Is Renovating or a New Build Better for the Planet?

There are loads of issues that you have to take into consideration if you are serious about sustainability. You must focus on creating a building that is going to be zero waste and energy efficient. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to know how to go about that.

In a world where energy-efficient and sensitive to the environment is becoming more necessary than ever, reusing and upcycling is gaining popularity. More and more people are buying second-hand clothes, furniture and other items to stop creating waste and increase the life cycle of things that have already been manufactured.
The question is, how far can the concept of reusing things be taken? For example, renovating and remodeling an old home would be better than building an entirely new property. You need to build additions or make renovations to your eco-friendly house carefully. This is a question many people have, and today we’re going to explore this and determine the best way to have a great home without harming the environment.

In theory, buying an old home and bringing it up to the modern era should be better for the environment. Less building materials would go into it and require less funding, so it surely must be better, right?

The answer isn’t that simple or straightforward. In many ways, a remodel can be worse for sustainability. So, how do the two different options match up when it comes to what’s better for our planet?

New Materials and Innovations Making Sustainability More Accessible

It’s safe to say that we collectively have more innovations and new ideas than ever before in terms of sustainable technologies. When it comes to understanding what’s good for the planet, we know more than we did decades ago, which means that homes that are built now will be way more sustainable than what was built a long time ago. Along with this, building regulations have also shifted to ensure that energy and the materials being used for the building are carefully considered.

So, if you were to purchase an older house, you might incur more costs because it will need to be brought up to today’s codes. It might not always be as easy as making a few simple changes for sustainability. You might need to deal with undertakings like new windows, new floors, outdoor cladding and alternative energy sources. Ultimately, a brand-new home can be built with sustainability in mind from the ground up.

If you’re getting a loan to renovate, you might find that the more sustainable upgrades will completely eat up the amount you qualify for before you even get to the cosmetic fixes. It’s essential to know how much you can get, which you can do at sites like https://reverse.mortgage/.

Another exciting development in sustainability and construction is the rise of the tiny home movement, where people purposefully build smaller homes to reduce waste and harm to the planet. There are now smart ways to make use of space more efficiently, and technology can make a living in a smaller area feel less claustrophobic. This again would not have been possible decades ago, showing that new construction can find ways to be friendly to the planet and stylish.

What About Waste?

On the other side of this debate is the amount of waste produced by the different methods of building or achieving a quality home. One of the most significant issues the planet faces is what to do with all the waste that society produces as an effect of development and progress. It has been reported that millions of tons of furniture make its way to landfills every year, adding to the vast heaps of waste that’s already polluting the planet. If we’re producing this much furniture waste, how much waste could construction projects possibly be producing year over year? Renovation offers the chance for us to have less construction waste.

New builds come with a lot of waste, and if we’re able to reuse and recycle or at least get rid of less stuff, we might reduce the items that make it to landfills. Sure, there are ways to make new construction less wasteful, but it’s fair to say the one thing renovations have over new construction is that waste can be controlled a lot more and that certain things need repairs, not outright replacements. There is even a chance to extend the life cycle of items in an older home without using them yourself. Through the rise of sites like Facebook Marketplace, you can sell the old stuff in your home instead of throwing it away, so in that way you aren’t adding to the landfill issue we have.

If you care about sustainability, you might think that the world of building and construction doesn’t make it easy to achieve. There are, however, ways to make any building project a bit better for the planet. It’s all about starting with your goal in mind and making sure every detail in the home helps the earth. Do your research before you build, and you’ll be able to accomplish both a beautiful home and piece of property that moves away from the waste and energy inefficiencies that are plaguing our planet.