Do you have plans to build a new home in the near future or to renovate an existing one? Before you dive into the planning stages of your project, consider making your new home eco-friendly. Some people avoid looking into the green options because they believe it costs too much to go green but that’s not always the case. There are many affordable ways to make your home eco-friendly and designing a green home can actually save you money in the end.

We all know that going green will help the environment by reducing waste and conserving natural resources. What you may not know is that when you apply green living to your daily life, you make healthier choices that can also improve your quality of life so it has many benefits. First, let’s look at how spending a little extra upfront for an eco-friendly design can save you money.

How Designing A Green Home Can Save You Money

An eco-friendly design utilizes the environment in a way that will help to reduce the cost of heating and cooling the home. For example, homes are designed with large windows that face the sun. This allows natural light to shine in, which helps to heat the home in the winter reducing the amount of energy you consume on a daily basis. It’s also proven that natural light has a positive effective on your mood, so that’s an added advantage.

An energy efficient home will also include:

• Compact fluorescent lamps, energy-saving incandescent or LED lighting throughout the home
• Low flow showers, faucets and toilets that conserve water
• Energy efficient heating and cooling units
• Adequate insulation to hold in the heat and air
• Energy Star refrigerators, stoves, washing machines and dryers

An experienced Miami interior designer can help you create a floor plan that takes advantage of your environment. She will also help you choose the best appliances and other energy saving products within the home. All of these will reduce your energy consumption and save you money on utility bills. The savings can really add up after awhile but that’s just the beginning of the benefits you can enjoy by choosing a green design for your next major home project.

Eco-friendly Materials are Healthier

When you use eco friendly materials to build your home, you’re making the choice to live healthier. For example, eco-friendly fabrics such as hemp, organic cotton, wool and bamboo don’t contain harmful pesticides or herbicides along with many other chemicals that are bad for you.

Eco-friendly paints are also free of toxic chemicals such as volatile organic compounds (VOC) that can contribute to asthma, allergies and similar respiratory conditions. You can breathe easy and have just as many color options as you do with regular paint.

Building a home with an eco friendly design is better for the environment and your health. It also increases the value of your home so if you ever decided to sell, it would bring in more revenue. The benefits are definitely worth the extra cost upfront to have a green home.