Introduction
Home renovations can become tedious very soon because fresh ideas do not just come along. This is why you should take some tips, innovative solutions, and find friendly ways to complete your project. It does not always have to be expensive because a lot of work can be done DIY way. Here, we talk about some interesting ideas to renovate your home to create space for new things.
But, what are some eco-friendly ways to do so? Today, taking care of your home, renovating it can also mean mending the electricity supply, plumbing, and so on. And, depending on where you live and the cost of power and water, you might want to adopt eco-friendly ways. You can do some basic things like so:
● Using solar power for normal needs.
● Use eco-toilets to avoid water wastage.
● Employ water harvesting techniques to conserve freshwater.
● Reusing greywater for other uses that do not need fresh water.
And, there can be many more.
From Tech-Savvy to Environment Savvy
To accommodate your needs you need to mend some things, do away with current stuff, and buy some new. Yes, you have to spend a little but that's a part of life. What are the ways you can adopt an environment-friendly way of life without going to caves and jungles?
1. Buying Reclaimed/Repurposed Products
One of the easiest ways to bring yourself closer to nature is to go for decor, furniture, or other items made from wood. Because they are not from freshly cut trees but reclined, you are not harming the forests. The shiniest is not always the best looking. A great choice for wood flooring, kitchen countertops, and even walls, wood is handsome, beautiful and so much natural. It will also save money, time, and effort in buying metal and other costly alternatives.
2. Salvage and Re-Use Rather Than Destroy
When you are plan to
renovate your home start by discussing with your spouse and kids about the whole process. Before tearing down the walls, knocking down furniture and wiring, see what and how much you can salvage. A lot of these you can donate to appropriate places with a little effort. For example, clothes, bags, light fixtures, flooring, to furniture. Perhaps, you can renovate them and reuse them somewhere else in your house itself.
3. Donate Than Throw in the Garbage
Everyone knows that several good items also end up in landfills and garbage trucks. Because these are not the responsibility of the waste recycling and disposal companies to sort them out, they all go straight into incinerators and so on. But, instead, you can sort them outright at home and donate them. Separate out the clothes, books, and copies, furniture, plastics and cans, and so on. Many old home appliances are also good to donate to the needy. Because you are reducing waste, ultimately you are also helping reduce the carbon footprint and garbage at landfills that go to the incinerator.
4. Use Energy-Efficient Tools and Appliances
If you are renovating your home, try to incorporate energy-saving mediums like light bulbs, hand-powered tools rather than electric ones, switch from fossil fuels to renewables. For example, burn less gas and oil, go for other alternatives. All high-end appliances that cost so much need not be environment friendly, so take another approach and vouch for eco-friendly products. There are tons of alternatives from water filtration systems to automobiles, from bicycles to laptop charging stations. You can employ, for example, the energy of the sun to meet your daily requirements. Australia is a country that receives a lot of sun annually, especially in places like Brisbane, Sydney, and around the coastal areas. Check with your local supplier from
brisbane solar and install one today.
5. Use Renewable Electricity for All Uses
In a lot of countries and regions where wind, hydro and solar power are abundant, power corporations have energy distribution systems. If you live around places generating electricity from a dam, then try to use all your products that run on electricity rather than any type of gas, diesel, oil, and so on. Today, almost all appliances have such alternatives, and automobiles are also catching up pretty quickly. The only ones lagging behind are ships, hauling trucks, airplanes, and some other old vehicles of transport. But, if you make your mind to use personal modes of transport based on electric power, then a lot of the world's carbon emissions can be reduced in a decade. So, go for it.
6. Buying Second-Hand Products
One of the ways to reduce the amount of produce from manufacturing is to buy products from others. Cost-effective ways of buying products that others don't need anymore or have in surplus is a good way to go ahead. These are often high-end products from very rich people who don't need them anymore, and at times didn't even use them once. These can include high-end furniture, gym equipment, cars, bikes, clothes, electronics like laptops, computers, music systems, television sets, and so on.
7. Repainting and Mending Things Improves Their Life
Make a habit of repainting things instead of buying new ones every time. A great way of remodeling your kitchen is to repaint the cabinets, walls and shifting things around. It will not cost much and still give that fresh look you need. Paint the doors, windows of every room in the same way. You can even do it once every 2 years or so, without spending a lot of money or effort.
Conclusion
Going for less, living life in harmony with nature is always rewarding because they keep you down to earth. When you understand the value of things you have, you make better choices, for yourself, for the earth, and your home. Home improvements and accommodating your needs can be modern and yet eco-friendly. Being one with the environment doesn't mean living on top of a tree. And even if it did, would it be so bad? After all, modern architecture dwells in these ideas.