Thinking about renovating your home? It’s also a great opportunity to make your apartment or townhouse more eco-friendly! Sustainability won’t just save on energy costs, but it also improves the health of your indoor and outdoor environment – and our planet. Not sure where to begin? Here are five ways to incorporate eco-friendly choices in your renovation.
LED lighting
Using regular light bulbs can quickly increase your energy costs, but when you switch them out for LED lighting you can easily dial that dollar amount down. LED lights are almost 80% more efficient than traditional lighting, and only 5% is wasted as heat – plus they last longer too. With the latest smart technology, you can divide up your lights and turn them on or off separately, or make them dimmable to create different ambiances.
Energy-saving appliances
If a kitchen renovation is on your mind, it’s totally worth it to buy and install new kitchen appliances, such as a refrigerator, dishwasher, and / or stovetop. Together with a washer / dryer, they can make up almost 20% of your total utility costs, whereas newer models often use less energy and are sold in every price range. One of the biggest improvements you can make is switching out a gas stove for an electric or inductive stove because, with the latter, you can heat a pan without losing a substantial amount of heat.
Low water flow technologies
Since flushing the toilet makes up for around 30% of your total water usage a day, it’s not a bad idea to think about installing high-efficiency toilets. You can reduce this percentage easily by, for example, using a dual-flush toilet. There are also ‘smart’ faucets on the market that turn themselves off and thereby save water – perfect for when you got children who often forget to shut the faucet off. Another feature of these smart faucets is the ability to alert you when the water is hot enough so you don’t have to let the water run until it reaches the ideal temperature.
Renewable energy
Of course you can select green energy options and think you’ve done enough, but why not go one step further and install solar panels? Yes, it’s an expensive investment, but after only 4-6 years you’ll earn the investment back in terms of energy savings. Installing solar panels is an option for many owners and even for some renters in NYC – just make sure you have a roof that’s not shaded by higher buildings around you! It’s even possible for shared roofs or landmarks, although you should expect a lengthy approval process.
Reclaimed materials
Ever thought about repurposing old materials instead of throwing them out? During a renovation, you might come across beautiful materials that can be reused in one form or another. For example, that old wooden floor can be used to build shelving or cabinets. Repurposing materials is incredibly eco-friendly as the harm has already been done and you won’t be using any new natural materials. There are also a bunch of organizations that pick up construction and demolition materials and sell it (or donate it to charity).
With these tips in mind, you can start renovating your home for both yourself and Mother Earth. Any questions? Click here or call 646.681.5272 with your questions to speak with an agent from Platinum Properties! We’re standing by to help you through every step of the real estate process, whether that’s guiding your rental search, selling or buying a home, or anything in between.
