Cleaner living: What to consider when building a green home

With the rising need for more sustainable awareness and a bigger effort for cleaner, greener living, there are a lot of different routes to consider pursuing. For example, an increasingly popular option for people across the nation is to build their own property and embrace a more green construction lifestyle. This could be something to consider in the long term, especially since it gives you complete control over how sustainable your home actually is. 

Weigh up the options before finalising your construction plans – perhaps it could be worth investigating the clean, green options open to you. Here are some of the things that define a green home, giving you a wide breadth of choice when looking into building your own slice of Surfers Paradise property. 

What is a green building project?

The difference between a green building project and a regular construction site is that – from the very beginning – the environment takes top priority. What this means is that the various materials and practices used during the process are conducted with sustainability in mind, including the use of green materials and an awareness of reducing the amount of waste made during the process. 

Furthermore, the use of different technology and designs work towards creating a space that works to protect the environment right from its conception. The architectural design involved with these homes also works to create a healthy and productive environment for those living – or working – in the property. 

What are some of the differences in green building? 

Pursuing a green building project can be a fulfilling experience, especially if you're interested in helping reduce your carbon footprint and work toward creating a healthier Australia. But the first thing to decide on is whether you want to actually pursue a green building project. This is because the choice will affect even the earliest of planning stages, so you, your builders and designers all need to be on the same page before moving forward. 

For example, one design decision that could be on the table is about the placement of windows and the overall orientation of the house. This is because at certain angles, you can utilise the natural resource of sunlight to heat your home during the winter months, cutting down your reliance on traditional heating means while also reducing your overall power bill due to not needing to use things like heaters or heat pumps. 

Furthermore, discussing with your builders about the best practices to reduce the amount of waste being created works towards lowering your carbon output while also allowing you to more accurately budget the entire project.

What are the features of a green home?

Another major feature of green homes is the emphasis on recycling energy and water in the property. This comes in at a design level as well, with a number of solutions becoming popular across the nation. For example, incorporating solar panels into the overall design of the home – rather than adding them on at a later date – means they can appear less like an addition and more like an integral feature of the property. 

The implementation of water-recycling facilities can help to reduce the amount of money spent on your monthly bills while providing a degree of autonomy and self-sustainability in your home. With a filtration system, you can reuse water for multiple purposes – helping you get the most out of your home while saving you cash in the long term. 

These are just some of the benefits to looking into building a green home in Surfers Paradise. It could be worth discussing the options available to you with a professional real estate agent and make a decision about your future dwelling situation moving forward.