When we renovate a house it is important to take into account some aspects which will achieve a better sustainability. We already know about the importance of sustainable real estate in cities. It is a fundamental issue for our cities to respect the environment so as to offer its inhabitants quality of life, this implies that our real estate must be committed to sustainability. Homebuyers want this and they are also very sure that one of the challenges facing our real estate system is to bet for energy efficiency by cutting down on, as far as possible, CO2 emissions and producing the least possible amount of waste. Some weeks ago, we wrote an article in this blog about the installation of solar panels in our country and how they have become an increasing option. In Spain, homebuyers do not doubt in opting for renewable energy and thus property which is oriented towards sustainability. Nonetheless, what can we do if our house is already built? Of course we can achieve sustainabilty, but we have to renovate the house. Today, we are going to show you how to improve the sustainability of our property as well as mentioning some aspects we will have to undertake when we renovate it. Let us take a look at this.

WOOD AND PAINT WITH ECOLABEL CERTIFICATE

When we renovate property, we should first of all consider using natural materials, because the more we use them the more sustainable our house will be. If we install a parquet or wood flooring then we will achieve a lot of insulation as well as avoiding the use of elements that, in their manufacture, have generated toxic waste or CO2 emissions.

We can also apply this aspect to indoor carpentry (furniture and doors) as well as to exterior carpentry (windows). It is preferable that the windows have double glazing and thermal bridge breaking so as to avoid the loss of heat in winter and the rise in temperature in summer. The paint is also an important element because it depends on how it has been manufactured that it will have a greater or lesser environmental impact. Paint with the Ecolabel certificate guarantees that in its manufacture it has not in any way damaged the environment, as only ecological components of vegetable origin have been used. In addition, this paint does not contain solvent nor heavy metals, being both of these factors very beneficial for our health.

LED BULBS AND AIR CONDITIONING

Another factor which we must also take into account when we renovate property, is the one related to artificial light. It is important that we install LED light bulbs because they consume very little energy and they are made of recyclable components as well as not producing ultraviolet radiation. In addition, LED light bulbs can save up to 90% compared to halogen light bulbs.

Another fundamental issue we must think about, when renovating property, is the climate system. We must choose a good and efficient condensing boiler and it is important to install a fine thermostat which will enable us to regulate the temperature of our house. On the other hand, pellet stoves use renewable energy for the production of heat and thus they can be a good alternative for conventional stoves. This is what is known as the ecoclimatic factor, which means heating a house with the least possible amount of energy consumption. Last week, we wrote an article in this blog about the change of central heating in Spain. In that article, we pointed out that the waste of energy is incompatible with XXI century housing. Therefore, every community of neighbours will be obliged to acquire a commitment that favours environmental care. As we have already mentioned, this is a basic issue in our cities and hence the ecoclimatic factor can play a prominent role.