Renovations are fun when they’re done, as you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. However, while they’re happening, they can carve a Grand Canyon through your wallet and the last of your patience.
When you over-invest your capital, the chances of one day turning a profit on your home’s sale soon disappear — unless you upgrade with the golden rules of revamping in mind. Today’s buyers want a property that offers them sustainability and savings, and your renovations must deliver.
Here are eight eco-chic home renovation ideas that pay for themselves.
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What Is an Eco-Friendly Renovation?
An eco-chic or eco-friendly renovation is a repair or improvement to your property that is sustainably sourced and implemented. It means you don’t create pollution or support businesses that do. For your renovation to be eco-friendly, you must buy local and only from certified sustainable sources where possible.
You should plan your renovation from start to finish to ensure it’s sustainable. Also, consider where you’ll store waste materials, how you will dispose of garbage, and how you will ensure your labor and work efforts don’t damage the local ecology.
Energy-saving renovations can get you an updated home energy score, which rates your electrical use and conservation. It helps you assess your monthly savings and draws eco-conscious buyers.
Profitable Home Renovation Golden Rules
A renovation aims to increase your home’s selling price one day, increasing the profit in your pocket. Ensure profitability by restricting spending and considering the market value of properties in your area.
The golden rules of profitable renovations are:
- Make it clean: Buyers want to move into a clean, hygienic property that is waste-free and safe from harmful chemicals.
- Add functional improvements: Ensuring all parts of the property work as intended is another plus point that keeps buyers interested.
- Be energy-efficient: Buyers want energy-efficient homes due to rising utility costs. They don’t want to invest more capital and deal with time-consuming renovations and improvements.
Focus on renovations that repair broken sections of your property. Improvement value includes upgrades and maintenance. Even the property’s hygiene can determine if your renovation is profitable.
Choose an eco-friendly renovation. Balance a focus on profit with sustainability and responsible consumerism.
8 Profitable Eco-Chic Home Renovations
Plan your home renovation projects with as much detail as you can. Effective planning ensures you don’t come in over budget. It prevents getting halfway through a remodel and running out of money or finding you lack the skills to complete the project.
These are the best and most profitable ways to renovate your home while protecting Mother Nature:
1. Do a Deep Clean
You may think a renovation means building and repairing, but the best place to start is a deep clean. When planning this project, factor into your budget that you’ll use eco-friendly supplies and tools. Ensure you leave no grime or “crimes” against your local wildlife.
Invest in quality pressure sprayers or rent from a local company. Check to see which organic and environmentally friendly soaps it recommends. Your deep clean checklist could look something like this:
- Assess all stains and soiled areas that need cleaning.
- Consider the type of stains that need removing.
- List all the tools you have available and which you’d need to purchase or rent.
- Arrange for extra labor or support from family and friends to make the cleaning go quicker.
- Plan which areas to clean first, considering run-off and drying times.
Some areas that are usually in need of a deep clean include:
- The stove and kitchen
- The attic and roof space
- The basement
- The driveway
- The garage
- The outside and perimeter walls
- Garden sheds
- The drain system
- The HVAC
Some areas may require professional cleaning, such as the HVAC system, where the necessary equipment could be too expensive to rent. Always consider whether renting, hiring someone or buying the required equipment is cheaper. See if friends and family can loan you equipment for a cleaning job.
2. Fix Your Roof
Nobody wants to move into a property with a leaky roof. When the rainy season passes, repair broken shingles or tiles, clean and fix gutters, and check for leaks. You can do the job yourself, but remember that roof repairs can be specialized. Be honest about your skill set.
Part of an eco-friendly roof repair is also to check for local birds nesting in your roof or chimney. Some birds can cause severe damage to the roofline and eaves. Wait until the nesting season ends so there are no eggs or chicks. Remove the nests before closing up the area where they were.
If it’s within your budget, provide a safe nesting space in trees away from the house or buildings. Feed the birds near the new site to encourage them to “invest” in their new home and leave yours alone.
Remember that local laws protect some bird species. Removing or harming them can land you jail time. If you’re unsure, consult with your local parks and wildlife official.
3. Repair Your Garage Door
Ensuring your garage door works optimally is a reasonably inexpensive fix. Have a local company complete the maintenance or install a new one if necessary. A garage door should be serviced once yearly to prevent major issues, and upgrading a dated model adds value to your home.
Homes with quality automated garage doors are popular. This industry grew to $3.36 billion in 2023 and shows signs of further growth.
4. Install High-Efficiency Windows
Assess the quality of your existing windows and doors. Ensuring insulation and hinges are in top condition can reduce heat loss and improve your home’s microclimate. Check whether your windows are double-glazed. Replace them with energy-efficient options or those with an Energy Star rating.
Reducing your home’s heat loss also decreases the need for internal heating in winter or cooling in summer. This lessens your reliance on electrical systems like HVAC and air conditioners. Not needing air conditioners reduces the production of harmful refrigerants that contribute to greenhouse gases.
5. Add Graywater and Rainwater Systems
Fresh water is a finite resource in high demand, so recycling it is an ideal eco-chic renovation idea. The U.S. ranks as one of the highest municipal water consumers globally. Graywater systems reduce wastage by redirecting water from the basin and bath drains to your lawn for reuse. Rainwater systems collect rainfall to pump back to specific taps for laundry, pools and irrigation systems.
Add a water storage system, and your family will thank you. Your property value will also get a nice boost. Saving and reusing water is an excellent way to do your bit for the planet.
6. Consider Water-Wise Landscaping
Some plants demand loads of water daily, and while a lush yard is lovely, the cost of watering it isn’t. Changing your property landscaping to include water-wise plants helps reduce your consumption.
Consider adding water-saving irrigation systems that feed plants with drip irrigation. Set automated timers to only do so after dark.
7. Utilize LED and Solar Lighting
Using energy-saving bulbs, such as LEDs and halogens, cuts utility bills. It’s a fabulous green renovation. Consider changing outdoor fence post lights to solar to reduce your reliance on the power grid.
8. Go Solar
Speaking of solar, why not install your own solar grid? Many home solar kits are modular today, so you can expand them when you have money to add more panels or batteries. More than 25 million households already use solar energy generation.
Eventually, your home could tempt buyers with the promise of off-grid living.
Make the Most of Eco-Chic Renovations
When renovating your home, keep your budget, nature and potential return on investment in mind. Your goal is to turn a nice profit one day, but until you sell, you want to benefit from all these amazing renovations, too.