Renovation
Home » The Good Guide » RenovationThere are many reasons to believe that renovation is the home building of the future. From walls to floors to warmth, this supplement will arm you with the product knowledge to help you renovate in a way that makes both dollars and sense
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It’s often been said that the house with the least environmental impact is the one that never gets built. When you take into account the materials, labour, and machinery use which goes into every property, it’s difficult to justify the ‘push it over and start again’ approach unless the existing place is genuinely a hovel.
With credit being a touch harder to come by these days, there’s also a justifiably cautious atmosphere in the housing market. People just aren’t moving about as much, so there are fewer good houses for sale, so people aren’t moving so much, and so on.
Meanwhile, it’s all about location, location, location and they ain’t making more land unless you live in Dubai. This means it’s getting less and less likely that your dream spot is a bare section awaiting your vision. Anyway, are you really sure that old house won’t become a classic in years to come? (Remember the once grungy suburb of Ponsonby?)
Living in an old home does not mean your lifestyle has to be old fashioned. There are now hundreds of environmentally aware firms out there and thousands of products specifically designed for the eco-conscious retrofitter, all ready to transform the dowdiest old villa into a cutting edge eco-adode. And on some key items, like solar hot water heating, the government may even help cover some of the cost. So these products are particularly worth pursuing, even if you are renting.
The key is to find out exactly what shape your house is in. The ‘I want a wind turbine’ approach doesn’t make a lot of sense if your house is so cold and inefficient that you have the power needs of Eden Park on match night. Similarly, there’s no point installing a state-of-the-art solar hot water system if your pipes have more leaks than a Welsh supermarket. Whether you are buying a home or taking stock of what you’ve got, it may be a wise investment to get a sympathetic professional to really go through the place. It’s amazing what you can miss on your own, especially if you have been deliberately ignoring it for some time.
Whether you’re buying a home, or taking stock of what you’ve got, it may be a wise investment to get a sympathetic professional to really go through the place. It’s amazing what you can miss on your own, especially if you have been deliberately ignoring it for some time
Once you have a full report on your home, you can set the priorities and make a plan to match your budget. The potential pitfall here is the temptation to skimp on quality to get as much done as possible. Of course you want to get all those home design niggles sorted in one hit. However, unless the condition of your home is endangering your health or investment, it’s probably better for both the environment and your long-term finances to do a few things really well than lots of things badly. Otherwise you may end up covering the house with cheap options that you will have to redo in a few short years time.
In the following pages we showcase some top products with eco-credentials we respect. They cover quality quick fixes and finishing touches, including wool carpet from Cavalier Bremworth and paints from Resene, to a more fundamental project, solar water heating from Rinnai. Whatever you choose to do, look out for labels like Environmental Choice New Zealand and companies that work to ISO standards. This means they keep their house in order, as well as yours.
Renovation
Resene’s got it covered
: When it comes to paint, ’s eco-credentials are hard to beat. This Kiwi company has been surfing ahead of the great green wave for some time
A gentler footprint
: Wool carpet has a head start in the sustainability stakes—it’s made from a natural fibre, farmed from a sustainable resource and the whole product, backing and all, is biodegradable
Go with the flow
: Taking its advanced heating technology to your roof
The Good Guides
Heating and Insulation
Respiratory problems, skin rashes and even depression are clearly linked to living in damp, cold homes, and they particularly affect babies, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. From grants to the latest heating and insulation technology, this supplement will arm you with detailed product knowledge to help you make the right purchasing decisions to protect your family over the winter months
Renovation
There are many reasons to believe that renovation is the home building of the future. From walls to floors to warmth, this supplement will arm you with the product knowledge to help you renovate in a way that makes both dollars and sense
