Top tips to make your home renovation in Bournemouth sustainable and more affordable

It’s no secret that building materials have increased in price in recent years, with some going up substantially, which has made some homeowners more price conscious about what they use for their renovation projects in Poole, Bournemouth or Christchurch.

As Jewsons’ recent Trade Trends Report noted, the tradespeople it surveyed have seen an increase in the number of homeowners wanting to source and purchase their own materials for a job. However, as a homeowner you may not have access to the best deals, and there is also a risk that you’ll purchase the wrong materials for the job, delaying your renovation project and potentially costing you money too.

So, what’s the solution? Working with your building team is essential to make sure you get the materials you need, but how can this also make your build more sustainable and more affordable?

Firstly, a knowledgeable team of tradespeople, like those at Bournemouth Constructions, can advise you on the most sustainable options for your home. Often the small steps, like properly draft proofing your property, can make a bigger difference than you may imagine.

Secondly, as an article for the Evening Standard recently noted, your builders may have ideas about how to use more unusual, but sustainable, materials. In some cases, these materials can also be more affordable than their more commonly used counterparts.

For example, one tip is to look for locally sourced materials, as these can be cheaper than something that’s imported as well as more sustainable as they have less distance to travel.

A great piece of advice when you’re carrying out a house refurbishment in Bournemouth is to look at the “back of house” ranges offered by builders merchants – the products featured in here may not be as popular as the traditional options, but they are just as effective and, if you use them creatively, can help you put your own stamp on your property.

The newspaper shared a selection of alternative materials that can be used to create a sustainable and stylish home, including opting for exposed lime plaster walls, as these not only control internal humidity but are also made in the UK, and choosing well-positioned windows rather than a glass-box style extension. The latter can suffer from extremes of heat and cold.

Low-emissivity glass is another great option to consider if you are fitting new windows or replacing existing ones, as it will help prevent heat building up in summer as well as being more thermally insulating in winter than standard glass panes are.

If you’re not replacing your windows, simply coating your existing windows in a dichroic solar film can help make them much more effective at blocking UV light and therefore help keep your property cooler in the summer months.

Here at Bournemouth Constructions, we are passionate about helping everyone create the home of their dreams and we focus on sustainability as much as we can. If you’d like to know more about the renovation projects we’ve worked on and to see if we could be a good fit for your home renovation in Christchurch, Poole or Bournemouth, get in touch today.