As the world becomes more “green-friendly” it is important that as individuals we do so as well. While you may or may not agree with the whole “green-friendly” philosophy, when it comes time to sell your home it will be to your advantage if you have embraced the concept.
The trend is on the rise, and the more that you can adapt to the trends, the better resale value you will have. Today, there are a lot of ways you can make your house greener and environmentally friendly. You may not even realize some of the effects your “non-green” home have on you until you make some changes.
7 Ways to Make Your House Green
Below are a few helpful pointers to making your home more earth conscious and environmentally focused–leaving your home feeling fresh and renewed.
- Select No-VOC Paint
Many paints today contain chemicals that leave the room with volatile organic compound (VOC) levels well above normal. These chemicals create a major hazard not only for the earth but for your health as well. Thus, when selecting colors to paint your house, choose paint colors that do not contain chemicals that would increase the level of volatile organic compounds found within the home environment.
- Choose Green Cleaning Versus Toxic Cleaners
This is a simple step you can take when trying to make your home more eco-friendly. Many homeowners do not recognize the harm in toxic cleaning agents. Thus, they continue to use cleaning supplies that are harmful for themselves as well as the earth. In order to create a more environmentally friendly space, select non-toxic and natural cleaning supplies. Another option is to create your own cleaning agents out of natural materials.
- Update Old Appliances
One of the greatest ways to go green in the home is to update your old appliances. As a general rule, if your appliances are older than ten years, you should get them replaced. In particular, you should replace the old appliances with energy-efficient models. This will not only save you money in electrical bills, but it will also save the earth’s air and water.
- Pick a Temperature
One of the biggest ways to conserve energy in the home is to set your thermostat at a consistent temperature during the winter and summer months. Typically, if you keep the thermostat at 68 degrees Fahrenheit or below in the winter and 78 degrees Fahrenheit or above in the summer, you will save a great deal of energy due to heating and cooling.
- Save Water
Another great way to make your home more eco-friendly is to conserve more water. How can you do this? Some individuals have installed an aerator on their faucet. Another great choice is to replace your toilet with one that uses less water when flushing. Both of these options prevent you from using as much water as you would typically use with typical water fixtures.
- Choose Your Light Bulb Wisely
Typical incandescent fluorescent light bulbs use up a great deal of energy. By switching to a compact fluorescent light bulb, you could make your lighting much more environmentally friends.
- Select Bamboo Floors
Many individuals love the look of a brand new hardwood floor. In fact, it is one of the most popular current trends in comparison to carpet options. However, selecting bamboo flooring may actually be more environmentally friendly. Why? Bamboo shoots grow much faster in comparison to trees. Thus, they are able to replace themselves much more quickly than trees are able to. When thinking about flooring, choose flooring that will able to be replaced more quickly within the environment; bamboo.
Are You Green?
There are many ways to make your home more environmentally and “you” friendly. When creating changes within your house think of how they are affecting not only the earth, but your health as well. Making small changes within your home such as the light bulbs you use or the temperature on the thermostat will make a major impact on the environment. What will you do to “go green?”
Guest blog provided by Kimberley Kelly a Palm Springs Realtor. You can learn more about Kim and going Green on her website where you can search all Palm Springs CA real estate, La Quinta CA real estate, and Palm Desert CA real estate.
