Elliot Springs couple live the green dream
Sustainability has been at the forefront of John and Alison’s home build journey in Elliot Springs, creating an eco-friendly house that minimises their electricity use, promotes a healthier lifestyle and reduces their carbon footprint.
Want to know the couple’s sustainability secrets? John says it’s all about designing and building your home to maximise the natural elements and surroundings.
“When we were selecting the block to build our home on, we chose one that would have access to the sea breezes, positioned to minimise heat from the western sun, and optimising our view down the valley, while being surrounded by the natural environment,” said John.
“In trying to think about how we could ensure the home was as sustainable as possible, we decided to build with a lot of plantation timber, as well as putting a lot of insulation in the walls. We also built the home to feature a lot of windows and doors, helping cross ventilation and aiding in cooling down the home. This has dramatically reduced the need for air conditioners, especially during the warmer months.
“When selecting the materials for our outdoor decking, we chose manufacturing boards that were made from 50% recycled timber and 50% recycled plastic.”
Having worked in the environmental sector for more than 40 years, John said building a sustainable home is more than creating one single solution, but a combination of a variety of factors.
“I have always been very mindful of our impact on the environment and the need to live a sustainable lifestyle,” he said.
“Building our home with sustainability in mind, our electricity bill has gone from around $500, down to $25.00. This was achieved by firstly considering the orientation of our home on the block of land, being mindful of where the sun rises and sets and where the breezes come from.
“The design and layout of our home means we have limited our use of indoor lighting, the need for fans and air conditioning on in Summer and we haven’t needed to heat the house in Winter.”
John and Alison are among a growing number of Elliot Springs residents living green, embracing a more sustainable lifestyle by being conscious of their lasting footprint both inside the home and out.
“When designing our garden, we used a lot of the existing natural rock, and it has become a natural feature and reduced the need of building a concrete retaining wall,” said John.
“The types of plants we have chosen are mostly Australian natives, they attract birds and local wildlife, require minimal water and are best suited for our dry climate.”
Elliot Springs’ beautiful, nature-inspired parks, streets and amenities give residents the confidence that they are part of something great, delivering on our promise to create sustainable, liveable, and healthy community our residents call home.
If you’re looking for ways to go green, check out John’s top tips for building an eco-friendly home!
- Insulate your home properly to ensure you don’t lose a lot of heat, making sure your house is more energy efficient
- Install solar panels on your home and save over a ton of carbon emissions each year
- Consider double glazing your windows and consider their positioning
- Use recycled materials when possible
- Save water with low-flow shower head, toilets, and sinks