Home renovation doesn’t have to be all about design and style, or even increasing the value of your property. Instead, it is possible to combine both with green options that will help the environment as well as your pocket.

Most people renovate their home for one of two reasons: personal comfort or to increase value. However, by making some simple changes around environmentally friendly options, you can save money on your bills, or make your house more attractive to a modern-day buyer.

Water Saving

Water usage is one way in which the home can be made more efficient, with bathroom renovations at the forefront of the battle to save water. However, it’s not purely about adding a gadget or gizmo to your existing property. Making some subtle changes can decrease the amount of water you use and therefore save you money.

We suggested in our post The Eco-Friendly Home: Your Room by Room Guide’ that simply by installing a smaller sink, or a water-saving showerhead, you could make green improvements. A smaller sink will use less water, which in turn will save you money.

What about simply making a choice between a bath and a shower. If you're renovating your home why not take the bath out and put a walk-in shower in instead? A shower is a big design choice in Brazil, where according to Daily Infographic they shower up to 14 times a week, partly due to environmental issues.

But if you were to add a tech-enabled gadget, consider installing a leak detection tool to help save water. HomeServe highlights that the use of a smart water leak detector can provide valuable insights into your water usage and alert you about any possible leaks much more efficiently. Not only will it help you prevent costly damages down the line, but it also encourages you to do your part in reducing your household’s water usage, one of nature’s most valuable resources.

Ground Source Heat Pumps

Heating your house is one of the more costly elements of being a homeowner, but ground source heat pumps are becoming very popular in Scandinavia and across Europe. They use the earth’s natural heat to keep your home warm, cutting down on costs and impact on the environment.

Whilst they became very popular in Scandinavia, GSHPs (as they’re known) have slowly spread south through Europe, with a UK Government study expecting up to 320,000 installations in the country by the end of 2020.

While GSHPs are an exciting innovation with huge potential in some of the colder states of the U.S., installing one is not something that should be taken lightly. Experts recommend that homeowners get breakdown coverage, and if you do choose to go for a GSHP, then it would be wise to consider that advice. Adding value is one thing, but if green technology goes wrong, it could have the opposite effect and cost you a lot of money in the process to put it right.

Solar Panels

Solar panels are a major design decision to impose upon your home. They’ll be visible to everyone who visits and significantly alters the aesthetic of a property. However, as green issues become increasingly important to a generation, they’re also a symbol of your respect to those issues.

Asia have fully grasped the potential of solar energy, with an SHC report confirming that China accounted for 70% of the world’s installations in 2015. An article by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA ) explains how the U.S. is catching up quickly, with enough solar energy now being produced to power 3.5 million homes.

The market is advancing rapidly and many outlets offer bespoke designs to fit the current look of your property, as well as kits for different types of installation, whether it’s a trailer park home, off-grid project or a run of the mill house you’re looking to renovate.

For more design inspiration, be sure to keep abreast with everything by checking CADdetails on a regular basis.

Author: Mary J. Jamar

cover image © unsplash