Make 2020 the year of the eco-friendly home

As a new year starts, many of us will have the resolution to be more eco-friendly in 2020. The easiest place to start is in the home and the good news is a few small changes can have the biggest impact.

Surrey estate agents Grosvenor has the following suggestions for reducing your carbon footprint, lowering energy consumption and making your Surrey property a better eco-home. Why not try these additions and alternatives?

  1. Install a smart energy meter: the accuracy and reliability of smart meters have drastically improved, so they are now an easy way to create more energy efficiency at home. A smart meter allows you to see how much energy you are using in real-time and forces the household to get into good energy habits, with the motivation of saving money at the same time.
  2. Introduce indoor recycling bins: sorting the plastics from the paper and storing recycling until the refuse day is a chore for many but there is a number of smart - attractive even - indoor recycling bins that make the process easier. Some of the best are by the Joseph & Joseph brand, with split sections or drawers for easy sorting.
  3. Use greener cleaning products: Method, Ecover, and Koh are leading the way when it comes to cleaning products that are kinder to the environment, while many big brands are introducing bottle refills (such as the Cif Eco Refill). And how do you make a cheap eco-friendly house? Try budget-friendly home-made cleaning fluids that use vinegar, lemon juice, and bicarb soda.
  4. Only buy sustainable furniture: if you’ve just bought a Surrey property and need to furnish it, giving a little consideration to the items you choose can go a long way. There is a growing number of retailers who make and sell furniture made from sustainable materials or reclaimed wood, and the trend for upcycling second-hand items should be embraced.
  5. Incorporate eco-friendly aspects into build projects: undertaking an extension or renovating a Surrey property is the perfect opportunity to make more substantial eco-friendly changes. Heat pumps are becoming a credible alternative to boilers in residential settings, while solar panels will reduce reliance on the national grid and potentially earn Surrey homeowners money if they sell energy back to suppliers. As a minimum, modern insulation, sustainable building materials and the latest central heating with thermostatic controls should be considered.

If your 2020 New Year’s resolution is to move house and create a more eco-friendly way of life, contact Grosvenor. As your local WokinCobham, Hinchley Wood and Claygate estate agent, we can show you Surrey property for sale that has already been modified with greener living in mind, and houses that have bags of potential to become eco-homes of the future.

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