6 Ways To Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

Looking to live a more eco-friendly life and do your part to help the environment? Start with greening up your home.

Renovations are the perfect opportunity to make your home more energy-efficient and sustainable. With a well-designed renovation, you can save energy, water and money, and make your home more comfortable to live in.

Here are some simple aspects of your home to consider for an eco-friendly renovation.

Use passive design

Passive design makes intentional use of the location of your home and the weather patterns in your area to create a home that requires minimal heating or cooling all year round. Passive design elements include orientation, insulation, double glazing, thermal mass and airflow.

For example, you might open up the north face of your living room to let the winter sunlight heat a concrete floor or wall. This utilises the orientation of your home and makes it better at capturing heat.

Passive design can help to reduce 30% of household energy bills through its intelligent heating and cooling techniques. At JM Homes, we have certified Passive House tradespeople who can help you renovate your home.

Let the sunlight in

Letting more sunlight into your home can help to reduce your power bills, make your home more energy efficient, and even improve your mood. If you live in a sunny place like Queensland, getting solar panels or a skylight for your home can be a great option. Solar power is a much more sustainable way of heating your home. It’s a renewable and clean energy source.

Reuse materials and furniture

If you’re renovating your home, don’t get too excited by demolishing walls and destroying old furniture. Instead, think about what you can salvage, reuse or upcycle. Not only is this more eco-friendly, but it will also help you to save money. Consider your light fixtures, flooring, tiles, bricks, cabinets and mouldings. Try moving them to a different room or giving them a coat of paint for a fresh look.

Think energy-efficient

If you’re looking for new appliances like fridges, dishwashers and washing machines, make sure to choose ones that are energy efficient. For example, large fridges can consume high amounts of energy, making them expensive to run. Look for their Energy Star rating to help you make an informed decision.

Insulate your home

Insulating your home helps to reduce your power bills, make your home more energy-efficient and more eco-friendly. Insulation keeps your house warm in winter and cool in summer. This helps to reduce your need for air-conditioning and heating, and so reduces your carbon footprint.

Use eco-friendly cleaning products

Many household cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Detergents, foaming agents and preservatives do the most damage. If you are looking for sustainable cleaning products, make sure they contain only natural ingredients and nothing synthetic.

Looking to start your home renovation?

At JM Homes, we ensure we always take the time to listen, communicate and act with our client’s interests at heart at every stage of the build.

If you have a renovation project in mind, we’re Brisbane’s building experts. Whether it’s a Queenslander, new build, house raise or extension, we can help you.