If you want to impact the environment and save money in your home, there are many ways to do that. Home improvement can be done on a budget of any size.
Improve Your Use of Space by Increasing
So, you need more space in your home, but you do not want to add on? Here are some ways that you can expand your storage capabilities without sprawling your house further than it needs to go. For a little money, you can use wasted space high up on walls for shelves. Or you can use storage ottomans, window seats with storage, or any other furniture that has a bonus storage capability like that. For a little more money, transform outdoor areas into living areas for eating or lounging. Rethink how different rooms can be used.
Place books shelves in the guest bedroom or create a mini-office in a corner of the kitchen. If you have non-supporting walls that are hindering your view and the flow of energy through your home, put a hole in them or knock them out completely. For a lot more money, add another floor to your house rather than another room on the ground. If you will only need the space occasionally, put a prefabricated building outdoors.
Improve Your Use of Space by Decreasing
What do you do if you have more house than you really need? What do you do with all the extra space? And how do you save money maintaining that extra space? Here are some low-cost ways to improve heating and cooling. Close the vents in spaces that are not used regularly; be careful however, because you might damage your system by doing this. Check with an expert first to be sure that it is safe to close off areas of the house with your type of heating and cooling system. Turn down the thermostat in the winter and use space heaters in occupied rooms.
Turn up the thermostat in summer and use fans where needed. If you can afford it, close up or partition areas that are not being used. Move all activity of the house into a central location and then do not bother with heating or cooling spaces that are never used. If you are looking to make a large investment, why not remodel the house? Remove walls to create more space for hobbies. Turn an upper story or a basement into a small apartment and take in boarders. If you have enough land, purchase a modular or manufactured home to put on it. Then move into the smaller space and let someone rent the large house.