Small Home Renovations

Selling Your Home - Part 2

This part of my large & small home renovations guide looks at your kitchen and bathroom from a resale point of view.

What would be the best home improvement to do that has as little negative effect on the surrounding natural environment as possible? Read on to find out more........

My eco kitchen renovation guide

For me personally I would generally recommend redecorating, renovating, redesigning or minor remodelling of your kitchen for optimum return when selling your home. The kitchen is the centre of the house, the most favoured room, where the majority of activities take place and where families and friends bond.

And so, this room in particular typically has the highest rate of return when selling your house. As an eco designer I would also strongly recommend that you only replace what is necessary, with an emphasis on repairing, reusing, recycling and redecorating.

An example of an eco kitchen renovation project:

• paint all walls & ceilings with natural paint
• stain the woodwork with a natural stain

Caution: Painting over traditionally painted surfaces will not stop VOCs or allow the surface to breathe. Use a natural, non solvent, water based paint stripper to remove previous finishes safely

• replace the kitchen unit door fronts with formaldehyde free MDF with a non toxic / water based finish

Caution: The carcases may still contain VOCs, so the choice would be to remove them completely and buy new eco friendly kitchen units (remembering the levels of embodied energy within the new units and the increased levels of VOCs and formaldehyde released during removal of the old units), or keeping them, accepting the health risk albeit lowered and choosing to reduce your ecological footprint. Decisions hey!

• replace the handles, pulls and knobs and doors and units
• replace the chipboard worktop with a sustainable alternative like bamboo or locally sourced sustainable timber with a non toxic / water based finish
• refit the floor with natural materials such as stone or manufactured natural flooring such as linoleum

Caution: remember to repair or recycle the old flooring if possible

• install a water saving tap & water filter to cut out bottled mineral water use
• use natural furnishings and window treatments like organic, cotton, jute and sisal
• lighting with compact fluorescent bulbs, motion sensors and dimmer switches
• make the most of natural light

Major remodelling and redesign - although high in terms of expected return from resale is costly for the environment with all of the embodied energy used in the products and materials. A last resort!

For more information please read the first in a series of 6 eco kitchen design articles, giving you an in-depth resource to complete your kitchen holistically.

View greening your kitchen part 1 here.......

My eco bathroom renovation guide

Second in line would the bathroom for one of the largest returns on home resale. Again you should opt for minor improvements only where necessary such as worktops, tiles, wall and ceiling finishes, flooring, bath & shower panels, shower curtain, towels, accessories, lighting, water saving WC and taps etc.

Major remodelling and redesign as with kitchens should be considered as a last resort. Improving areas such as kitchens and bathrooms tend to have more resale value as better functioning practicalities rule over aesthetics.

For more information please read the first of a series of 5 eco bathroom articles , giving an in-depth view of different eco products and materials available to complete your bathroom holistically.

For a summary of the top ten eco bathrooms tips - read my published article using this "Eco in the Press" link.

View page 3 of large & small home renovations guide here........