Our sustainable home remodeling project is focused on improving the quality of life for our customers by reducing their carbon footprint, water usage, building material expenses, and more.
Taking on a home remodeling project—especially one on a sustainable scale—can be both exciting and unnerving. More so if it’s your first time taking on something of this scale.
However! Don’t let the anxiety get in the way of your dream space. Navigating the remodeling waters gets infinitely easier with some prep and research. Aside from securing a capable, reputable home remodeling contractor to guide you every step of the way, it’s important that you do your own planning way before you begin the remodel. This way, there are no last-minute changes, surprise expenses, and unwarranted modifications.
Here are three practical tips to get you started.
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Before Anything, Ask Yourself …
It’s okay. We get it; the prospect of giving your home a fresh new face—and a green one, at that—is exciting. You’ve probably got a whole host of home remodeling ideas that you can’t wait to execute.
But wait.
Before you jump in, take a step back. Look at your home remodeling project from a logistical perspective. Take into account what you want to do and measure it against your available resources, and then start asking yourself important questions.
- Is it feasibly possible to accomplish everything that you want given what you currently have?
- What are your priorities? Does everything have to be completed within one huge project, or can they be accomplished gradually, over time, through smaller, more sustainable projects?
- What do you want to achieve with this remodel?
Asking questions will better guide the decisions you make throughout the home remodeling process which, in turn, will lead to better results.
Small Steps Make Big Differences
Now that you have your questions, it’s time to find answers to them. Most of them, you can probably discuss with your home remodeler. The rest might require a bit of extensive research on your part.
Once you have the answers you need, you’ll find that they can start to shape and define the big picture that is your home remodel. The more defined that overarching picture is, the easier it will be for you to break it down into smaller steps. Then you can approach your remodeling plan through smaller, more manageable phases.
For instance, start with appliances: what rooms have appliances that you want to swap out for more energy-efficient models? Next, insulation: will the walls, windows, and doors be insulated? Can you handle insulating all three, or do you want to focus on just one? Finally, technology: are you thinking of installing solar technology or smart technology? If so, where? Which systems?
Taking small steps to reach your bigger goal is the most cost-efficient and time-efficient approach to a sustainable home remodel.
Don’t Demolish—Deconstruct
A lot of homeowners tend to jump the gun when home remodeling. They want to tear down walls, pull up floors, hollow out hallways, and empty rooms—all in the name of creating a new space.
Before you get a little demolition happy, we recommend taking a more deconstructive, rather than destructive, approach.
Walk around your home and see what is salvageable, reusable, and recyclable. Don’t like that coffee table in the living room? See if it would look better in the guest bedroom or hallway. Want to expand your kitchen? Rather than tearing down walls just to put up new ones, why not consider an open floor design? Ready to demolish the spare bedroom? Why not convert it into a home office or study room?
Deconstructing is a lot more eco-friendly than outright demolishing. It’s a lot more practical as well!
A few home remodelers offer regular educational seminars to help you understand the many facets of a remodel. Attending one of these sessions can assist in planning, as well as introduce you to a home remodeler you may want to talk to further (Or something to that effect, since we offer these seminars monthly.)
Any home remodeling project has an impact on the environment—and it’s largely positive. After all, the act of remodeling is a lot more sustainable than the act of building from scratch. It reduces material consumption and provides multiple opportunities for you to reuse or recycle existing components. This simply means that choosing to remodel your home into a more sustainable model is a smart, environmentally responsible step in the right direction.
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