Making Your Custom Home Sustainable

One of the biggest misconceptions about those who are looking to build their dream home is that they have money to waste. They can obviously afford to build a custom home, so money is definitely not a concern, right? This couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only are custom home buyers often working on a tight budget, but many of them are very conscious about waste and its effect on the environment.

For the custom home buyers who are keeping an eye on their expenses, it is usually advantageous to incur upfront costs on sustainable features in order to save more money down the road. The most glaring example is the addition of solar panels, but there are a number of other ways that you can optimize your home to be efficient, both financially and environmentally.

TANKLESS WATER HEATERS

The number of benefits of installing a tankless water heater far outweighs the initial cost of the product. They are much more energy efficient than traditional water heaters and it will drastically cut down on your water usage as you won’t have to wait as long for hot water. They also last about twice as long as traditional water heaters and they take up much less space.

DUAL FLUSH TOILETS

With more than 80% of the toilets that are sold in North American being dual flush, it is safe to say they are no longer the future, but more the present. These toilets save almost two gallons per flush, accounting for literally trillions of gallons saved since their inception. They cut down on your water bill, and if you live in places like California or Arizona, where there’s a water supply crisis, they are a must-have to do your part in conservation.

NATURAL LIGHTING

The design of your custom home, in itself, is another way to save money and energy.  Adding additional windows to allow for more natural light can considerably cut down on your monthly electric bill. The evolution of modern architecture has made way for concepts like full-glass facades and storefront glass systems to provide natural daylighting in buildings. These features can be complemented by automated shades that limit the amount of natural light and cut down on energy costs for buildings that get direct sunlight.