Time to read: 2 mins
Whether you are building a new family home or an investment property, it makes financial sense to invest in sustainable construction designs. Not only will it reduce your home’s environmental impact, but it also adds to its long-term value as sustainable features are in high demand among home buyers and renters.
Here are three simple ways you can improve your home’s green rating.
Make Use of Natural Light
Home designs that feature open-plan living with plenty of natural flow will maximise your home’s use of natural light. This can greatly reduce your energy consumption, as well as promote cross breeze ventilation to reduce your air-conditioning consumption.
Maximise the Aspect & Elevation
If you are clever, then you are going to be designing a home that maximises the aspect and elevation of the block on which you are building. This can mean customising your floor plan to limit afternoon sun exposure or adjusting the elevations to catch cross breezes, etc. There are lots of ways to maximise your build without going big, its about being creative and working with the land to best benefit the build.
Choose Sustainable Materials
Selecting the right materials for your build are crucial to its sustainability. These can include insulation that works at a comfortable level year-round, double glazed or tinted windows to control the suns heat, as well as appliances with great energy star ratings. All of these will appeal to future homebuyers, so it is best to consider them now. Remember, sustainability is about longevity, you want to be thinking about materials that look good now, but that will also last well into the future.
If you are interested in improving your already built home’s green rating, all of these can still apply to you. It’s never too late to think about being green. If you’re planning a renovation or extension, then it’s the perfect time to consider how to maximise cross breezes, natural light, utilising sustainable materials and/or changing up old appliances for more energy efficient ones.
