Sustainable Home Checklist: Simple Green. Easy & Economical
Simple Green. Easy & Economical
Anyone can do these.
- Timers for irrigation and outdoor light systems
- Rain barrel or water cistern to capture water
- Organic fertilizers
- Composting
- Mulch or wood chips
- Use of native plants/ Elimination of invasive
- Group plants by water needs
- Deep rooted plants (they take less water overall)
- Reduction of grass size
- Pest resistant plants
- Natural animal repellant plants
- Trees for wind blocking (to prevent soil/mulch erosion) and shade to naturally cool your home.
- Set mower to 3 inches to allow for pollination
- Use low VOC paint for less toxic air
- Recycle old materials, or even old furniture by giving it a facelift or donating instead of tossing.
- Use HEPA air filters
- Replace all main lights with LED
- Use solar or LED for all garden and cafe lighting
- Install dimmers on lights
- Utilize motion sensors
- Power Strips to prevent a phantom load
- Clean refrigerator coils
- Weather strip doors
- Caulk window trim
- Repair window glazing
- Putty around window panels
- Remove shrubs at foundation (anything too close to the house can go into the foundation with its root system)
- Aerators on faucets
- Wrap hot water heater, pipes
- Dual flush toilet controls
- Fix leaks
- Low-flow shower head
- Programmable thermostat (smart thermostat)
- Thermal drapes (blackout curtains, or UV filtering)
- Clean air filters often
- Seal ducts
What do real estate, community, and sustainability have in common? Everything.
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