Looking for your first rental property can involve several different sentiments. You may be excited for your first home, stressed about finding the right fit, or intrigued by the possibilities of making your space your own.
If you are also an environmentally-conscious person, you will also have concern for sustainability to add to the list of things impacting your home choices. However, it might be hard to know what to look for in a sustainable home to rent. We’ve got you covered in this article, so stick around to learn more about spotting your dream environmentally-friendly home!
Narrow down your search
As you are browsing the internet for the perfect home to rent, you can start by filtering your searches. Try looking for features such as energy-efficient appliances, water-saving fixtures, or natural building materials. These are some of the key characteristics of a home that will allow you to lead an environmentally-friendly lifestyle.
Prioritise homes with renewable energy sources
Your best bet to lead an environmentally-conscious lifestyle in your new home is to ensure that your energy consumption is as green as possible. What you will want to do is check whether the property you’re interested in runs on renewable energy. Ground or air source heat pumps, solar panels, or biomass boilers all allow for energy consumption with lowered impact on the environment.
Check the energy efficiency of the property
The importance of energy efficiency cannot be overstated, as energy consumption is an inevitable part of living in a rental property. Look for specifications about the kind of energy systems in place and check the efficiency rating of appliances such as boilers. If they have an ErP rating of A or higher, it means that the appliances you’ll be using every day will waste as little fuel as possible to operate.
Look for smart home features
These features do not only lend a modern touch to the home you’d be renting, but they are also a great way to reduce your energy consumption. Things like smart heating controls and thermostats, for instance, allow you to easily monitor and manage your energy consumption to ensure that you can minimise your carbon footprint.
Look into water conservation options
Using water is an integral part of your living situation, but being mindful of your consumption can be made easier with some fixtures in place. You can check if the property you want to rent has faucet aerators, low-flow showerheads, as well as water-efficient toilets. These can reduce your water usage by quite a lot!
Take a look at the building materials
Some signs that the home you are about to inhabit has a lower carbon footprint are connected to the materials it’s made from. Wood, stone, and recycled materials are all great indicators of a landlord’s vision for a sustainable home that is built to last, while also being stylish.
Look at the waste management options
If you are committed to recycling and mindful waste management, you will want to make sure that the home you’re moving into can accommodate this. You will want to ask your landlord about the possibility of composting and whether there are recycling options in the area that the property is located.
Consult with the landlord
You can get far by having a conversation with the landlord you’d be renting your home from. You can ask about their commitment to sustainability and check if they would be willing to make adjustments to their property. For instance, they might be willing to install solar panels or upgrade the central heating by having one of the best combi boiler options fitted for maximum efficiency.
Conclusion
Hopefully, these tips have given you a better idea of what to keep in mind when choosing a home to move into. Thankfully, there are plenty of properties today owned by landlords just as committed to sustainability as you are. So, with a bit of effort, you should be able to find your dream home and be able to keep doing your work for the planet in no time!
