Future-Proof Your Home: Smart Tech and Sustainable Design Ideas

Investing in devices such as smart thermostats, smart lighting and voice-controlled assistants, allows you to not only upgrade your home’s existing technology, it also means you’re supporting energy-efficient home improvements that can lower your energy consumption and, ultimately, your utility bills.

If you’re looking to build new and you’re wondering how you can incorporate sustainability for a future-proof home, start by choosing materials that are renewable, energy-efficient and less harmful to the environment. For example, reclaimed wood, glass or metal can be used in flooring, cabinetry and furniture. These materials reduce waste and often offer unique aesthetic appeal.

One of the biggest considerations when building a sustainable home is insulation. New Zealand has long had a pretty poor record when it comes to properly insulating our homes. Thankfully there are a number of sustainable options now on the market, such as wool, cellulose and even recycled denim. These materials help regulate indoor temperature, reducing the need for excessive heating or cooling. If you want to go a step further, look at incorporating a green roof on your home as the ultimate way to regulate your homes interior environment.

If you’re looking at ways to carry out energy-efficient home improvements to your existing home for long-term savings and sustainability, there are a couple of crucial upgrades you can make, including upgrading those old, drafty windows and energy-wasteful appliances for an instant boost in efficiency without compromising performance.

Similarly, upgrading your existing water heating and harvesting systems will further reduce your environmental impact and ongoing bills. Traditional water heaters constantly heat water to a set temperature, using energy even when hot water isn’t needed. Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, heat water on-demand, reducing energy waste and saving you money. Installing a rainwater harvesting system for outdoor irrigation will reduce your need on the town water supply and your wastewater charges.

Living a greener lifestyle also means making choices to reduce your personal environmental impact. This doesn’t have to mean a full-blown lifestyle change but can be as easy as making simple day-to-day changes such as implementing waste-reduction and composting strategies around food waste, installing low-flow taps, showerheads and toilets throughout your home and choosing native and drought-resistant plants for your landscaping.