Australia’s Sustainable Home Building Trends – The Top 6

See What Australia’s Top Sustainable Home Building Trends Look Like!

This is a Guest Post by Jessie Hogarth

Nowadays, homeowners are trying to focus on combining a healthy lifestyle with an eco-friendly building, so sustainable home building trends are booming! Natural and green elements are very desirable home trends, so it’s no surprise that many strive to have a stylish and comfortable home which costs less to run and it is easy to maintain.

Here are some of the green housing trends that are wowing Australia’s homeowners.

Sustainable Home Building Trend #1:- Passive Design / Carbon Neutral

Passive design (PassivHaus) is the design of a home to take advantage of natural light, and natural heating and cooling so that you save massively on energy bills – and of course you reduce your greenhouse gas emissions too, so it’s good for helping climate change.

A perfect Passive House is built from scratch, but you can add Passive features to your existing home, such as awnings to stop heat gain in Summer, and insulation to help maintain temperatures at a comfortable level year-round.

A well-designed home can be carbon-neutral, in other words, there is no net annual carbon emission from electricity or direct fuel combustion (burning fossil fuels or wood) thus making it green and efficient.

Sustainable Home Building Trend #2:- Water as the Green Essence

Australia is one of the driest continents on the planet so it’s no wonder that we should strive to preserve it. You can reduce the water consumption in your home by reducing laundry use, and using water-efficient shower heads and toilets.

Best of all, build a tank or a water well to store rainwater. With rainwater reserved in specially designated tanks, you can reduce your water bills and avoid water restrictions.

Sustainable Home Building Trend #3:- Renewable Energy

If you get your electricity from the “normal” grid, chances are that your electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels such as coal or oil.

Instead, add solar panels to your roof, or place a small wind turbine nearby.

Alternatively, some electricity suppliers source their electricity from renewable energy, so you could have the convenience of the grid, but know that your energy is green

Sustainable Home Building Trend #4:- Go Green – All Over

Plants, flowers and greenery all help to make a home feel more welcoming and warm, but they also add healthy vibes too, helping to purify the indoor air and uplift energy.

A lovely garden with wildflowers to attract pollinators like bees is always an asset to any home.

But if you don’t have much space for a garden, a booming trend is to build a green roof or an indoor green wall which improves thermal performance. Or make your own unique balcony garden, plant a private courtyard or make a mossed driveway.

Sustainable Home Building Trend #5:- Blending With The Outdoors

There has been an increasing shift these past few years in combining indoor and outdoor space. When you install glass sliding doors in a wall, you can open them wide and bring the outdoors in for a wonderfully airy feel.

Sustainable Home Building Trend #6:- Eco Decor

Blending recycled items with natural materials such as wood is not only trendy but also great for the environment.

Consider bamboo flooring as it is a renewable resource, grown with no fertilizers and little water. If your roof rafters are made of wood, consider exposing them for additional height in the room and greater airflow.

Green and Healthy Is Good!

Bearing in mind the amount of time we spend in our houses, it makes perfect sense to do everything in our power to ensure that it’s a healthy place to be. You can alter small characteristics in your home to make it more green and sustainable.

There is an ongoing shift in home building trend and with good reason. Since global warming is a daily issue we have to get smarter with our choices and implement better and efficient ways to get comfortable in our house, reduce costs and minimize our environmental footprint.

Did you know that people who live green are happier? They also have a more non-toxic life, and more time to spend on the important things in life. Find out how to live a simpler, greener life with this FREE ebook now! (Click the picture, or click here).

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What do you think of these home building trends? Let me know in the comments below.

Warm regards,

P.S.  Don’t forget to download your free green living handbook “Live Well, Live Green” here.

Related:

• Bamboo flooring is sustainable and beautiful!
• Make your bedroom a beautiful eco sanctuary