http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk A guide to a modern and sustainable house Mon, 07 May 2012 09:12:55 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=195 http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/good-news-for-the-uk-mortgage-market/ http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/good-news-for-the-uk-mortgage-market/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 09:12:55 +0000 admin http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/?p=1607 It’s not easy for a first-time buyer to get your foothold on the UK property ladder. It’s a little slippery, this ladder. However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel with some Councils piloting a deposit guarantee scheme. For example, Herts County Council is running a brand-new scheme together with Dacorum Borough [...]]]> http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/good-news-for-the-uk-mortgage-market/feed/ 0 http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/7-tips-choosing-home-insurance-wisely/ http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/7-tips-choosing-home-insurance-wisely/#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:11:33 +0000 admin http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/?p=1597 The main reason why home insurance is so complicated is that the policies and the marketing material surrounding them are hardly transparent. Also, we often associate this insurance product with the sales techniques that some brokers are using. Nevertheless, home insurance is a very useful product and it has saved millions of people from a [...]]]> http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/7-tips-choosing-home-insurance-wisely/feed/ 0 http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/idea-for-a-green-wall-moss-tile/ http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/idea-for-a-green-wall-moss-tile/#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:02:36 +0000 admin http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/?p=1592 Here’s an interesting idea for those who are thinking about building a green wall as part of the interior. We’ve already looked at some green wall designs for the façade of a building. What about interiors? Italian company Benetti Stone Philosophy famous for their modern stone tiles has developed the MOSStile – a tile covered [...]]]> http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/idea-for-a-green-wall-moss-tile/feed/ 0 http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/home-and-industrial-engineers-look-towards-green-jobs/ http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/home-and-industrial-engineers-look-towards-green-jobs/#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:01:56 +0000 admin http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/?p=1586 Many engineering analysts and professionals are looking at green engineering as a way to make the industry more efficient and to add jobs. Green engineering runs the gamut, from retrofitting buildings and urban planning to smaller tasks like installing HET toilets for water conservation. With that said, let’s take a look at the green engineering [...]]]> http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/home-and-industrial-engineers-look-towards-green-jobs/feed/ 0 http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/two-beautiful-museums-to-commemorate-titanic/ http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/two-beautiful-museums-to-commemorate-titanic/#comments Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:19:43 +0000 admin http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/?p=1579 Oh, not you too… you may think. Well, yes, I’m kind of joining the ever growing army of people commemorating the centenary of the magnificent Titanic. I’m also doing it from a slightly different perspective. Architecture. The centenary has given us two beautiful museums. The Titanic House has just opened in Belfast, Northern Ireland where [...]]]> http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/two-beautiful-museums-to-commemorate-titanic/feed/ 0 http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/e-on-innovation-has-been-a-great-success/ http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/e-on-innovation-has-been-a-great-success/#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:21:37 +0000 admin http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/?p=1575 As the E.ON Innovation crowdsourcing project draws to a close, it’s time to look back at the challenges and find out how many green ideas the Great British public has come up with. You may remember my first post about this unique community-driven effort that coincided with the new Channel 4 show Home of the [...]]]> http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/e-on-innovation-has-been-a-great-success/feed/ 0 http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/is-the-uk-renewable-energy-industry-back-to-normal/ http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/is-the-uk-renewable-energy-industry-back-to-normal/#comments Fri, 30 Mar 2012 06:43:23 +0000 admin http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/?p=1571 Although the UK Government maintains that it wants Britain to become green, the latest events surrounding the Feed-in Tariffs have left both the installers and consumers uncertain of the future. In November 2011 it was announced that the Feed-in Tariffs would be cut significantly. Ever since the announcement, the Government has been in and out [...]]]> http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/is-the-uk-renewable-energy-industry-back-to-normal/feed/ 2 http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/planning-changes-in-england-alarming-or-necessary/ http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/planning-changes-in-england-alarming-or-necessary/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:43:10 +0000 admin http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/?p=1565 The Government has come up with the most extensive and controversial planning guidelines since the 1950s. Brace yourself for big changes. The question is, will these planning changes keep us all happy? The easiest approach is just to condemn the Government because… well, because everyone’s doing it, however, if you look at house prices in [...]]]> http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/planning-changes-in-england-alarming-or-necessary/feed/ 0 http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/time-to-change-your-smoke-alarm/ http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/time-to-change-your-smoke-alarm/#comments Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:19:51 +0000 admin http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/?p=1561 Living a sustainable lifestyle also means living safely. When it comes to fire safety, nothing can beat a good smoke alarm. It’s one thing that you don’t want to be stingy about. Smoke alarms save lives and it’s your responsibility to keep your family safe. Although in Britain installing smoke detectors is required by law, [...]]]> http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/time-to-change-your-smoke-alarm/feed/ 0 http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/what-will-you-do-for-the-earth-hour-2012/ http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/what-will-you-do-for-the-earth-hour-2012/#comments Wed, 21 Mar 2012 07:44:13 +0000 admin http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/?p=1558 It’s just 10 days till this year’s “Earth Hour”. It’s another attempt to draw attention to the ever growing environmental problems. This action was initated by the WWF in 2007 as a way to raise awareness. This the Earth Hour will be observed from the outer space for the first time. Pictured is a satellite [...]]]> http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/what-will-you-do-for-the-earth-hour-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/benefits-of-using-bamboo-in-your-home/ http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/benefits-of-using-bamboo-in-your-home/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 22:29:21 +0000 admin http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/?p=1555 Bamboo has long been considered an incredibly diverse plant with a wide variety of human applications. It’s one of those rare powerful construction materials that can also be used in decorating and design. Recently it has also received accolades for its environmentally friendly sustainability, toxin-free durability and its aesthetic appeal. Why this lightweight evergreen plant [...]]]> http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/benefits-of-using-bamboo-in-your-home/feed/ 0 http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/world-design-capital-2012-helsinki/ http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/world-design-capital-2012-helsinki/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 07:41:46 +0000 admin http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/?p=1552 The tradition to award a city the title of World Design Capital started in 2008. Both Turin in Italy and Seoul in South Korea were worthy capitals but neither of them had a special emphasis on sustainability. Helsinki might be a turning point. We’re already getting a green vibe from the capital of Finland and [...]]]> http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/world-design-capital-2012-helsinki/feed/ 0