Build a sustainable house with Sunrise Homes Tasmania
There is heaps of information out there about designing and
building a home. But where do you start to build a sustainable home. It's
even harder right...? Well it used to be.
There are really only 4 components to a sustainable house and they are to
manage the following qualities sustainably:
- Manage water consumption.
- Manage power consumption.
- Manage your health.
- Manage your budget.
Building a sustainable house really is that simple. So where do you start?
If you already have a builder ensure that they understand the fundamentals of
sustainable building, if you don't have a builder yet then here is a good place
to start:
When you are building a sustainable house, or any other type of house, it can
be confusing to get too many quotes. Get up to three quotes form people or
companies that you are comfortable dealing with.
Contact the MBA (Master builders association) and HIA (Housing Industry Association)
in your area and ask for a list of builders that already have an interest or
experience in sustainable building.
When speaking to The MBA, ask for a registered Green Living Builder.
When speaking to the HIA ask for a GreenSmart Professional.
This will help you go a big step closer to getting a home that is much more
comfortable and much more energy efficient.
If these builders don't draw plans up for you as part of their service, then contact
the BDA Building Designers Association in your region and they will put you in
contact with a designer. Again ask your designer if they understand what it means
to build a sustainable house. If they list the 4 criteria above you're on the right
track.
The next step is to get your hands on A building Guide to ensure that you are asking
the right questions and getting the right answers throughout the design and construction
process including your selection of windows, insulation solutions that actually work,
what size water tank do you need and the selection of a grey water system.
You can get your copy of a better building guide to build your sustainable house here:
http://www.sunrisehomes.net.au/bloogoocms/asp/print_template.asp?articleID=161
If you are not 100% confident that you will get the absolute most from your designer
and/or builder then Sunrise Homes can provide a consultancy service to make sure that
the design and construction meets your needs and help you get the most out of your
investment.
Lets quickly look at 2 of the ingredients of a sustainable house:
The key component to managing your water in a sustainable house is to recycle. 4-minute
showers are great, but you might like to stretch that out every now and then - and quite
often teenagers struggle with a 4-minute shower! But if you are recycling that water from
the shower and using it to flush your toilet and water your sustainable garden, then you
are really making big savings in your water.
And of course this complements item number 4 on the sustainable house requirements -
your budget. Saving water means saving money. Looking after your plants and garden
better with recycled water can ensure greener grass and bring plants to maturity
quicker and keep them healthier and thus help to improve the value of your home.
Manage your power consumption really is a key requirement of a sustainable house.
And there are a number of elements you must get right to achieve a very low or no
energy house if you are building new, renovating or upgrading your home. These include:
- Insulation.
- Windows.
- Design.
A sustainable house really needs to be energy efficient. As much as 30% and more of
your energy bills can be for heating and cooling, so by making your home more
comfortable makes sense for your budget and the environment.
For more information get your copy of The Australian Guide to Affordable Sustainable Housing:
http://www.sunrisehomes.net.au/bloogoocms/asp/print_template.asp?articleID=161
If you are not 100% confident that you will get the absolute most from your designer
and/or builder then The HIA Australian GreenSmart Professional of The Year can provide
a consultancy service to make sure that the design and construction meets your needs
and help you get the most out of your investment.
For further information contact:
Sunrise Homes Tasmania
phone: (03) 6229 4447
web: www.sunrisehomes.net.au
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