Woonpioniers designed the sustainable and modular Indigo Cabins. Bio-based materials were used to create homes that nourish the planet and provide an intimate connection to nature

More than a trend, eco-friendly remodeling is becoming necessary to many people updating their homes. As a result, there's a need to use green materials and update our homes in a way that uses fewer resources and makes our home retain the temperatures we want it to.

If you want to join in and do your part, you're not alone. So many people are pushing to create better environments starting with their house and going out from there. These are some of the best eco-friendly remodeling ideas that can suit any home!

1. Updating Your Siding

Your home's siding can be updated to be a lot more Earth-friendly. Instead of the classic plastic siding, many are noticing that steel siding is a far better alternative. More than just sustainability, the multiple steel siding colors you can pick from mean that you can have as much customization as you want.

Of course, you shouldn't update your siding or replace it until it's time to ensure that you get the most use out of the products you have, but in the long term switching to a more sustainable material should be the goal.

2. Increase Your Natural Lighting

Diminish how much electricity you have to use by increasing how much natural lighting is in your home. This can be done by cutting out larger windows, adding skylights, or adding other lighting elements to your home. Natural lighting helps correct our circadian rhythms so that we can be awake during natural hours. It also allows the surfaces in your home, from stained concrete floors to marble counters, to look even more beautiful.

Natural lighting can also be used in other ways, like solar paneling on your roof. This will reduce how much power you have to use in your utilities, saving you money and enabling your carbon footprint to be smaller. Of course, solar panels are expensive to install and aren't for everyone, but they're a fantastic way to invest in the Earth's future.

3. Replacing Your Soffits

The soffits of your home aren't something most spend time thinking about: but they should be! These spaces are what connect the roof of your home to the rest of it, so it's good to consider if you need a house soffit replacement. Not only will this give you the chance to update your home, but it also ensures that your home will be more energy-efficient since it locks out more moisture, insects, and exterior sound from getting into your home.

4. Checking Your Insulation Levels

Speaking of keeping weather and insects out: good insulation helps keep your home energy efficient. Check whatever parts of your home have insulation, and ensure that it's thick enough and still doing the job it needs to. If your home is older than fifty years, and you're not sure the last time the insulation was checked or when it was added to the house: consider having it checked for asbestos first to keep yourself safe. The goal is to update your home to be good for the environment, but you shouldn't risk your health to rush a project.

If any part of your home is missing insulation where it sorely needs it, consider adding it using earth-friendly insulation like bamboo fiber. These are still eco-conscious while giving you the chance to block out as much exterior weather and life as possible.

5. Updating Your Flooring

What type of flooring does your home have? Is it heavily stained wood? Plastic laminate? Consider updating to a more natural material that can also last. Concrete floors can go a long way in function and beauty, but so can bamboo flooring and natural unstained wood flooring. This is an expensive fix, so you can focus on other parts of your home before you get to this, but it can help your home and health in the long term.

6. Including More Smart-Home Technology

Homes with smart technology are better at helping the environment! For example, a smart thermostat can ensure that your air conditioning and heater aren't running constantly, and smart lights can be set to a timer so that they're only on when you need them to be.

In this way, you get to include as much smart technology in your home as you want, which adds ease and comfort to your life: and it also cuts down on your electricity use. The upfront cost can be a lot to take on, but it's worth it for the benefits of this type of lifestyle.

Powerful Changes Can Help More Than The Environment

The drive to do better for the environment is powerful: and it helps more than just the natural world!

Increasing the sustainability of your home increases the value of your property. There’s nothing as wonderful as getting rewards from doing the right thing! Invest in the environment, and that investment will eventually come back to you.

For additional resources, experts at Bankrate highlight conscious steps that homeowners can take during the remodeling process to become more environmentally friendly on a budget while adding value to their homes and making a positive impact on the world's energy consumption.

Skylar Ross is a contributor to the Innovative Building Materials blog. He is a content writer for the construction and home improvement industries with an interest in landscaping, outdoor remodeling, and interior design. Skylar is focused on educating homeowners, contractors, and architects on innovative materials and methods of construction that increase property value, improve sustainability, and create a warm and welcoming ambiance.