Somos/Veer/Getty Images
READ MORE ABOUT:
While most homeowners are looking to expand their properties, on Renovation Nation, you'll see that the best thing you can do to go green during home repairs or renovations is to downsize whenever and wherever possible. In 1950, the average home size in the US was 950 square feet, while today the average home size in the US is 2400 square feet and is filled with far fewer people! The plethora of material that goes into building these nearly triple-sized homes as well as the energy needed to heat and cool these huge houses is extremely taxing on the environment.
If you are in the market for a new home, consider purchasing one with smaller or fewer rooms to conserve on energy costs. However, if you already own your home and are trying to go green with your next set of renovations, don't feel like you have to tear down a bedroom or a bathroom to green your property. There are many steps you can take to downsize your lifestyle and to shrink your eco-footprint in the process:
- Don't Duplicate. You can downsize in more ways than one. By selling or giving away anything you've got more than one of (or that you'll never use) you're keeping another person from going out and buying a newly manufactured version of that product, which helps the environment tremendously.
- Out of Sight, Out of Mind. If you've got one or two rooms in your home that hardly ever get used, downsize your home and its eco-footprint by shutting off the heating and cooling to these areas and keep the windows and door shut with the cracks sealed. Even if it's just a seasonal shutdown (like an unused sunroom in the winter), by pretending like the rooms aren't there your energy bills will be much lower.
- Stop Buying. One more way to downsize is to stop filling your home with more stuff! Do you really need all those plastic and battery-filled electronics that you may use once and then ignore? If you must have something, purchase used or rent the item… your wallet and your storage closets will be relieved.
- Go Digital. Downsize your paper trail and go paperless by requesting electronic statements, by paying your bills on line, and by using a computer-based fax machine. Tons of trees will thank you as you shrink your eco-footprint.
-
- {}
