Our planet is changing, in the last few years, there were two wildfires that ravaged the homes and ecosystems of California and Australia. This may not seem important for people living in Mesa Arizona but if we do our part the world will be better for everyone. Here are some ways to make your home more environmentally friendly.
Energy usage is one of the biggest areas of improvement and it can be done all over your house. 
- Insulating your home and buying a programmable thermostat will ensure that you aren’t constantly changing the temperature which will save you money and energy.
- The lightbulbs in your home can save you a lot of energy if you are smart about them. Turn off your lights when you are not in the room, open up your curtains to use natural light instead of electricity, and switch to LED bulbs (which use less energy and last longer) when the old ones die.
- Research alternate forms of energy. You can even DIY your own solar or wind systems without breaking the bank.
Saving water is an easy way to be a little more eco-friendly, there are tons of easy DIY ways you can put in place right away.
- When washing your dishes skip the pre-rinse and instead scrape your dishes into the sink and put them in the washer. Modern dishwashers work well enough to handle left on food bits.
- Grab your wrenches and fix your leaky pipes. It may not seem like much but it can add up, in a year across the country leaks waste about 2 trillion gallons of water.
- Having a good soak in a tub is relaxing but it also ends up wasting a lot of water. A full bathtub can require about 70 gallons of water while a shower only needs about 25 gallons.
Related: Do Solar Panels Add to the Home’s Value?
Cutting down on waste doesn’t have to be complicated and you can do much more than just recycling your old plastic bottles and cans.
- Cut down on food waste by learning how to compost and use a product completely. Vegetable scraps and bones can be used to make stock for soups, eggshells and coffee grounds can be used as fertilizer.
- Go reusable by bringing cloth bags to the store and using metal or reusable plastic water bottles instead of single-use bottles.
- Use recycled products when renovating your house. You can buy salvaged wood and metal, and recycled glass instead of needing brand new materials. This will save energy and raw materials without compromising quality.
Doing your part to help the earth doesn’t have to mean living off the grid, there are plenty of ways to be eco-friendly at home.
Whether you’re fixing up your home for sale or just doing a little DIY, these can make your home more eco-friendly fairly inexpensively.