Top Must-Have Sustainable Home Upgrades 2025

With 2025 comes a fresh new start, and there isn’t a better time to look at how eco-friendly your home is, and maybe make some sustainable home upgrades so you don’t have to suffer through the summer heat this time next year!

When most people think about cooling their home, they picture the big electricity bills and shudder, but when done correctly with eco friendly home upgrades, you can keep your home at a pleasant temperature and actually reduce your energy bills!

With help from the team at Purcell Homes, you can increase your property value, increase your quality of living, and increase the impact you’re making towards more sustainable living.

Solar Power Systems:

It’s well established now how effective solar panels and battery storage are for creating energy independence, as well as reducing your home’s carbon footprint. This is a great first step to improving your home’s sustainability, reduce your environmental impact, and even save you money on your energy bills.

Upgrade With Energy-Efficient Windows, Doors, and Insulation:

Improving the insulation of your home both in the walls and ceiling space and with energy-efficient double or triple-glazed windows means you can save on heating and cooling costs passively. This also has the added benefit of reducing your energy costs during peak times, potentially saving you significantly over time. Opt for low-E coated, double-glazed units, preferably thermally broken, to improve insulation and reduce heat loss. Ensure walls, ceilings, and floors are properly insulated and all gaps are sealed to prevent drafts and improve thermal efficiency

Water Conservation Solutions:

Conserving water isn’t just great for the environment, but can save you money on water bills, especially during times of drought. Opting for low-flow fixtures is a popular choice, but adding on rainwater tanks and greywater systems can greatly improve your water conservation.

Upgrade Your Hot Water System:

Switch to a heat pump hot water system, as this is where up to 80% of household energy is consumed. A more efficient system significantly reduces energy usage and costs.

Sustainable Materials:

Choosing sustainable materials is a logical way to improve your home’s sustainability, not only helping to reduce waste through recycling or upcycling, but in some cases, you may end up with higher quality materials (such as hardwood rather than composite board, or low-VOC paint for higher air quality indoors).

Smart Home Technology:

2025 is a great time to look into smart technology to help increase the sustainability of your home and optimise your energy usage. Not only can you easily monitor your energy usage with smart metres or apps, but you can install automated smart devices to manage usage, such as optimising climate control.

Eco-Friendly Landscaping:

It’s not just inside your home where you can boost your sustainability, by making use of drought-resistant native plants and water-efficient irrigation you can reduce your water usage and sustain your property much easier, with a much smaller water footprint. 

1. Thermal Regulation and Energy Efficiency

• Green Roofs: Provide insulation, reducing heat transfer and cooling costs.

• Living Walls: Create natural shading for buildings, reducing direct solar heat gain on walls and improving indoor climate control.

2. Stormwater Management

• Green Roofs: Absorb and filter rainwater, reducing runoff and preventing urban flooding.

• Living Walls: Can capture and slow down rainwater on vertical surfaces, contributing to stormwater management and preventing soil erosion near building foundations.

3. Improved Air Quality

• Green Roofs: Absorb pollutants and produce oxygen, enhancing urban air quality.

• Living Walls: Act as vertical air filters, trapping dust, pollutants, and carbon dioxide while releasing oxygen.

4. Biodiversity Enhancement

• Both green roofs and living walls can provide habitats for birds, bees, and other pollinators, supporting urban biodiversity in a compact and efficient manner.

5. Noise Insulation

• Green Roofs: Reduce noise pollution from above by absorbing sound waves.

• Living Walls: Act as sound barriers for exterior walls, reducing traffic and city noise infiltration.

6. Aesthetic Appeal and Urban Greening

• Both systems enhance urban spaces, creating visually appealing environments.

• Living walls, in particular, can transform dull vertical surfaces into vibrant, natural art pieces, contributing to beautification and community pride.

7. Mental and Physical Health Benefits

• Access to greenery, whether horizontal (green roofs) or vertical (living walls), has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and encourage physical activity.

• Living walls inside buildings enhance indoor environments, promoting well-being in workplaces, homes, or public spaces.

8. Climate Adaptation and Resilience

• Both systems mitigate urban heat and help cities adapt to climate change.

• Living walls provide additional cooling benefits for street-level environments, helping to combat the heat island effect.

9. Energy and Cost Savings

• Green Roofs: Lower energy bills by insulating buildings against heat and cold.

• Living Walls: Reduce cooling costs by acting as thermal barriers for building facades.

10. Structural and Maintenance Benefits

• Green Roofs: Protect roofing materials from UV radiation and weathering, extending their lifespan.

• Living Walls: Protect exterior walls from extreme weather and UV damage, potentially reducing maintenance costs.

11. Water Recycling Potential

• Both systems can be integrated with greywater systems:

• Living Walls: Often designed with efficient irrigation systems that recycle water, reducing consumption.

• Green Roofs: Can use harvested rainwater for irrigation.

12. Community and Economic Benefits

• Green roofs and living walls increase property values and attract tenants or buyers.

• They can also create opportunities for urban agriculture, providing fresh produce in residential or commercial spaces.

Design Considerations for QLD

• High Temperatures: Use native, drought-resistant plants for both systems.

• Heavy Rainfall: Ensure proper drainage systems to prevent waterlogging or damage.

• Structural Integrity: Assess building suitability for the weight of a green roof or the support of a living wall.

By integrating green roofs and living walls, QLD can leverage these systems to create more sustainable, livable, and resilient urban environments.

Why Should You Opt for a Sustainable Home Future in 2025

A new year is a great time to reassess how sustainable your home is, and with some upgrades and modifications with help from Purcell Homes, you can really boost how eco-friendly and sustainable your home is. The added benefit of this is you can save yourself money in the long run with reduced energy and water bills, and be better able to manage extreme heat or cold with improved insulation and airflow. 

The way to get the most bang for your buck in 2025 when it comes to eco friendly home upgrades is to start with your energy consumption with solar panels and battery storage, improve your temperature control with insulation and glazed windows, and then look into options for sustainable building materials and water conservation options. 

To find out what options are possible for your home, get in contact with the team at Purcell Homes and we’ll help you transform your home in 2025