Self-sufficiency is becoming an increasingly popular trend among homeowners. Having a household that doesn’t depend so much on the various utilities and resources can be a good move environmentally as it drains less of the planet’s resources. It sounds ambitious and difficult to do, but surprisingly easy improvements can make a house independent. Here is a closer look at them.
Having An Independent Water Source
One thing a house needs to be self-sufficient is a source of water. Normal houses depend on the local water utilities, but that can be limiting. It also means that you are dependent on the local water company. For true water independence, you’ll want to drill a private well. This is not the old-fashioned well where you have to bring up water by the bucket. Modern wells have pressure tanks and pumps to bring the water up. You’ll have to work with the local experts to determine if you can build one. Besides that, another source of water is rainwater. With a large enough cistern, you can gather enough water to last you several months.
Generating Power
Another feature that a lot of houses are dependent on is electricity. Most homes are hooked up to the power grid for their electricity needs. But modern technology is allowing for power generation to be possible at home. A popular option is to install solar panels on the house. Depending on the exposure to the sun and how many panels your roof can support, you might be able to generate most of your home’s electrical needs with only minimal dependence on the grid. If there is ever a power blackout, you can be sure that your home will be ready for it.
Growing Your Food
You won’t need to buy as many groceries anymore when you grow or raise your food. There are several options available to homeowners who want to do so. The simplest is to have a simple vegetable garden. It can be surprisingly easy to set up and start growing. Much of the work is taking care of the crop as it develops. But if you have the money, you can invest in a greenhouse for maximum crop protection and care
You can even have fresh vegetables in winter with a cold-weather greenhouse. Besides the vegetables, homeowners have succeeded in raising animals in several forms. The basic chicken coop can provide you with space for several chickens for eggs and meat. Additionally, a basic fishpond can have tilapia be a regular thing.
Natural Heating And Cooling
Home heating and cooling can get pretty expensive and one of the big expenses in your energy bill. It can also mean a gas line to your home. If you want to avoid all of that, you can implement a few changes so that you don’t need to depend on outside sources for heating or cooling. The best move is installing better insulation. Many homes skip on it because they have HVAC systems that can help handle it, but if you want to skip on them, you’ll want to install heavy insulation
This keeps the heat or cold out and the current temperature inside at a comfortable level. Besides that, passive design elements can go a long way towards helping in heating and cooling. Have the windows positioned in the right places so sunlight can do the warming, while good ventilation ensures that cool air is always flowing through.
Being Sanitary
Sanitation also can be something that you can be self-sufficient. While you can still depend on the garbage collectors to drop by, you can drastically reduce your waster. For organic waste, you can use composting to recycle most of it. This can be useful for those who have started a garden. Besides that, if you do not want to connect to the sewage system, you can have your septic system in the house. This can ensure that your sewage is completely handled and you don’t have to worry about where it is going.
It will still take some major investment to make a home more self-sufficient. Money is just one aspect of it. You will likely have to put in some major effort personally to make these improvements work. For example, having a garden or a chicken coop is useless if you don’t take daily care of its occupants. But all that work can bear fruit as your house becomes more independent. Consider which improvements will work for you and start planning for them now so that you can experience the results.
