Going Green – Benefits of Building an Eco-Friendly Home in the UK
As a general rule, it’s cheaper to build than to buy. You’ll need to have the right team and materials lined up, but many people make and save significant sums by building rather than buying. On top of this, there’s now the angle of going green. With a more sustainable build, the cost of living will be cheaper over time. This is buoyed by both the efficiency of the house as well as additional perks offered in the UK.
An average, an eco-friendly home will cut energy bills along by over 70 percent. This figure comes from turning an existing regular house into an eco-home. Starting with green and the forefront of a build will make everything even more cost-effective. So, what are the perks of building a green home, and what should you keep in mind to do so?
Boosts for Anyone Going Green
As part of its net-zero initiative, the UK government has put housing as a priority. Builders are now pushed towards building much more eco-friendly properties. Plus, people were being offered ways to save when upgrading to having greener homes. Government help isn’t as forthcoming these days. However, there are other ways to capitalize on green initiatives.
Still, there are ways to tap into a green-focused market. This is particularly true of lending. Now, if you’re looking to start a new build, you’ll need some money. If you’re already an owner of what’s maybe a not-so-eco-friendly home, you may be considering selling to fund the new build. With a platform that says "we buy homes for cash", you can get a bit more flexibility. As they don’t need to move in right away, you can pick the completion date.
From the outset, you’ll get a free cash offer within minutes and receive funds in seven days. So, you can know exactly what your build budget is without needing to quickly move to make way for the buyer. From here, with this cash, a new loan wouldn’t need to be as big. Plus, there are many lenders who will offer better rates for green builds. These could be high-street lenders or a specialized group, like the Ecology Building Society.
An Approach to Building Green
Starting from scratch is the perfect way to build the most optimized green home possible. You’ll get to choose the most efficient – and cost-effective – materials and energy solutions at every step. A strategy that’s caught on in recent years has been the Passivhaus design. With this at the core of your plans, you’ll aim to make the space heating energy requirement for each room be below 15 kWh/m2. It’s a good baseline to work from.
Next, you can start to delve into your insulation and air tightness. You can see how much natural light you want to let in to reduce the need for other energy sources. Top of the bill will be using sustainable materials. It’s always good to check that any materials purchased are sustainably sourced. In other areas, go for the natural pick, like with sheep’s wool, for example.
With an eco-friendly build and energy saving at the front of your designs, you can more cheaply build an idyllic green home. Best of all, over time, it’ll only become more desirable.
