Making Your Home Sustainable

Saving Money Whilst Saving the Planet

As the trend towards becoming sustainable becomes ever more forceful, technology is allowing any homeowner to take steps towards making their home greener and more sustainable. This means you can save money on all of your bills whilst reducing the impact that each one of your properties has on the planet. And, what’s more, you can turn this into a selling point. Climate change and the destruction of the planet is such a global issue that making steps towards sustainability is bound to draw in customers. No guest is ever going to be opposed to staying somewhere sustainable and less wasteful, so long as their trip is not affected, you only going to add to the appeal of your property. Some small additions and suggestions for your guests is all you need to make a start towards becoming more sustainable.

And these don’t have to be a list of rules that you rigidly make your guests stick to, but just ways to naturally help your guests make your properties more sustainable. We’ve collected some of the best ways you can make your house more sustainable and cost efficient without disrupting your guests’ idea of a dream holiday.

Solar Panels
A big initial investment, solar panels can seem like a major undertaking. However, the price has dropped 60% since 2011 and they will eventually pay for themselves. The average saving on electricity is $84 per month. As well as this, they can also help you reduce the carbon footprint of your house by 35,180 pounds of carbon dioxide, every single year. Many governments even offer subsidies and tax breaks for houses adding solar power.

Roof Gardens
This suggestion obviously comes with a rather big proviso that you have a roof to create a garden. If not, there are other spaces where you can add greenery. Window sills and balconies are great places to add a small selection of herbs. Filling  an open space with plants and flowers offer natural shade, help regenerate the air and will make your property seem so much appealing in your photos. It also goes a long way in making the right impression when your guests enter.

Irrigation
Storing water and re-routing potential wastewater to plants and gardens will help you and your guests to cut down on waste. A rain storage system is the best way to get started and you can even create a system that collects the water from your roof, giving you plenty to use on your plants and garden.  

Permaculture
Permaculture is a philosophy of working with nature, rather than against it. Caring for the Earth, caring for people and returning the surplus of the things you don’t need. One of the major tenets is that people should aim to catch and store energy.

Recycling
Separate, clearly labeled bins is all you really need here. Recycling is the norm in most places now but if your guests are faced with an unfamiliar city, instructions in a foreign language, it’s not hard to blame people for reverting to throwing things away. A clear guide to where glass and plastics are put will see that as much waste as possible is reused.

Composting
This is another one for all you gardeners out there. A hearty compost heap will provide nutrients for the rest of your garden whilst helping you get rid of waste from your kitchen. You can read a complete guide to getting your heap started here.

These tips will allow you to make your home sustainable and reduce your operating costs in each of your properties. Going green is more than just a current trend, it is going to be a major part of making your business sustainable, too, as more and more consumers choose not to use products or services that have a large impact on the planet. However, beware of appearing to ‘Greenwash’ your property. This is the process of making just superficial concessions to your business in order to show off your green credentials. The changes have to come first, or your customers will notice. Going green is good news for you, your guests and the planet. Now is the perfect time to start.

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