7 Ways to Build Your Own Sustainable Living House

Want to become a sustainable homeowner and reduce your carbon footprint on the environment? This article explores the ways in which you can build your own sustainable living house. Keep reading below to find out more! 

It’s becoming more and more apparent that we need to make some significant changes if we want for planet Earth to keep being a hospitable home. Environmental concerns are becoming more widespread for everyone to see, from extreme weather conditions to heavy pollution, water pollution, climate change, deforestation and more. 

One significant change we can make is becoming more sustainable homeowners. Sustainable homes are efficient in the use of resources such as water and energy. They have a significantly lower impact on the environment as they produce less waste, consume less energy, and encourage more reuse. 

If you’ve decided to build your own sustainable house, congratulations! You’re contributing to protecting our planet better. Our seven tips will help you build an eco-friendly house that will make a positive difference in how we impact our environment. 

1. Make use of the sun. 

Sun is probably the most sustainable resource you can use for your house. It’s a natural source of energy and heat that never ends, doesn’t do any harm to the environment, and costs you nothing. 

So, to make full use of the sun, you need to plan your house’s location in a way that it is oriented to get maximum sunlight. Using sunlight as much as possible help reduce the use of artificial energy to light your house or warm it during the cold season. The more time of the day the sunlight is oriented on your home, the less you’ll use artificial energy. 

Besides that, a home that is oriented in a way that makes use of the sunlight fully can also use sustainable energy technology like solar panels. 

2. Install sustainable energy technology.

Another essential ingredient of a sustainable house is the use of sustainable energy sources. That can be solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy, geothermal energy, and others. 

Suppose you want a sustainable house that has no impact on the environment. In that case, you need to invest in sustainable energy technology that allows the property to use natural sources of energy. You can install wind turbines to capture the wind, which will then produce a renewable energy source. Or, you can install solar panels on your house to use sunlight as a source of energy. 

To choose the right renewable source of energy, it is essential first to analyse the weather conditions in your area. For example, if you’re building your house in a location with a hot climate, where you expect many sunny days, then it simply makes sense to use solar panels for energy. If you live in an area where strong winds are a usual weather condition, then it makes sense to use wind turbines to power your future home. 

3. Build with sustainable materials.

Another must-do when you’re building a sustainable house is to use sustainable materials. 

Luckily, today, there are plenty of eco-friendly options for building materials, such as sustainability-certified wood products, reclaimed or salvaged wood, and even insulation made from recycled materials. 

4. Insulate it properly.

Good home insulation results in reduced energy use as it will bar heat passing in and out of your house. Insulation helps maintain a comfortable temperature inside your home, no matter the temperatures outside. It will allow the temperature inside your home to remain balanced no matter the season. 

Insulation not only helps the environment as it implies less use of energy to heat or cool your home, but it also saves you a couple of bucks on your energy costs. Another idea is to use local materials as you’re saving the planet from the damage brought during transportation. 

5. Surround your home with nature.

One of the best ways for helping the environment is to plant more nature. With deforestation being a severe problem, leading to loss of biodiversity and wildlife, an excellent way to help our planet is to plant and care for more greens. So, when building your sustainable house, also consider making use of the surroundings.

When planning your landscape, keep sustainability in mind. For example, you can also use sustainable materials in the landscape to create paths or sitting areas. Ready mix concrete provides an easy solution to garden work, and it is also sustainable as it saves on energy and resources. 

Another thing to do in order to have a sustainable yard is to plant native flowers and plants. Native plants attract pollinators, and they offer food and home sources for native wildlife, insects and birds. 

To have a sustainable outdoor space, you should also decorate your yard with water sources for wildlife in the area. Plus, use compost and eco-friendly fertilisers instead of toxic options. 

6. Practice minimalism.

Small is often big, including when it comes to taking steps to protect the environment. For a house to be sustainable, it needs to be built and decorated with minimalism in mind. 

More precisely, smaller houses need less energy, less building materials, and generally fewer resources. This obviously positively impacts the environment because minimal homes have a minimal environmental footprint. 

But, besides building a smaller house, you should also practice minimalism when it comes to decorating the place. 

One good strategy to stay eco-friendly when decorating your home is not to buy new things. Instead, you can make your own stuff if you’re a handy person and love DIY projects. Or, you can simply purchase second-hand items. You’d be surprised how many used things you can find that are still in great shape. From furniture to appliances and decorations, you can find second-hand options for all of them. 

7. Conserve water.

Water waste and pollution are significant problems caused by households around the world. If you want your sustainable house to make a difference, do your best to conserve water. One good way to do that is to install low volume bathroom and kitchen fixtures. Also, for your outdoor space, avoid sprinklers to water your plants. Instead, save rainwater and use it for watering your garden.