If you're searching for houses for sale in Wollongong and consider yourself to be eco-friendly, then you may want to look for a home with 'green' elements. The green lifestyle is becoming more and more popular amongst Australians as we are starting to take how we impact the environment into consideration.

Here are some pointers to look for when shopping around for an eco-friendly home:

Heating

In order to cut down on how much heating that you use during the winter, you may want to look for a house that is in a sunny spot, and has a lot of double glazed windows. These types of windows let in the same amount of sun as single glazed do, however they retain the heat in the house a lot better.

Another thing to look for is a heat pump – these are a great and cheap alternative to use instead of a regular coil or gas heater as they use minimal electricity, are quiet and can also be used for cooling in the summer.

Electricity

The use of solar panels is a hot trend in Australia, as more and more people are harnessing the benefits that come from the hot Australian sun. A property with panels already installed is something to definitely keep an eye out for, as these will help to cut down your electricity costs.

Finding a property with these already installed means that you won't have to deal with the hassle of arranging and paying for installation yourself.

Water usage

A home with a built in greywater system will help to cut down your water usage by reusing water for other purposes. For example, if eco-friendly soaps and detergents are used, then greywater could be used to water the lawn and gardens.

Another pointer is to look for a property with an extra water supply, such as a tank system, to supplement water usage naturally. Rainwater tank systems can collect water from the roof through pipes in the gutters and store it in a tank for later use.

Garden

A large garden is not only good for growing children to play in, but also for planting and maintaining a vegetable garden too. Finding a property with a large enough backyard to grow your own vegetables means that you can save on your weekly grocery bills. You could also place a compost bin in a corner of your garden, and dispose of your daily food waste.