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Recent years have shown us that green living is more than a trend. It is a lifestyle that affects families of all shapes and sizes in every area of their lives including new home construction. When it comes to having a new home built, there is no reason to rob the Earth of her natural resources for the sake of achieving a certain style or price point. There are plenty of eco-friendly materials available within your budget in Sandlin Homes new houses. The builder can arrange to have these materials used during various phases of the construction process necessary to build your new home. Here is a quick list of eco-friendly features for your family’s new home.

1. SOLAR ENERGY – The stars at night are not the only things big and bright in Texas. Eco-friendly homes take advantage of sunlight by harnessing solar energy to cut down on utility costs.
2. ENERGY STAR® APPLIANCES – The difference in an appliance with an Energy Star® rating is that it uses as much as 40 percent less energy than standard models.
3. WATER CONSERVATION – Eco-friendly homes conserve more water by using high efficiency appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers.
4. DUAL PANE WINDOWS – These windows offer better insulation which maintains a more constant air temperature within your home and causes your heat and air conditioning to work less.
5. SUSTAINABLE WOOD PRODUCTS – Old wood forests take generations to grow back once their trees have been harvested for the wood. Sustainable ones renew at a quicker pace, which helps protect the environment.
6. EFFICIENT LIGHTING – Accessories like dimmer switches, when paired with Compact Fluorescent Lights, also known as CFLs, can save you up to 10 percent on your utility bills.
7. BLOWN-IN INSULATION – Sheets of pink insulation that resemble cotton candy are what you will find in most homes. Blown-in cellulose insulation, on the other hand, fills every nook and cranny within the walls. It has added benefits of increasing fire resistance by as much as more than 50 percent and a lack of toxic chemicals.

Another big feature on the eco-friendly scale is the layout of your home, and how it is positioned on your property. Ask the builder or contractor, or real estate agent who represents the builder or contractor, what measures were taken into consideration when the home was in its initial planning stages. All the eco-friendly features in the world will not help homeowners if they have poor environmental habits. Not wasting water, turning off lights when leaving the room, and setting the thermostat for optimal efficiency are great ways to be eco-friendly, regardless of how many energy efficient features are in your family’s newly constructed home.