Unlocking the Secrets of Green Living

MEDIA RELEASE
07 October 2009

UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF GREEN LIVING
IN A CHARACTER HOME

Living a ‘green’ lifestyle or being environmentally aware is something many New Zealanders want to achieve, and it can be as simple as choosing the right home.

According to Founder of Myvilla.co.nz Justine Falkenhaug, making a positive contribution to the environment does not have to be a complicated process of calculating food miles or wearing underwear made from bamboo.

“It can literally begin at home by unlocking the ‘green’ secrets to your property.”

Justine who has just launched a new website called Myvilla.co.nz said a lot of character home owners are simply unaware of how the architectural and design features and locations of their homes can help them live more sustainable lives.

“Charming character homes – villas and bungalows – might have first been built in another century but these little gems are a sure ticket for home owners in the modern world to tick all the ‘green’ boxes,”she said.

“The majority of the country’s character homes are located near city centres which means that residents are often within walking or cycling distance to work and other activities. This alone, can help eliminate the use of motor vehicles for transport and effectively help to reduce carbon footprints.

“Many old villas and bungalows are less than 150sqm in size, in fact, a large proportion are even less than 100sqm. A smaller home requires less heating, air conditioning and lighting. Features of character homes such as high roof lines, raised wooden floors and wooden framed walls often make the installation of insulation and condensation control easier.”

Another ‘green’ feature of character homes is the ease of recycling the building materials used for villas or bungalows.

“Even if old bungalows and villas are demolished, the doors, architraves, windows, fireplaces, and timber are easily recycled or sold, as native timbers and period features of character homes are sought after by other character home owners.

“Also, many character homes have wooden floors and piles. This means they can easily be relocated to other sites – in effect, the entire house can easily be recycled,” Justine said.

Aside from design features, building materials used, and locations of character homes, plot sizes can also contribute to helping home owners to become more ’green’.

“Unlike terrace housing, townhouses or apartments, character homes are often located on single plots, which means there is space for a decent sized garden to plant vegetables, make compost heaps and worm farms, or even put in a rainwater tank,” Justine said.

“Also, older homes often have old trees in the garden. Not only do these help with our carbon emissions by reducing carbon dioxide in the air, they also provide plenty of natural shade in the summer.”

To find out more about the latest news, inspirations and ideas on villas, bungalows go to http://http://www.myvilla.co.nz
ENDS

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