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Turning Old Buildings into New Homes

In the last few years, the costs of residential homes and building costs have skyrocketed. As someone who lives in a large (and expensive) metro area, I've watched "starter home" prices become unaffordable for many. That's why I'm always interesting in housing alternatives, whether they be manufactured homes or kit homes you build on your own land or something else...

Converting old buildings into new homes. A book I found at Amazon falls into the something else category. Converting Old Buildings Into New Homes is just what is sounds like, a book that discusses turning old schools, factories, barns, and other largely abandoned buildings into livable dwellings.

If you live in a big city, you've probably seen this trend with turning old factories or warehouses into lofts or condos. Well, there are no rules that say you can't have a building all to yourself, and if you watch the Home & Garden Channel's ReZoned show, you'll see all sorts of examples of people who have taken old public or private buildings and turned them into cool homes to live in.

Of course, if you're remodeling a huge space, the cost is going to get expensive, but an old barn or smaller building could be an effective way to get into a great home... providing you're willing to do the work (and there sure is a lot of work involved with something like this).

To get the lowdown on the process, check out the book shown here. Here's the cover blurb:

"This book examines every aspect of converting types of redundant property including surveys, legislation and regulations, professional help and advice, and budgeting and insurance. It also discusses design and location of various living spaces; external features; lighting, heating, ventilation, energy conservation, and acoustics; and it guides the reader through contracts, quotations, planning the project, timetables, and on-site operations. It includes a number of case studies which demonstrate what can be achieved with different types of property."

Converting Old Buildings Into New Homes

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When buying new appliances weigh up both the purchase price and the estimated energy use. In many cases, you may actually save money by buying the more expensive, more energy-efficient model.


Ask about special energy-efficient offers. Government grants, low-interest loans or other incentive programs are often offered to encourage consumers to buy energy-efficient appliances. Ask your salesperson or local authority what grants are available in your area.


Read the Energy Guide label. This yellow and black label is required by the FTC to be attached to most new appliances. It states the estimated annual energy consumption of the appliance. This helps you compare the efficiency or annual energy use of different brands and models.

Energy Efficient Boilers

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As the effects of climate change are felt across the world, both governments and individuals are beginning to take the task of building eco friendly houses much more seriously. Fuelled by increased demand a new industry of eco friendly home building has grown up and a whole host of technological innovations have created an arsenal of eco friendly building materials and techniques. From wind turbines, to to high efficiency lighting, ultra efficient insulation, glazing, water conservation, plumbing, recycling and much more.