How to Design a Sustainable Tiny House

One of the fundamental pillars of living small is designing a tiny sustainable home. More and more homeowners are looking for ways to minimize their carbon footprint on the earth and live more responsibly. Tiny House for Us is a leader in the tiny home community and has put together a list of options you can explore  to lessen your imprint on mother nature, and get started today. 

Solar Panels

When you think of sustainable living, the first thought that pops into your mind is likely solar panels. Most tiny homes can get all of their needs met from solar panels. The typical small home requires 15 (fifteen) 300-watt solar panels to keep its electricity up and running. On average, this would generate 4,500  watts of power from the sun. Most solar panels will be placed on the ground outside the home. However, Tesla is developing a solar tile that may soon make solar panels on tiny house roofs more attainable for all sizes of homes. 

Hemcrete

Hemcrete is made from the inside of a hemp plant. When it is mixed together with lime, it forms a concrete-like substance that is exceptionally sturdy yet lightweight. It can be used for roof insulation and flooring. The material protects your home from the usual wear and tear of weather and holds insulation well. Since the material is so light, the shipping of Hemcrete exports fewer emissions than traditional housing materials. Additionally, when a Hemcrete home is torn down, the walls can be used as fertilizer. 

Cork Floors

While it may seem crazy that the same materials as the cork in your wine bottle can be used as your floor, it is incredibly sustainable and functional. Cork floors are lightweight, so they will not weigh your home down if you need to move it cross country. There are many companies that gather hundreds of thousands of wine corks throughout the year and turn them into flooring. Cork floors are hypo-allergenic, water-resistant, and good for insulation. Plus, they are easy on your joints when walking around! 

Paper Insulation

Paper insulation is also known as cellulose insulation. It is made of recycled newspapers, leftover office stock, cardboard, and other paper materials. Using cellulose insulation is much healthier for the environment than traditional chemical foams. Plus, you are taking paper that would otherwise end up in a landfill and repurposing it. If you are using any type of raw paper for your insulation, you need to make sure the paper has been treated with borax, boric acid, and/or calcium carbonate. These treatments are natural and will protect the paper (and your home!) from combustion. 

Make Ventilation a Priority 

Working for a more sustainable future is more than just “turning your air conditioning off”. Look for ways to maximize the natural ventialization of your space in its structure. For example, building a house with two large windows across from one another will allow for a cross-breeze that can fill the home. As a result, you naturally do not need to turn the air conditioning as much as you normally would. 

Energy Efficient Appliances

As technology progresses, there are more and more opportunities to find high-quality energy-efficient appliances. Check online resources like Energy Star to see which machines prioritize pulling the minimum amount of power to function. Additionally, invest in LED lights. LED lights can retain their adequate brightness much longer than other lights. Plus, they are heat resistant, so they do not cause your home to overheat and need air conditioning. 

Rainwater Catchment

Collecting your own water can be as simple as leaving rain barrels out. Generally, collecting rainwater is a passive activity. However, a bit of upfront work can save you some time and energy down the line. We suggest purchasing some water pumps to ensure that all the water entering your tiny home is fresh and clean! 

Upcycle Furniture

The old saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure" is essentially upcycling. It is important to have quality furniture in your tiny home, but that does not mean it needs to be brand new. Instead, consider getting crafty, or hiring a crafty pal, to re-pain or refurbish a piece of furniture. This is not only a great return on investment for you but reduces that piece's carbon footprint. 

Compost Toilets

Composting toilets are widespread with tiny homeowners who live off the grid. However, they are also an excellent option for making your small home more sustainable. Composting toilets work by separating liquid and solid waste into two separate chambers. If you so desire, you will be able to use the solid waste as compost. The pros of a compost toilet are not only that they are eco-friendly, but they are also cheaper than a septic tank in the long run. So while it will require more upfront cash, you will win financially in the long run with a composting toilet. 

Consider Alternative Gardening

A great way to counteract the devastating effects of the mass food industry is to plant your own gardens. Many tiny homeowners opt to turn their rooftop into a garden or invest in vertical gardening. Vertical gardening uses hydroponics to allow plants to grow throughout a sheer panel. So, in addition to being more environmentally friendly, your food will be naturally organic! 

Wind Turbine

The sun is the easiest and most common form of energy creation in sustainable housing. However, consider adding an additional energy creator like a wind turbine. A wind turbine is an accessible power source with minimal impact on the earth. 

To conclude, there are numerous ways you can design your tiny to be sustainable. You don’t need to implement all of these systems at one time. It is okay to focus on one element and expand as you go. For example, consider a cork floor and solar panels before purchasing your first wind turbine or composting toilet. As you implement these sustainable changes into your home, you will help make the world a greener place and encourage future tiny homeowners to look for sustainable options too. 

Which Home Improvements Have the Biggest Impact on Home Value?

First impressions are critical when looking to sell a home, but it can be hard to parse the list of maintenance, repair, and renovation projects that you've been putting off and figure out which are actually going to improve the value and curb appeal of your home. Establishing a budget and prioritizing the repairs for that budget is crucial, and the savviest sellers will order these projects in terms of their cost-value ratio. Fortunately, there are a few common home improvements that reliably offer a great return on your investment. How important each of these improvements will depend on the budget and the state of your home — but here are five renovations every homeowner should consider before putting a house on the market.

