Building Sustainably: Your Self-Build Checklist

Embarking on a self-build project presents a fantastic chance to embed eco-friendly practices right from the very beginning. To ensure your new home is kind to the planet and performs efficiently, consider focusing on these essential areas:

Designing Your Site and Home

• When you select your plot, aim to minimise any negative impact on the environment around it.

• Design your dwelling to fully harness natural advantages, such as warmth from the sun, efficient natural air circulation, and ample daylight.

Boosting Energy Efficiency

• Give careful attention to insulating your walls, roof, and floors thoroughly; this is key to significantly reducing heat loss.

• Choose a compact and well-proportioned building shape. This design choice limits the exterior surface area, which consequently cuts down on your energy requirements.

• Integrate energy-saving appliances and lighting throughout your home, opting for solutions like modern LED bulbs.

Integrating Renewable Energy

• Explore the possibility of installing solar panels to generate your own electricity, or consider solar thermal systems for heating your domestic hot water.

• Investigate other green energy options, such as wind turbines or heat pumps, if these technologies are appropriate for your specific site.

Conserving Water

• Fit your home with plumbing fixtures and fittings designed for water conservation, including low-flush toilets and taps that restrict flow.

• You could also look into systems for collecting rainwater. This water can be stored and then used for non-drinking purposes, such as watering your garden or flushing toilets.

Managing Household Waste

• Plan ahead for effective systems within your home for sorting waste and enabling recycling.

• Think about incorporating a composting system for your organic kitchen and garden waste.

Smart Monitoring and Controls

• Install intelligent systems that can regulate your lighting, heating, and cooling. These can adjust automatically based on whether rooms are occupied and the time of day, thereby optimising your energy usage.

Environmental Certifications and Benchmarks

For your property to achieve a superior environmental standard, you might want to pursue recognised sustainability certifications and benchmarks, such as BREEAM.

Selecting Your Materials

Opt for building materials that are sustainable and, where feasible, sourced locally. Always look for products that have a minimal environmental footprint across their entire lifecycle. For example, by choosing FSC certified timber, you ensure it originates from woodlands that are managed in an environmentally responsible way.

Ongoing Maintenance

• Ensure you carry out regular upkeep on your home’s various systems. This ensures they continue to operate efficiently and helps to extend their functional life.