Despite popular belief, going green within your home doesn’t necessarily have to come with some sort of massive price tag.

The fact remains that the benefits of an eco-friendly home far outweigh the drawbacks for savvy builders and DIYers. Such benefits include…

• Saving money in the long-run: green homes are proven to keep money in your pocket over time despite the upfront cost of upgrading
• Keeping up with the times: eco-friendly upgrades for homes are becoming the norm and likewise mesh with the idea of keeping your house more modern
• Peace of mind: simply put, you should take pride is lessening your environmental footprint

Whether you’re looking to start from scratch and build new or you’re simply sprucing up your current space, there are plenty of ways to go green without spending too much green. Keep the following four solutions and ideas in the back of your mind.

Start with a Kit

If you’re on the hunt for a truly eco-friendly space, consider taking a truly DIY approach. You can build quonset hut homes and tiny homes for a much lower cost than a traditional home. Furthermore, the benefits of such a space from an environmental perspective are three-fold:

• They take up less real estate: smaller homes obviously are less environmentally and financially demanding
• They’re easy to build and manage with much less upkeep than an oversized residence
• You can customize your space from the start, meaning that you can choose green and sustainable materials for the interior or exterior rather than replace what you already have

Rethink Your Thermostat

Perhaps one of the simplest fixes, thermostats that automatically adjust and change your home’s temperature while you’re away are great investments. The amount of energy the public wastes on any given day is absolutely insane, especially if you live somewhere with a harsh climate. When you put your AC on autopilot, you undoubtedly save money and stress less as you don’t have to be so vigilant over the thermostat.

Keep cool the smart way

Your home could quite literally be leaking money if you’re dealing with old-school windows that either don’t fit properly or are poorly made. Older windows are often guilty of acting like a greenhouse, trapping heat in your energy, causing cause your energy bill to rise as you’ll have to use the air conditioner more. On the flip side, eco-friendly windows and shades help to minimize the greenhouse effect, letting keep your home cool won’t break the bank.

If you do have to break out the air conditioner, make sure to get an eco-friendly model. If you already have a unit then make sure to clean it thoroughly yourself, or hire a HVAC service like Right On (visit web site here) to do it for you. AC units build up a lot of dust when in use, which makes them less energy efficient as time goes on. To get to your desired temperature, a clogged unit can run around 1-5 minutes longer than one that is clean. Shocking!

Stick with “Sustainable Materials”

Materials are everything when it comes to building a green space. As it should come as no surprise, natural and organic materials are your best friend if you’re trying to be environmentally conscious of your next construction project. Stick with materials such as bamboo, wood and recycled plastic if possible.

Many of these materials can be purchased secondhand and at the fraction of the cost of newer, less eco-friendly materials.

Price shouldn’t hold you back from having a more environmentally friendly home, should it? Rather than be burdened by your budget, use these tips to create the home of your dreams while going green in the process.