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Home renovations are the cosmetic changes that can be made to a home. This can be something as simple as painting your walls, or something more complex like installing a new bath/shower in the bathroom. On the other hand, home remodels are changes that alter the purpose of a room or add on another room altogether. 
Examples of remodels include finishing a basement or attic to make it into a livable space. Any of these changes can add value to your property, but there’s something else that will dramatically increase your property’s value: environmentally friendly changes, whether they’re a part of a renovation or a remodel.
Many roofs are made of asphalt and can last 20 to 25 years. While this is both an inexpensive and durable option, asphalt can take up to 400 years to break down! If you’re looking for a more environmentally friendly roofing option, consider metal roofing, solar shingles, or recycled roofing materials.
Most metal roofing material is made up of recycled metal, plus metal reflects the sun’s rays and keeps your home cooler in the warmer months— eliminating the need to run the air conditioner at lower temperatures and more often. So consider metal roofing (it can sometimes be installed over your current roof), which is a nice combination of using recycled materials and being as energy efficient as solar shingles/panels.
While real hardwood is a green flooring option, it takes many trees to create this type of flooring. On the other hand, cork flooring can be extracted from one tree for 200 years, making it a more sustainable option. Bamboo flooring is another great option because bamboo trees can be replenished at a much faster rate than other trees.
Other sustainable flooring options for your home include linoleum, glass tiles, concrete, rubber, and leather. If you prefer carpet over hard floors, consider carpet made of wool or other natural materials.
The most eco-friendly source of light to come by is natural sunlight itself. Instead of turning on several lights during the day, open up your curtains and blinds to let in natural sunlight. Another trick to help enhance the natural light is to strategically place mirrors and other reflective surfaces to help spread the light around.
The only downside to this option is that letting in sunlight also lets in heat, which can be troublesome in hotter months. Another eco-friendly option is to switch to LED light bulbs, which use significantly less energy and last longer than incandescent light bulbs, also saving money on energy in the process.
One of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint in your home is to switch to smart devices that also save energy. Because smart devices are already seen in our daily lives, this switch won’t be too difficult for most people. Consider getting low-flow appliances in your bathroom to help save water and energy-efficient kitchen and laundry room appliances to help save energy.
You can also get things like smart plugs for the rest of your home and a smart thermostat to prevent overrunning your heat or air conditioner. Not only do these smart devices increase the value of your home, but are also great options if you’re investing in vacation rental property because these eco-friendly upgrades are very desirable among renters.
Even trying just one of these eco-friendly options will drastically save natural resources and save money. So if you’re a homeowner, the owner of a vacation rental, other residential property, or commercial property, consider some of these changes to your property for a more environmentally friendly dwelling/building.
As a property/business owner, those doing business with you will be glad to know that you’re environmentally conscious, and as a homeowner, you can feel good about reducing your carbon footprint.
