Thinking of Building Your Own Eco Dream Home?

There are few things more rewarding than planning and building your dream home. If you are focused on making your home eco-friendly, the rewards can be even more satisfying. Here are some specifics you’ll want to keep in mind if you decide to go the eco-friendly route in you house-building efforts.

First, you need to decide how far you want to go in being environmentally friendly. Do you want your home to be 100 percent green, or maybe only 75 or 50 percent?

To help answer this question, ask yourself why you are wanting to build an eco dream home. Is it because you believe a natural lifestyle is healthier? Do you care about the environment and want to protect it?

You may want a house that is entirely natural and even primitive, or you may want a traditional home with green features. How you address these questions will help you to get a grasp on how far you want your eco dream home to go.

Building Materials

Many natural building materials available, some tried and true, others experimental. Rammed or poured earth, straw bale construction, and even the earth itself (as in digging a home into a hillside) are all natural materials for building.

For roofing, you can plant a green roof, which is a roof that is made from soil and vegetation. You can also use green versions of traditional roofing materials, such as slate or recycled metal.

Location

Of course, location is vital in any real estate venture; but with an eco-friendly home, there are some special considerations.

For example, if you want your home to be solar-powered, you have to be sure that your home’s location receives the appropriate amount of sunlight.

The same would be true for wind or water power as well. Also, you want to make sure that no important natural habitat would be destroyed by your building efforts.

Landscaping

Choose native plants for your landscaping as much as possible. Native plants will not “escape” into surrounding eco-systems and become invasive, and because they are adapted to your local area, they are hearty and low-maintenance.

Think about function with your landscaping, too – plant shade trees (if you are not going solar) to keep your home cool in the summer, or plant a barrier of dense vegetation to keep winter winds at bay.

Planning and Design

You may find that you need the opinion and experience of an expert in planning your eco-friendy dream home. You can find architects and architectural planning businesses that specialize in green home building. Check the Internet for one near you.

And while you’re on the Internet, you can actually find plans online for an eco-friendly home. Other sites offer building plans and design options that you can look at right from your computer.

Utilities

Living off the grid is a goal for the eco home. If that is not possible, then energy- and water-saving appliances should be installed.

Consider solar panels for a significant percentage of your home’s power, and look into a tankless water heater and a low-flow or dual-flush toilet and low-flow faucets to save water. It is possible to install toilets that use no water at all – composting and incinerating models are available.

With some strategic planning, your eco-friendly dream home can become reality.

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