Turning a House into a Green Home: Advanced Homesteading

Plan for a greener home

Years ago, the initial roadblock to our turning our house into a green home was the cost. We lived in a 1920s cape near downtown on a 1/4 acre lot. When green technology was first becoming accessible, it was simply cost prohibitive for many folks, myself included.

However, with the popularity and logic catching on, prices have dropped for improvements so now the only thing stalling most people is knowledge. For us, we bought our homestead last year with the elements already intact. Being totally off the grid, we have a solar array and battery bank, a 650 foot well, wood pellet stove in basement and a propane tank for the little extra back up.

Reducing Carbon Footprint of a Green Home

A green home is designed with two primary goals in mind. The first is by reducing carbon footprint of living with the environment, and the second is a personal removal from the consumer cycle of waste and repeat. Each year, millions of people dedicate themselves to a green living lifestyle, and starting at the home is the perfect place to create an impact.

 Small habit changes like turning off lights when not in use are a great foundation to build from. Another step would be remodeling your bathrooms and putting in composting toilets. Some folks go a step further and redesign their landscaping to not only cool their homes naturally from shade, but also to replace water and chemical fertilizer dependent lawns.

Alternative Energy For Reducing Carbon Footprint

Solar panels are less expensive these days

One significant component of a green home is how energy is generated and consumed. Removing our family from the industrial power grid and switching to solar, wind, or geothermal not only reduces the usage of fossil fuels, but also lowers our budgeted energy costs to nothing if the switch is complete.

By reducing carbon footprint with alternative energy, we will be one step closer to lessening the environmental impact of your home.

The most popular alternative energy solution is solar. It was our choice from the get go. In fact, some solar power enthusiasts remain hooked up to the grid even if they don't use any commercially produced electricity for the simple fact they can can sell their extra energy right back to the old power suppliers. This brings in extra income on top of the green home produced power.

Environmentally Sound Living 

Try drying laundry outside

Another way to begin creating a green home is investigating the structural elements of where you live. Old windows don't process sunlight efficiently and reduce heat retention in the winter. Those old frames can be a bear when it comes to keeping drafts under control. Replacing windows with double-paned insulated products will further reduce your energy consumption.

To think green, a person simply needs to continually seek opportunities for reducing a carbon footprint. Rome wasn't built in a day, so each new discovery brings you and your family closer to a creating an earth-friendly green home.

We love sharing our homesteading and green home adventures with you all, and truly enjoy hearing your stories. Please join the conversation below with your practices or reducing carbon footprint living, and don't forget to subscribe for more daily homesteading goodness!