HEALTHY & SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES APPLIED TO ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS BY OUR DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE TEAM:

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What is a more self-sufficient, healthy home and resilient lifestyle?

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Self-sufficient and healthier living doesn’t have to mean moving to a cabin in the woods and going back to basics. When you wish, our planning and design team will help you explore ways to not only plan, permit and build your home, but also how to set up your property to produce your own food, use less energy, live healthier and save money, no matter where you live. Self-sufficient homes usually supply all their own energy, water, sewer needs, and food – they are the ultimate in green living dwellings! A self-sufficient home is built from a large percentage of renewable and recycled products that are locally sourced. You can either start a self-sufficient home from scratch, or you can adopt changes to make your current home and business healthier and more self-sufficient. Our design & planning team advises on your many choices towards self reliance, from new construction to farm site and garden planning.

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Benefits of having a healthy and self-sufficient home:

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• Lower carbon footprint – It’s important that we take steps now to reduce our negative impact and help to sustain the environment for our future generations.

• Reduced energy costs – Rising electricity prices mean that average energy bills have soared over the past 10 years. Self-sufficient homes use solar power which costs far less than electricity from the grid. It also means that you will never be exposed to energy price rises again. Earth covered and super insulated building can reduce energy cost at least 75%.

• Bill-free lifestyle – Once your systems are in place and paid for, you will essentially have access to free electricity and water supply. This means that you should be able to live a bill-free lifestyle which creates financial freedom for you and your family.

• Higher property value – Buyers are increasingly seeing the benefits that self-sufficient homes offer, from lower running costs to a more sustainable way of living. Green homes now attract a much higher property value than their non-green counterparts.

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Ways to create a self-sufficient home?

Here are three things you should consider if you’re looking for ways to improve your home to be more self-sufficient.

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• Water management

Securing an independent water supply can be difficult. Drilling a well is one of the more obvious choices, but this is not always an option. Another idea is to collect rainwater and use it as a clean, renewable resource. The water can be pumped through a water filtration system and then used safely for everything. Or, you can simply collect rainwater in water storage tanks and then use it directly in the garden. Tanks For Everything, explain how “there are many benefits to storing rainwater, the main one being the saving made on metered water costs which can see up to 50% savings. Other key benefits to harvesting rainwater include contributing to reduced flood risks and lowering the load on combined sewer overflows improving river water quality.”

• Alternative electricity

The next step to creating a self-sufficient home is to switch to renewable energy, such as solar, hydro and wind power. Although the initial installation may seem costly, it is much more efficient, and is likely to save you money in the long run. Solar power experts. Solar is a clean, maintenance-free, energy source that will provide your home with electricity that has minimal harm on the environment when the proper equipment and systems are used. You also have the potential to earn an extra income with solar via the Feed-in Tariff in locations where this is offered. This is a government scheme where households with solar panels receive a payment for any electricity they generate and don’t use. This payment will eventually disappear as a government offering, so now is a great time to take advantage of this incentive and earn an extra income from solar!

• Food

Growing your own organic fruit and vegetables is a major step towards achieving a self-sufficient home. Although this will require effort and dedication, it is definitely worth it and a pleasurable pastime for many gardeners. Not only will this reduce your carbon footprint, but it will also save you money on groceries, and provide a healthier alternative for you and your family. With the recent increases in food costs and availability it is wise to have at least a three month supply of food  stored in your home so you are prepared for unforetold emergencies. When you grow more than you need canning, dehydrating and freezing is a self reliant choice. If you don’t have enough room in your garden to grow all your needs, then start small and choose a few of your favorite herbs or vegetables to grow. You could also look into renting a plot on a nearby allotment. Even if you only have a balcony and live in an apartment there are ways to optimizing your food growing and storing strategies.

Next steps:

You are most likely aware of the increases in the price of electricity, water, utilities, transport and building materials along with growing concerns for our environment and the effects of global warming. In response, more and more people are pursuing the idea of living in a self-sufficient home.  Making your home more self-sufficient and safe will save you money and is the ultimate way to minimize your environmental impact. All it takes is some dedication, grounded research, access to reliable advise and you will create your cost-efficient and healthier home. This professional design and planning team has years of experience building and living in resilient self sufficient environments and are happy to share their experiences, solutions and ongoing experiments. 

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