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Easy Home Improvement Projects

Here are some easy home improvement projects and ideas which will hopefully be a catalyst for anyone wanting to improve their home and stay green.

What's here?

There are so many things we can do to improve our homes from a green living perspective. Here are some articles on home improvement projects and ideas which should save you some money as well as help the environment. Most of these home improvements are relatively easy - there are a few more difficult ones, too for which you may need professional support.

Click here to go straight to the articles.

Expensive renovations

Thankfully, now that governments worldwide are beginning to take on the climate change message, there are grants and schemes available to help people with many of the more expensive renovations.

The UK government, for example is offering fairly substantial help with loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. The Australian Government is providing a rebate of $1,600 for home owners who want to install solar heat for their homes.

The US Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)has a whole raft of programmes to help people cut their heating costs and carbon emissions and improve "weatherization" of homes (basically, weather-proofing).

This section of Greenfootsteps.com is mainly to do with the cheaper and more do-it-yourself things we can do to make our homes more green and eco-friendly. The easy home improvement projects and ideas found here should be a help to anyone serious about becoming more economical with energy and using less toxic products.

Here are pages on furniture restoration and recycling ideas to enable you to re-vamp your home while keeping to a tight budget. There are also ideas for fixtures and furnishings which will last the pace. It's important when purchasing new kit for your eco home improvements not to be lured by trashy stuff which will end up in landfill in a few short years time.

It is also important to think about your house structure and design if you are contemplating more extensive remodeling of your house. See this excellent book from Amazon for current thinking on downsizing and becoming more efficient at home.

Easy home improvement projects:

Choosing materials

Very often natural materials are among the very best choices for durability as well as looking great.

Nevertheless, there are many fine modern products which use technologically advanced materials and methods to provide specific benefits. Blinds and shutters which deflect the suns rays, for example can be great for saving on air conditioning and heating bills. And some modern forms of insulation are very effective and long-lasting.

This section will take a look at some of these materials.

There are also a few articles on larger projects which you might want to get done - rather than do them yourself, unless you happen to be a competent builder, of course.

Easy home improvement projects:

Reusing and recycling

"Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" are mantra-like concepts for ecologically-aware people all over the planet.

Here are some ideas for reducing your household expenditure and being more eco-friendly. Did you know, for example that newspapers can be recycled in several ways at home? You can use them to make logs (briquettes) for the fire. You can use them to mulch your garden. You can even use them to construct home made furniture! This last is perhaps not for the faint-hearted.

Recycling and reusing can also be ways to reduce household clutter. Old binoculars can be given to wildlife organisations such as the RSPB; some charities will be glad of donations of old spectacles and broken jewelry.

Do you have an old mobile phone lying around? If so, why not help the environment and yourself by seeing how much you could get for it at Recycle Mobile Phones.

Do not be tempted to put modern consumer tech items such as mobiles, cameras and iPods into your trash. Many such items contain toxic chemicals which are better recycled professionally. Contact your local government offices for advice.

Easy home improvement projects:

Keeping it clean and green - and easy!

There is a section of Greenfootsteps which is devoted to green cleaning methods. You may find some of the articles in green cleaning helpful for successfully finishing some of your eco home improvements.

I hope you enjoy some of these easy home improvement projects and can find a few to suit your circumstances. They are not graded in order of difficulty - but I will add the less easy home improvement projects towards the bottom of the page.

Articles on easy home improvement projects

Home insulation and energy saving

The best attic insulation choices for green living Here are some of the best and greenest options around for improving your home with attic insulation.

More best attic insulation choices, including recycled plastics, cellulose and an explanation of "R" value.

The best insulation for homes for green living. This is probably one you won't want to do yourself - external wall insulation.

Solar home improvements Here's a brief outline of the various kinds of improvements which you could make to your home which involve solar power. See also Green Energy for more details on some of these solar power projects.

Tips for energy saving at home Here's an overview of easy things to do to become more energy efficient at home.

Useful green products

A cheap wood burning stove. A cheap wood burning stove can deliver sustainable warmth in your home. Here are some ideas for which types of wood burner to choose.

How does geothermal heating work? Here is an outline answer. Geothermal heating is perhaps not easy - but it can be cost-effective and very sustainable.