If you’re building and designing your own home, now is the perfect time to consider incorporating green elements in your custom home design. Green home construction is a great way to minimize your environmental impact and save money on energy costs over time.
But though you may already have some great green home building ideas, there are several mistakes you can make when building and designing your own home. Here are a few common green home design mistakes to avoid:
Building a Massive House
The option to go big is often a major motivator for building and designing your own home, but don’t get carried away. A larger house with more space than you actually need will cost more to heat, cool and clean. It will also require more resources to build. No matter how you cut it, you put more strain on the environment by building an over-sized mansion. Build to your needs and try not to go overboard.
Not Thinking Ahead
Custom homes give you the unique opportunity to age in place instead of moving to a new home to maintain independence and mobility as you get older. Designing a home with open hallways, railings and minimal stairways ensures that you can live in your home for years to come, which places less stress on the environment over time.
Building in the Wrong Place
While building in the middle of nowhere does place you closer to nature, it also disrupts natural ecosystems and further clutters the world with markers of civilization. Try to build near an existing community so you remain within ecosystems that are already established.
Not Building in Green Energy Systems
It’s much cheaper and easier to incorporate something like solar energy right when you build a home, and it might even save you money on energy bills over time. Since solar energy systems require a lot of wiring and work better on certain roofing systems, it’s usually a good idea to plan on it before you start building. You should also choose efficient HVAC systems and appliances right off the bat rather than making green home improvements later.
Avoiding these mistakes is a great way to get the most out of your new custom home.
