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Either building or renovating a house has environmental pros and cons. Renovating is advantageous because it efficiently uses existing land and resources, however, it may be difficult to adapt the existing building to include eco-friendly features such as solar hot water. Building a house means you can consider the environment at every stage. Realistically, the decision will probably come down to cost.

Design - When building or renovating, the design of your home is an integral consideration. Your home should work with the sun and not against it. A home design that works in Queensland won't be the best for Victoria, while what's good for Tasmania might not be so good for New South Wales.

It makes sense to take advantage of natural light and the natural heating and cooling influences of the sun, breeze and vegetation. If possible position the main living spaces in your house facing North.

Building and renovating tips from Greenpeace. Click here to read more on the Greenpeace website.