Flat pack houses have become one of the most popular new-build options, as they’re cheap, easy to construct and look great. They’re also much more environmentally friendly thanks to the timber frame they’re equipped with. They often come with other green solutions, such as sheep’s wool insulation and solar panels as well.
If you’ve chosen to go down the flat pack house route, you’ll need to figure out how you’re going to furnish your new property to complement its style and continue its eco-friendliness. The last thing you want to do is build a brand new house with a reputation for being green and then fill it with un-environmentally friendly products!
So, if you’re just getting started, use these handy hints to get everything just right:
1) The kitchen
Your kitchen will be one of the main rooms of the house. It’s where you’ll cook, eat and socialise with your family and friends, so it’s important that you have everything you need there.
Think about the kind of cooker you want to buy. An induction range cooker could help you to decrease your energy usage and bring down your bills. An induction hob can heat up to 1.5 litres of water in just six minutes, whereas a gas or glass electric hob could take up to 10 minutes.
2) The bedroom
Everyone wants to create a comfortable bedroom in which they can relax and properly unwind. Of course, when furnishing your bedroom you’ll need to invest in a bed, wardrobes, bedside tables and potentially a dressing table as well.
Measurements are key when finding the right bedroom furniture, as it can be easy to underestimate the size of the room. This could lead you to buying a king size bed when a double would be better. To avoid this, take proper measurements and map out the size of the furnishings you’re interested in on the floor so that you can visualise what your room would look like.
When being eco-friendly, choose products made with recycled wood and use organic bedding.
3) The bathroom
This is another room that could benefit from eco-friendly furnishings. Up to 70% of the water used within your home is generated in the bathroom, so you might want to find some eco-friendly toilets, showers and sinks that you can install.
Once you’ve fully moved in, you should implement some water-saving techniques. Taking a shower rather than a bath could save a considerable amount of water –upto 55 litres to be precise. Turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, installing a flush-savingdevice in the toilet, and choosing a more eco-friendly toilet model will also help you to save water.
4) The living room
This is often where people spend the majority of their time on the weekends and after work, when they relax in front of the TV. So, it makes sense to try and save as much money as possible in the long run by going for eco-friendly technology options.
LCD televisions are much more environmentally friendly, using 50%less energy than plasma televisions. Turning your TV, set-top box, DVD player and other items off from standby could save you over £35a year in energy, while closing doors and drawing the curtains can help to lock heat into your home.
Being as green as possible when furnishing your flat pack home can ensure you save money and you get to do the planet a favour. Reduce your carbon footprint by investing in environmentally friendly furnishings and technology.