Curbing Global Warming with Real Estate Sustainability Practices

In celebration of Earth Day and April being Earth month, we wanted to talk about some “eco home” features that are growing in popularity. Enhanced solar and technology is starting to bring sustainable living to the masses by narrowing the income bracket divide. The environmentally-focused homebuyer no longer has to compromise aesthetics to decrease their carbon footprint. In the long run, more involved features will offer significant ROI as there will be limited reliance on utility purveyors for things like heat and water. Great consideration should be put into this decision, as it is an investment. If you want to make your living area more eco-friendly while on a budget, here are some ideas to make your space more enviro-conscious, even if you’re not quite ready to be off the grid.

Paint is just about the easiest change you can make in your house to make a big impact with the least amount of time and money spent. If you ever watch home design shows, it’s one of the first resources utilized to transform a drab space into an inviting one. Oddly enough, the idea of environmentally friendly interior and exterior paints often fall by the wayside. Let’s rethink this! You love your indoor plants because of the natural air purification qualities they provide. Not to mention, they look great and never complain that your singing is too ‘pitchy.’ Take your filtering to a whole new level with organic air purification paint. Odorless and non-toxic, air purification paints absorb dangerous chemicals to improve our indoor air quality. Traditional paints release dangerous volatile organic compounds or VOCs for short. Purification paints absorb toxic substances and neutralize chemicals in the air we breathe.

Pure paints can even be painted over existing walls as a durable topcoat. If you’re starting from scratch, it comes in a wide array of colors and finishes. Or if you are in love with a color you happened to discover on a rainy day at Lowe’s, they can match it! Though the price point is a little higher than what you will find at the big box stores, the overall benefits for both your intimate environment and the environment we share are worth it. Paint is a lot like doing our share for cleaner air- a little goes a long way!

Thanks in part to Franklin, Tesla, Edison, or whomever you may credit, electricity is a marvel without which many of our daily activities would not be possible. An easy trivia answer to this trick question would be that no one invented electricity: it is a naturally occurring energy. However, the Greeks are credited for discovering static electricity thousands of years ago. This would eventually lead us to modern-day wonders like the light bulb. It seems like only yesterday an incandescent bulb in someone's house was frowned upon. Replacing those energy-vampire bulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs is a great first step. Highlights (pun intended) are that they last much longer than traditional bulbs and use a fraction of the energy. If you’re one of those people that puts OG incandescent bulbs in the same arena as dinosaurs, let’s jump right ahead to smart bulb technology.

If Yogi was smarter than the average bear, these little gems are brighter than the average bulb. Not long ago, having a home with a custom lighting concept that changed with your unique mood, setting, or color scheme was quite an undertaking to install. Not to mention extremely costly. This required an expert electrician for the various elements, fixtures, and intricate wiring on hand-operated timers. Now, for starting at around $20, an internet-capable “smart light bulb” can change brightness and color with the sound of your voice! These incredible little wonders can be controlled remotely and timed just like your home thermostat. They are designed to be compatible with a unique app that can be controlled on your smartphone or wireless device. Afraid you left the lights on by accident? A simple click will save you from wasting cash on your electric bill. Want to make sure the house is safely lit before your little ones get home from practice? There is an app for that too.

If you are currently using smart bulbs, an easy extension of this game-changing tech is the smart switch and or smart outlet. If you already use Google Home, Amazon Echo with the Alexa app, or similar AI technology for all your “domotic” needs, this is definitely for you. Worried that you didn’t unplug your “dumb” device flat iron? Never fret. You can turn off power to the smart plug remotely from your phone app. Some of these smart outlets even measure energy usage so you know which devices are using the most energy. Stop draining energy and your bank account with one of these genius little home helpers.

Now that you’re cleaning the air and saving energy, let’s complete the trifecta by conserving water. We are going to take it a step further by turning our current shower into our very own spa in under 5 minutes. Talk about instant gratification! Traditional shower heads are very wasteful. They are not built to efficiently utilize and distribute water pressure. Enter the spa-like look (and massaging feel) of the rain shower head. Not only is it the quickest way to upgrade your bathroom, but you will save up to 40% on water consumption. This, in turn, will also save on energy to heat the water itself as well! All this for under $50. A shower with looks and brains. Who needs anything more?

Now that most people realize the importance of taking care of our precious planet, we are seeing the creation of more lifestyle gadgets to make our lives easier. Cutting down on waste, recycling, washing laundry in cold- all these little things make a difference with 8 billion people living on this planet. Let’s look out for each other now and for the future. Though I personally only use one-ply toilet paper in my household, I once read that Warren Buffett made his manager count out every square of toilet paper on hundreds of rolls. Buffett had a sneaking suspicion he was getting shorted on TP. Who knew it was such a hot commodity, even back then, right? Turns out, being shorted by a few squares here and there had a serious negative impact on his store’s bottom line. My point-a little bit can mean a lot in the grand scheme of things. Last I heard, this philosophy pans out. Worth an estimated $80 billion, I think Warren may have been onto something.

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