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. (more…)

There are many ways to improve the efficiency of your home ranging from small, inexpensive changes to major projects. No matter how much you are able to spend, making changes can make your home a healthier and cheaper place to well. Here are some ways to make improvements on a budget of any size.

Improve Indoor Air

One of the problems of having an energy efficient home is that the air does not get circulated as much. If a house leaks a little bit of air, there is a constant flow. But sealing up a house also seals in toxins. A cheap fix is to avoid anything that puts fumes into the air. Check that you have adequate ventilation to the outdoors. And change the filters in your air intake and your furnace regularly. If you are able to make an upgrade, replace carpet with hard floors.

Replace all furniture that is made from fiberboard or plywood to reduce formaldehyde in the air. If you can afford a larger investment, think about getting fresh-air exchangers that replace stale air with fresh air. Or install a whole-house fan that pulls stale air out of the house and takes it outside. If you choose this, though, be sure you open windows so that the air will be replaced with fresh air. (more…)