Manufactured Housing News

If you've been searching for ways to improve your green living style, you're in luck. With today's manufactured homes and what we now know about our environment, you can take simple steps to help reduce your eco-footprint. Here are a few of our favorite tips for cutting down on waste and making the most of your space.

The Obvious

We've been hearing about green living long enough that most of us know the basics of how it's done. For instance, turning off the lights when you're not in the room or shutting off the faucet while you're brushing your teeth. These are simple changes that do have a big impact over the course of many years, and they are things that you can implement without investing anything more than a few extra seconds of your time. If you want to go one step further, you can switch to high-efficiency light bulbs and dual flush toilets to maximize your savings. You've also probably heard about switching away from plastic grocery bags to reusable bags in order to keep plastic waste out of our trash stream. This is another simple fix that costs almost nothing to implement.

Another common tip is to install a programmable thermostat that can reduce your reliance on your AC and furnace when you are out of the house. This has actually shown to be one of the best ways to cut down on energy use and save money month after month in your home. Many modern thermostats are also app-enabled so you can manually control the temperature in your home while you are away.

Less Obvious

Oftentimes it's the things we don't think about that are the biggest culprits when it comes to waste. For instance, waiting for your shower to warm up is a process we all go through, but it does waste water. Likewise, taking showers that are just a little too long is something we all do. By harvesting the cold water from your shower and repurposing it for your garden or other tasks, and installing a shower timer in your bathroom, you can double down on your green living technique.

Another area where we produce a lot of waste is in the way we eat. Buying processed foods creates a lot of trash, and even when we eat natural foods we tend to throw out the leftovers without a thought. With a little bit of work, you could start building a compost pile that will feed your garden and give you even more fresh foods without any additional waste. This does take a little more work and commitment, but the end result is a drastic reduction in the amount of trash being produced by your household.

If you're up for changing your lightbulbs and your toilets, you might also think about swapping some of your appliances for Energy Star rated models. Many new manufactured homes come with these kind of appliances already installed, but if you notice that any appliance isn't up to snuff, it is easy to find a replacement these days! Even your water heater can be Energy Star rated to save you money day after day.

For those who really want to go big, solar panels and alternative energy sources are the way to go. While these items can be costly on the front end, they do show that you are fully committed to green living. The best time to have them installed is when you are having your manufactured home placed on land. This will ensure that the whole home is set up properly from the get go, and give you the most efficient performance overall.

These are just some of the big and small ways that you can initiate your green lifestyle from the comfort of your manufactured home. Every action you take can contribute to the health of the planet and many of these steps can even save you money on a regular basis.