycled glass and aluminium, giving materials a second life is a significant way to reduce the environmental impact of your build.

Eco-friendly options are plentiful when building a new home. Cutting-edge technology in recycling means countertops can be made from recycled glass and plastics. Consider using reclaimed timber to add unique character to your flooring. Modern flooring trends like cork, bamboo and linoleum are natural and renewable.

3. Go solar

Many green home building projects utilise solar energy to help power them, and it just makes sense to take advantage of the abundance of sunshine Queenslanders enjoy. As the cost of electricity continues to rise, solar panels offer a clean, green way to power your home as well as saving you money over time. The amount of energy solar panels can collect is dependent on their placement so careful consideration is necessary to ensure maximum efficiency to offset your initial investment.

4. Wise with water

No green home building project is complete without clever water conservation. Simply by choosing water-efficient showerheads and pressure limiting valves inside the home, you can reduce your environmental impact and cut your water bills. Collect rainwater from your roof by installing a rain tank. The water you harvest can then be used to irrigate your garden. Investigate the use of greywater to recycle the water you use in the laundry, bath and shower. Systems vary in complexity and can involve diverting greywater to your lawn or treating it to be reused for some household purposes.

5. Insulation is everything

Perhaps the single most green choice you can make for your home is to insulate it adequately. Heating and cooling your home is necessary for all-year-round comfort, but it is also responsible for around 50% of the energy consumption in your home. A barrier to heat loss and heat gain, proper insulation is a cost-effective way to make your home more energy efficient. It can also help to reduce condensation and limit your exposure to mould and damp which is an important health benefit.

Ask your builder about using insulation made from recycled materials. Some common ones include fibreglass, rockwool and cellulose. These materials should last for the life of the home but are made even more sustainable given their ability to be recycled again.

Have more questions about green home building? Contact Murchie Constructions today on (07) 4132 7777.