6 Ways to Go Green in Your Home
Whether you’re shopping for a new home or just want to spruce up your old one, lowering your carbon footprint and making your home a little greener is a worthwhile investment. An eco-friendly house is more likely to attract buyers looking for real estate in Montrose, CO, and green upgrades will save you money on your utility bills for as long as you live there.
Try these green home improvements to make your home more environmentally friendly:
1. Cool the Roof
If you can have solar panels installed on your roof, go for it! You may be able to get most or all of your electricity from this renewable resource. Even if you can’t, upgrading your roof to a cooler one can help green up your house. Consider white or reflective “cool roof” coatings to lower your energy use by keeping the sun’s heat out.
2. Add Insulation
This isn’t one of the most exciting projects, because insulation is hidden in your walls and in your attic. However, proper air sealing and insulation can cut your heating and cooling bills in half. Best of all, you may even be eligible for rebates or subsidies for these green projects.
3. Replace the Windows
If your house has drafty old windows, replacing them will also provide serious savings on your utility bills. This project is a little more fun, since you can choose the color and style of your new windows to reflect your taste while buttoning up your home from the elements.
4. Cut Water Waste
If your toilets and shower heads are older, they’re probably wasting water. New toilets use only 1.6 gallons per flush, compared to 2.5 gallons for ones built before 1992. In addition to replacing your toilet, try installing a low-flow shower head and sink aerators to save even more water.
5. Decorate With Found Objects
Few things are as satisfying as remodeling a room, but gutting your kitchen ends up sending a lot of material to the landfill. Try using salvaged wood, hardware and other materials from older homes that you can find in a salvage yard or resale store. These items can add real character while being completely environmentally friendly.
When you remodel with an eye towards using eco-friendly materials and making your home a more energy-efficient place, you’ll feel great about your project and know you’re doing the right thing for a more sustainable lifestyle.
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Copyright 2017-2021 Keller Williams Colorado West Realty, LLC. If you have a brokerage relationship with another agency, this is not intended as a solicitation. Equal opportunity housing provider. Each office is independently owned and operated. For sale by owner data not included in research findings. Sales data reflects sales from homes not limited to the Atha Team LLC. This information was gathered from Keller Williams, The National Association of Realtor, CoreLogic data analysis firm, Montrose Association of Realtors, and the Mortgage Brokers Association. This data is considered accurate, but is not guaranteed. Copyright Atha Team LLC 2017-2021. All Rights Reserved.