Landscaping

The lawn is going to be the first thing that prospective new buyers see — and a good landscaping job can lure the stranger walking down the street into an open house or strengthen your financial position while in the midst of a negotiation. Your financial situation will determine how much you can do here, but landscaping can be as simple as spending an afternoon in the yard with a lawnmower and trimmers.

Kitchen Appliances

The kitchen is one of the two rooms that prospective buyers prioritize the most, and the appliances that are front and center in that room can leave a very strong initial impression about a home's age and value. Even if you can only really afford to replace an appliance or two, having a gleaming brand-new refrigerator front and center can help eclipse any existing flaws in your kitchen space.

Hardwood Flooring 

While housing trends may come and go, hardwood flooring will never go out of style. But that doesn't mean that they don't age. Replacing all of your floors with new hardwoods is ideal, as it creates a more seamless sense of flow to a home. However, it's easy to go overboard if you don't reign in your budget. Installing, replacing, or even just cleaning the hardwoods in your home can boost your appeal for anyone who steps inside.

Light Fixtures

Good lighting can really change the atmosphere of a room entirely, and upgrading your light fixtures is a far more economical choice than trying to tear down walls to add new windows. A brand-new chandelier can anchor an entire dining room, but it's important to make sure that there's consistency between the design and materials of your fixtures in a given room.

Paint

A new coat of paint really can breathe new life into a home, and it's an especially appealing choice because it's one of the cheapest home improvement choices you can make. But since lighting and the environment can have a major effect on how certain paints look, it may be worth your while to spend a little extra on the services of a professional painter or consultant.

Tips To Help Position Your Living Room Furniture

Arranging furniture is a difficult task. When you face an empty room, it can be difficult to fill it in a functional and attractive way. Interior designers have identified several simple, easy-to-apply principles that work effectively. Here are some great tips to help position your living room furniture.

Focus on the View

A focal point, which serves as the cornerstone of your living room design, is the starting point for an effective living room arrangement. Typically, a fireplace serves this purpose, as seen in this vibrant living room. Arrange the auxiliary seating pieces around the main seating piece, orienting it toward the focal point. You can change the space in the summer to put the vista outside the French doors front and center.

Arrangement Ideas for Living Room Chairs

If you don’t have enough room for traditional sofas and loveseats, four comfortable chairs will suffice in a tiny living room setup. Try putting an area rug down and placing an accent chair in each corner. This living room furniture arrangement offers a neat appearance that invites conversation.

Arranging a Small Living Room

Contrary to popular assumption, pushing all pieces toward the walls is not the ideal method to arrange furniture in a compact living room. This creates an awkward area in the middle and draws attention to the room’s small size. To create a more open impression, pull furniture closer to the center.

Divide a Living Room With Furniture

With furniture placement, divide a large living and dining space into different zones. Separate the conversation area from the remainder of the open concept with a sofa facing away from the dining room. To make a large room feel cozier, bring the living room furnishings closer together.

Diagonal Living Room Furniture Arrangement

Diagonally arranging living room furniture adds dimension to a boxy space and offers an inviting route into the sitting group. Establish the diagonal axis with the sofa and coffee table, then arrange extra seating along the same axis. Align the area rug with the fireplace or another focal wall to discreetly link the seating group to the room’s architecture.

With these great tips to help position your living room furniture, you can style your home effectively. If you are still having difficulties, try planning out your furniture and accessory arrangement in advance, especially if you intend to buy new pieces. To draw out your ideal floor design, utilize an online floor planner or old-fashioned graph paper. It’s the only way to know for sure if everything will fit the way you want it to.

How to Know if Your Home Needs an Air Filtration System

It is an unfortunate fact that many families are constantly exposed to airborne contaminants as soon as they step into their homes. That is why you might want to spend a little bit of time determining if your home needs a high-quality air filtration system that will eradicate a variety of toxins and allergens.

The Age of Your Home

Over time, all of the materials that your home was built with will begin to shrink and expand. That type of movement is completely natural, but it could result in quite a few openings around doors, windows, vents, and pipes. If your home is more than a decade or two old, then an air filter could be exactly what you need to remove any stray particles that get through those openings.

Signs of Lingering Health Issues

While indoor pollutants don’t cause all respiratory illnesses, ongoing exposure will increase your family’s risk of many different health problems. That includes severe seasonal allergies, asthma attacks, and even certain diseases. The occasional respiratory issue probably isn’t a big deal, but you might want to consider some type of filtration system if your family is constantly struggling with itchy eyes, sore throats, and runny noses.

Unpleasant Odors

Modern filtration systems are incredibly advanced, and they could help you deal with any lingering odors that are in your home. Many odors are caused by microscopic particles that are floating in the air, and catching those particles in a filter could have an immediate impact on any smells that are inside your home. It might be tempting to use an air freshening spray around our home, but those scents are only going to mask the unpleasant odors temporarily.

Testing Your Indoor Air Quality

Even if you haven’t noticed any of these other issues, you should still consider professional air testing. A reputable indoor air quality testing company will be able to give you a comprehensive report on what contaminants and pollutants are in your home. Once you have that report, they can then help you come up with a personalized plan for filtering out unwanted airborne particles that could be impacting your quality of life.

Adding an air filtration system to your home is a great way to improve your family’s health and overall comfort. Those systems can often be installed in one or two days, and your family will most likely notice the benefits almost immediately.