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Eco-Living

Sustainable Living in Spain

How to make the most out of your finca

The environmental movement is growing and a prime consideration for many when moving house is to introduce sustainable living into the everyday.

Read why the Costa del Sol is the best place to live

Country Living

Moving to the countryside, particularly with enough land to have your own smallholding, in southern Spain is a step in the right direction.

Living slightly inland means you’ll get more land for your budget and a better chance to achieve that dream of self-sufficient living. If you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint and hit the ’green time’ with eco living, Spain is the destination for you.

MK Estates looks at some of the key factors for sustainable living in the Spanish countryside.

sustainable living spain

Sustainable Building Models

If you’re buying land in the countryside with permission to build, then consider companies that offer environmentally friendly designs. You can opt for a traditional look or the modern, modular style but either way, it’s the materials used that count.

Vinyl and PVC should be excluded as much as possible. Focus on organic and biodegradable materials like adobe, bamboo, untreated wood and straw. Reusing materials such as reclaimed timber and recycled glass or plastic is a good start. Also, using organic paints means harmful toxins are not released into the environment when they break down.

If you’re looking for an existing property, there are many traditional builds that are naturally green. Cave houses are the most ecological in the world. Alternatively, in the Andalucian coastal countryside, you’ll find lots of houses built with sand and/or clay and rock. The thickness of the walls provides good insulation.

And insulation is important as it keeps your fuel consumption down.

Renewable Energy

Fossil fuels are a no-no when it comes to sustainable living. They do not burn clean and extracting them destroys the ecology of the planet. Renewable energy, on the other hand, comes from unlimited resources.

Solar panels on your roof or on the land are a great option. Remember, you will need to size your system to cover your need. Calculate how much electricity you consume and set up your electricity generation and storage system to cope with it.

If you want a swimming pool, bear in mind the pump uses a lot of electricity. Instead, opt for a natural swimming pool with suitable plants to keep the water clean.

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Grow your own food

If you’ve grown your own salads, tomatoes or herbs, you’ll know the taste is unbeatable. That’s because you harvest it when needed and ripe – it hasn’t been in a storage container for days, then on a supermarket shelf.

Do your research into the best seasons to grow your favourite fruit and vegetables – Spain has numerous growing seasons, so you’ll be able to put food on your plate all year round. Purchase a finca in the Spanish countryside and you may find you’re already blessed with fruit trees.

Self-sufficient living really is achievable if you have a good-sized plot of land.

Have a look at our properties

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Don’t waste food and water

Any waste from the food you grow can go straight back into the eco living cycle, and that’s important; around 8% of all emissions in landfills comes from food waste. Dive deeper into self-sufficient living with pigs and chickens, nature’s very own recyclers of waste food; you’ll get eggs at the end of it too.

Many Spanish country properties come with their own wells, great for irrigation of the land. While it doesn’t rain very often in southern Spain, when it does a substantial amount falls. Make the most of nature’s gift with a rainwater harvesting system. Store the rainwater in a tank and use it to either flush toilets or keep your garden green.

 If you’re upgrading a property or building new, opt for tankless water heaters. Rather than using electricity (and paying for it) to keep a huge tank of water permanently hot, a tankless system works on demand.

sustainable country living spain

The 5Rs

Don’t forget the 5 ‘R’s of sustainable living: refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle. All of these are possible in Spain, making a sustainable lifestyle an achievable lifestyle.

If you are looking to buy a finca, have a look at the best areas on the Costa del Sol.

Get in touch with us if you would like to see some countryside properties. 

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