It’s all well and good to claim to have a sustainable home, but what are the factors?

The most important part of a sustainable home....

It’s made from natural materials as a basic prerequisite. The walls are made from earth, straw, timber, stone. Less carbon footprint, more natural and locally sourced.

Is solar passively designed so uses the sun throughout the day and seasons to warm and cool the house naturally.

Has cross breeze built into it’s design

Uses natural methods to warm and cool your home (ceiling fans or heat exchange vents)

One which minimises steel, concrete and glass, as they require high energy to produce = bigger carbon footprint.

Minimises the use of medium density fibreboard (mdf), plywood, glues, pvc which include toxic chemicals.

If you use a lot of glass, double glazed windows are the best option (unless near the coast)

Restrict off gassing and carcinogenics in your home eg. Ordinary paints, melamine in kitchens and bathrooms, minimise glues and heavily toxic products (smelly products). You breathe them in 24/7 through your lungs and skin.

Has insulation batts (min R2.5), thermal roof blankets as a bare minimum.

Uses energy efficient power (solar hot water, fluro/ LED lights), ii) and, water efficient items (water tanks, water efficient fittings including drip irrigation and natives in the garden)

Uses thermal mass and insulation designs and materials, in synergy with one another and are tailored to your climate and site.

Any concrete used needs to be low carbon concrete.

Modular = cheaper to build, less resources wasted and eco products used are known rather than through ordinary hardware suppliers.

Use local materials and labour wherever possible to reduce transport energy use.

Plantation materials aren’t always good. The forest may be from the other side of Australia or the world, or by companies who do a lot of damage. Find out where they come from.

Simple, natural products are less processed so are the best for our health and environment.

Natural termite management plan (physical barriers and traps)

Reuses or uses recycled materials.

The company is sustainable and not just getting on the green wagon. They walk the talk.

Result:

A sustainable home has a low carbon footprint AND high energy efficiency through all of these principles combined.

These are 20 key features a sustainable home must have in its design and in the making of it.

Ask yourself how sustainable a home is once you’ve gone through this checklist and asked yourself does it have the basics.... is it natural? Is the home made from straw, earth, timber or stone?

Building sustainably isn’t rocket science. It’s just a matter of mixing these important sustainable key indicators with your personal taste and what you’re willing to do.

Many people believe energy & water efficient fittings or plantation materials are what makes a sustainable home. That’s just one part of the mix. Do what you can, but if you’re building from the beginning, include the 20 features to really make impact.