We all want to do our bit for the environment. But when it comes to home upgrades, we can struggle to justify the costs if we don’t have a clear picture of just how they are going to change our lives for the better. When drawing up your home plans from scratch, making the decision to go eco-friendly can feel even more daunting still – especially if your project feels financially ambiguous.

So, we know that eco-friendly homes don’t cost the environment, but are they expensive to build? In this guide, we take a look at a few of the features that make a house eco-friendly – and just how much you can expect to spend on each one should you find yourself navigating the building of a new home.

Renewable Energy

By installing solar panels on the roof of your home, you can forgo the use of fossil fuels and rely solely on solar energy for electricity. Solar panels produce no greenhouse gasses, and have the potential to reduce your carbon emissions by 1,000 kg of CO2 each year.

As with any energy system, renewable or otherwise, solar panels come at a cost. For an average-sized home, most people opt to install a 4kW system, and prices for this size start at around $11,000 – although, this usually includes the installation cost as well as other fees.

While the upfront cost may seem scary, solar panels will save you plenty of money over time, as you’ll be spending less on energy bills. In fact, the larger the system of solar panels you install, the more cash you will save yourself – this is because a larger system has the capacity to convert more energy from the sun into electricity for your home.

Water Conservation

A big part of going green is conserving water, and while this can be achieved on a small scale by having shorter showers or turning off your tap between uses, it is best achieved through the installation of eco-friendly plumbing.

There are a few features that you can install to conserve water when building your home. For example, you could have a rainwater tank fitted beneath your house in order to catch rainfall which can then be harvested for use in your kitchen and bathroom. Similarly, you could fit your kitchen and bathrooms with water-saving taps, which will smartly reduce the amount of water released from the faucet, while still providing you with the feeling of a full stream of water.

Purchasing a rainwater tank can be pricey, as the installation may involve digging underground – unless you opt to position it in view next to your house. Most basic rainwater harvesting systems currently cost between $1,000 and $4,000. Water-saving taps can be found for around the same price as their less eco-friendly counterparts, so it’s worth shopping around for a good deal.

Natural Materials

To build an eco-friendly home, you’ll want to make use of natural materials rather than plastic sources that carry a higher carbon footprint. Of all the sustainable building materials that you can use, reclaimed and recycled wood tend to be among the most popular. As well as being renewable and recyclable, many people find that the use of wood makes for an aesthetically pleasing addition to their home.

When it comes to insulating your home with eco-friendly materials, you could make use of sheep’s wool, straw, hemp, or recycled insulation. As we know, the carbon footprint of natural materials is incredibly low. Hemp in particular is known as a carbon-negative material, meaning that it absorbs more carbon than it produces throughout the process of production, transportation, and installation.

It can be tough to put a price on wood used for building – after all, it really depends on the size of the home that you’re planning to build, and the type of wood that you want to use. As of 2023, the cost of lumber is around $500 per thousand board feet. Prices for hemp insulation are currently as low as $1.90 per square foot.

What’s the Damage?

Building any kind of home is expensive in itself, but when you’re doing your bit for the environment, the costs become worth it. Ultimately, you can make your eco-friendly home as expensive or affordable as you like – it all depends on your requirements, and what you’re expecting to get (and willing to sacrifice) for your money.
When planning your eco-friendly self build, it’s important to remember that while the project may put a dent in your wallet, it won’t be causing as much damage to the environment as a traditionally built home – making any and each expense truly worth the cost.

Author : Danni Wright

Cover image by Brad Weaver on Unsplash