Does it feel like your home is seriously lacking in terms of space? Does it feel like you are all living on top of each other and you’re in desperate need of a little breathing room? While a home expansion project could certainly be the answer to your problems, for those who are trying to live a more eco-friendly and conscious lifestyle, it may not be the best plan. All of the materials used to create that expansion don’t necessarily fit into your eco-friendly mantra – or do they?
Before you make any decisions on a home expansion, take a look at these four tips that will make it possible to get more space in an eco-friendly manner.
Finish the Basement
One of the easiest ways to add livable space to your home in an eco-friendly manner is to finish the basement. If your home has a basement that is still unfinished, simply completing this space will make a massive difference without changing the footprint of the home. You aren’t using more land, you aren’t changing the exterior and building up, so it really is the simplest solution.
Depending on the size of your basement and your budget, you may not even need to finish the entire thing, rather just part of the space.
Building an Addition
If you need to build an addition, pushing the house further into your yard, there are tips you can use to go about things in the most eco-friendly manner possible. Ideally, you want to make the space as functional and compact as possible so you don’t have to take too much from your yard. The materials you use also deserve careful consideration.
Any time you can use natural and sustainable materials is always a good thing. You can also make use of reclaimed and recycled pieces in your design in order to cut down on waste. Take for example reclaimed wood that you can repurpose and use in your furniture, shelving, trims, fireplace mantle, and so forth. Even things like reclaimed tin are great for decorative backsplashes and ceilings. It’s really about putting on your creative design cap.
Knock It Down and Start from Scratch
Sometimes the only solution will be to knock the house down and build from scratch, making it higher rather than taking up more of a footprint. This is ideal for people who don’t have a lot of property to start with and want to ensure they keep the surrounding nature as-is.
Of course, this solution tends to be the most expensive since you’re starting from scratch. When you are knocking down the old house, try to save as many materials and fixtures as possible as you can re-use them in the new space.
Consider a Container Home
Here’s a solution that isn’t necessarily an expansion, but can give you more space and allows you to design a home from scratch. Container homes are gaining popularity and for good reason. These homes make use of already existing and decommissioned containers, which means you are recycling and making an eco-friendly decision. You can view the containers as a blank space really, placing many containers next to each other and even stacking them to create something unique and spacious.
The key to a successful container home is making sure you work with a design concept that makes sense for your lifestyle and your needs.
An Eco-Friendly Expansion is Possible
So, as you can clearly see, an eco-friendly home expansion project is more than possible, it just requires careful planning, research, and a solid design concept.
Image: Artur Lysyuk