Many people dream of turning their conventional home into an eco-friendly oasis, but few know how to get the funds necessary to fuel that vision. With mortgage rates at historic lows, now is the perfect time to sharpen up those pencils and start making plans.

Take Advantage of the Market

If you already own your own home and are locked into a mortgage, you may not be sure how to find money to start designing your green home. Tap into the equity in your home by taking advantage of low mortgage refinance rates to not only save money on your monthly mortgage payment but also gain access to a large amount of funds. By utilizing the equity in your home, you can easily afford to start renovating your house to make it an environmentally-friendly reality.

Look to the Skies

Take advantage of a common, free resource by installing solar panels on your roof or in the backyard. The electricity generated by solar panels can not only be used to power your home, but it can also reduce your home's reliance on the grid (and even support the grid itself when there are issues with local utilities). Solar panels and installation is becoming less and less expensive as it becomes more popular, and the technology itself is constantly improving. Solar energy is environmentally beneficial because it reduces reliance on carbon-based power, which in turn reduces the amount of pollution being released into the atmosphere.

Dig Deep

Another way to reduce your carbon footprint and reliance on external energy suppliers is to consider the use of geothermal when renovating your green home. The ground below the earth's surface is naturally heated by its molten core, providing homeowners who invest in geothermal energy with a constant, renewable way to heat and cool your home without pollution or high monthly utility bills. Geothermal heat pumps work by pumping water into the ground, where it is warmed by this naturally-occurring heat source and then pumped back into your home's heating system. In the summer when the house needs to be cooled, the hot air from your home is pumped into the ground where the heat dissipates, allowing the cold water to return to your home's cooling system.

Focus on the Outside

Many people dreaming of converting their traditional house into an energy-saving space, but not everyone remembers to look beyond the walls of the home to the exterior landscaping. Landscaping is an important way to protect the environment. Design your yard so it reflects the area's natural environment, using native plants, especially plants that support pollinators like hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Instead of a green, grassy lawn, choose a ground cover that does not require chemical fertilizers or watering, like moss or gravel and use a rain barrel if watering is necessary. Create catchment areas for rainfall to capture runoff from your driveway, roof and gutters.

Buy Used

Even interior design can be done in a way that protects the environment. Eliminate waste by selecting used or refurbished appliances and finding reclaimed building materials from torn-down buildings. Enjoy a day of antique shopping rather than relying on mass-produced furniture that requires a tremendous amount of resources to produce and commit to sourcing furnishings and decor from companies that pledge to harvest materials and produce products in an ethical and sustainable manner.

Use the extra funds from a mortgage refinance to make smart decisions when renovating your home. Take the time to research available energy-saving options and learn about ways to reduce your environmental footprint in your interior and landscaping design, focusing on achievable ways to make a positive environmental impact.