How to make your house move more eco-friendly.

This week we have been seeing on the news about record temperatures in Greece, fires in Turkey and last week the UK was baking in a heatwave.

It got me thinking about how we can advise on making a house move more Eco- Friendly.

Reducing your carbon emissions is one of the most important things you can do – you can help tackle climate change as well as actively making a difference to the environment.

If you are moving home then there are ways that you could make your house move as green as possible.

Removals comparison site Buzzmove claims that a typical house move creates an average of 16.8kg of CO2 emissions, which is the equivalent of keeping a lightbulb on for over 50 days, so if you are looking to move, make your house move day as ‘Eco- friendly’ as possible, thinking about the cleaning solutions you use, how much furniture you end up taking to your new home and even to the packaging you use.

Always use a removal company which uses low-emission enhanced, environmentally-friendly vehicles and check that they are using the shortest route to get from A to B.

If your Estate Agent uses 3D virtual viewings, this means that the potential removal company can provide you with a quote possibly without a home visit which will save on fuel and CO2 emissions.

Before you move, you will have hopefully de-cluttered and got rid of anything you don’t need - perhaps you have sold items of furniture on e-bay that you will not suit your next home or given any old clothes, books etc to charity so that you are in a position to  move as lightly as possible.

Use empty drawers removed from their frames, suitcases and friend’s old packing boxes that are probably cluttering up their own homes to ensure you don’t use as many new packing boxes. Some removal companies can offer a discounted rate for pre-used boxes, and always use a company that re-cycles.

If there are items that you won’t be taking with you, then look for the nearest re-cycling centre and if you are disposing of white goods, TV’s etc then the local Council may offer a pick-up service for a fee.

By cutting down on the number of items you need to move, you may also require a smaller removal van – one company claims, the average CO2 footprint of its removal companies adds up to 72 tonnes a year, the equivalent of 342 double decker busses, which is a frightening thought.

Clearing the freezer and the fridge - This is one of the first areas to tackle – start emptying the freezer and cupboards early and get cooking so that you are using up food (and reducing waste) well in advance.

The average house wastes nearly £500 of food every year, some of this food could be taken to food banks or donated to charity.

Wrap up your items carefully – Defra the government agency says that paper and cardboard packaging going to landfill or destroyed rose by 110% between 2013 and 2016 – you don’t want to add to this, so ask your removal company for bio-degradable bubble wrap to protect breakable items. Use sheets and duvets to protect some items of furniture and pictures, and old newspapers, magazines and even clothes to protect things that are smaller but unbreakable.

You will want to leave your property spic and span for the new owners, but try and use green products for the cleaning – natural items such as white wine vinegar, lemon and bicarbonate of soda make excellent alternatives to environmentally toxic products.

Once you have arrived at your new home there are things that you can do to help the environment too - Change your energy supplier, insulate your home, buy local products and consider your transport.

Invest in your own sources of renewable energy and buy from companies that support the switch to a low carbon future.

So, if you are due to move home soon plan well ahead to make sure you are doing your bit to protect the environment whilst reducing your carbon footprint too.

If you are right at the start of your house move process and would like a free market appraisal call David Phillip Estate Agents on 01134 676 400

A: 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds.  W: davidphillip.co.uk

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