Everyone from college students to large corporations and big governments is trying to move towards greener alternatives to save the planet. Going green and making sustainable choices isn’t just good for every living being on this spinning rock, but a budding industry that’s set to grow exponentially in the future. The same holds for new Kelowna homes for sale.
If you are looking to build Kelowna homes for sale or simply want to increase your returns in the future, sustainable choices are going to pay off. Sustainable and green homes are cheaper and easier to maintain and preferred by eco-conscious buyers.
Here’s how you can build a greener Kelowna home for sale:
1. Go For More Sustainable And Local Materials
One way of reducing your Kelowna home’s impact on the environment is to choose more sustainable and greener materials for construction. Instead of buying rare materials that get shipped halfway across the world and provide nothing more than a higher brand value, choose locally sourced and recycled materials that minimise waste and burn less fossil fuel.
Some eco-friendly and sustainable materials include:
- Reclaimed metal and wood
- Bamboo and cork
- Precast concrete and reclaimed stones
- Recycled shingles, corrugated roofing, and more.
Whether you choose to buy a Kelowna new home for sale or choose to build one, choosing these materials helps you reduce your carbon footprint immensely. Moreover, in most cases, these materials are usually cheaper than traditional options.
2. Build Up
While the average size of the Canadian lawn has been decreasing over the years, the front and backyard still take up as much as one-third of the land area. Green spaces are important and are a significant component that makes your home your sanctuary. However, it doesn’t need to take up so much space when there’s a housing crisis.
Moreover, maintaining such large green patches is an extremely resource-intensive affair. That’s why more homeowners are looking to buy new houses for sale in Kelowna that take advantage of the vertical space. When you build upwards, you get to maximise the land value. Consider lofts or adding a storey to increase the total square footage available to you. Even if your family doesn’t need the space in Kelowna homes for sale, it can become a source of passive income with rentals.
3. Invest in Insulation and Energy-efficient Doors and Windows
Almost one-tenth of the greenhouse gases produced by British Columbia come from households. Most homes rely on natural gas for heating or cooling their homes and as we continue to rely on them, it’s terrible for the planet as well as your pockets. One way of reducing that reliance is to choose better insulation and energy-efficient doors or windows.
Choose green insulation materials with a high R-value and those that don’t facilitate the production of ozone-depleting gases. They are great for the planet and when combined with energy-efficient doors and windows, bring down your annual energy expenditure drastically. That’s why you’ll find them in newly constructed buildings and new townhomes in Kelowna.
4. Add Renewable Capacity
When you add renewable capacity to your Kelowna homes for sale, you aren’t just reducing your carbon footprint, but your dependence on the grid as well. Renewable energy can be in the form of solar panels or compact wind turbines. Moreover, modern technology allows these renewable power-generating sources to aesthetically blend in with your home without any of the usual drawbacks.
For instance, Kelowna construction companies can use solar shingles that look no different from regular shingles and provide the same power-generating capacity. On the other hand, compact wind turbines with ingenious blade designs don’t take up much of your roof space and are whisper-quiet while generating electricity.
5. Choose Sustainable Furniture
Want to make your home truly green, inside out? Once you have nailed sustainable flooring and drywall, it’s time to choose green furniture. Now, this one is tough. How do you tell green furniture apart from regular furniture? Should you chase furniture made from bamboo and cork?
However, if the bamboo is sourced from far away, it has to travel a great distance and burn a lot of fuel. Fortunately, there are a few certifications that can make your job easy. Similar to the EnergyStar label that tells you about the efficiency of home appliances, certifications like the BIFMA/ANSI E3 standard and the Cradle to Cradle Certification(C2C) tell you about the sustainability of furniture pieces.
Building a home is an exciting journey and when you choose sustainability as a design principle, it helps you take another step to make the planet greener and increase your long-term savings. As homeowners like you make these choices, it also sends positive signals to the market to develop more sustainable choices.
