My 7 non-negotiable considerations when searching for a new property.
In this edition we discuss:
My 7 non-negotiable environmental considerations when searching for a new property
The Healthy Home Show Podcast
Upcoming Events
Discount Codes
This month I want to talk about my non-negotiable considerations when it comes to searching for new homes in the countryside for myself or clients.
Now that the interest rates have started to edge down a bit, hopefully we will see some movement back in the property market but it always surprises me how little attention buyers or renters give to their health when they are about to lay out their life savings or biggest chunk of their salary on somewhere to live.
It amazes me that we spend more time trying on and considering a new pair of shoes than we do a new home and unfortunately there are no returns once you’ve signed on the dotted line for that house or flat.
Over the years, I’ve been personally caught out by this a few times. Once I spent only 3 nights in a flat I rented in Barcelona. I soon realised that the noise levels at night were far beyond the levels in the day when I had viewed the property. To save my health and sanity from the lack of sleep that I could foresee in my future, I just had to take a huge financial hit and kiss goodbye to the deposit and agent fees that I had already laid out. Because no matter how charming the layout or amazing the view, if your home is making you ill, it’s just not worth it.
Of course, the potential issues of living in the countryside can differ slightly from the red flags that might come up from a property search in a more urban environment. If you’re renting you will have to be even more discerning as you won’t have the same freedom to be able to change the windows or flooring or anything else for that matter.
After having spent 25 years buying and renting property in 4 different countries, I have slowly collated a list of things I refuse to compromise on when choosing a Healthy Home. It’s not enough to look at design, location or price. We need to invest our money in homes that support our health… they should be our sanctuary.
But if we don’t ask the right questions before buying or renting, we risk living in spaces that slowly erode our wellbeing.
Here are the 7 environmental considerations that are top of my list on a property search.
1. No Farms Within 3 Miles
Most people dream of countryside views but conventional farms use powerful chemicals like glyphosate and dicamba that don’t stay on the fields. They drift through the air for miles, contaminate water supplies, soil and settle into the dust inside your home.
These chemicals are linked to hormonal imbalances and gut disruption, mitochondrial damage and the huge increase in fertility and autoimmune issues we have seen in recent years.
2. No Golf Courses Nearby
I know you’re going to hate me if you’re an avid golfer but Golf courses are often worse than farms. They’re routinely sprayed with Atrazine, a really toxic herbicide. Again, these chemicals don’t just stay locally.. they get carried for miles by the wind.
There’s a reason autoimmune rates are really high amongst golfers. The chemicals they use to keep the course looking pristine, cause all kinds of skin and respiratory problems and neurological disfunction as well as the autoimmune diseases I’ve already mentioned. Fortunately, Golf courses have started to understand how damaging to human health these chemicals are and they are starting to use more natural ways to maintain those greens but its not happening fast enough.
3. Avoid Cell Towers, 5G Infrastructure & Big Overhead Powerlines
Apart from the fact that thy look incredibly ugly, living near a tower or base station can increase your exposure to electromagnetic radiation significantly. Studies suggest that chronic EMF exposure will at the very least increase oxidative stress and disrupt melatonin production but can also lead to a host of autoimmune and neurological issues and even lead to cancer. There are some useful tools online like cellmapper.net that can help you search for cell towers etc near your potential new home.
4. No Nearby Landfill or Rubbish Tips
Leachate is the liquid that drains or ‘leaches’ from a landfill. It’s the toxic sludge from landfill sites that can seep into groundwater and contaminate nearby water supplies. Exposure to this contamination leads to cancer and organ failure according to the World Health Organisation and judging by the insane amount of toxic waste we continue to put into landfill in the UK, I would not want to be living near that. I certainly wouldn’t want to be bathing or cooking with water that was near to landfill sites. You can check with your local water authority or Environmental risk maps to identify and nearby waste sites to property you’re looking at.
5. No Geopathic Stress Zones
This may sound woo woo but the more I’ve studied the impact of underground geological activity, the more I respect it. Sleeping or living above fault lines, underground streams, or geomagnetic stress zones can really affect our health. Geopathic Stress Surveys are pretty common in countries like Spain when buying property. I have used surveyors there myself but it’s strange that it doesn’t seem to be used so much in the UK. We tend to survey for Radon and thats about it.
6. Avoid Allergy-Triggering Flora and Fauna
There’s nothing more frustrating than designing your dream garden, only to realise you can’t sit in it. I know people who have purchased the home of their dreams only to find that the trees in their beautiful new garden are making them very ill and in the end they have just had to sell up and move on at a big financial loss. If clients are sensitive, properties surrounded by allergenic tree species (like birch, oak, or plane), certain grasses, or mould-prone hedges can cause constant irritation.
7. Noise Pollution
Although I would say generally noise issue are worse in urban environments than the countryside, don’t expect country living to be noise free. Noise from dogs barking all night to train lines to airplanes overhead to nearby Industrial sites are all important things to take note of so that your life in the country can be as peaceful as intended. I know people to have moved because the noise from nearby ground source heat pumps was driving them mad!
So there you have it, these are the main 7 things I consider when searching for a new property. And this is even before I start looking at the building itself and the potential mould or light issues it might have!!
If you’re looking for some guidance on how to minimise your exposure to these issues when considering a home move or just want to improve your health in general, Get in Touch!
Send me a message here Charlie Lemmer – WELL AP Faculty BA (Hons) or email me at hello@charlielemmer.com
The Healthy Home Show Podcast
Season 2 of The Healthy Home Podcast is almost drawing to a close but you can still get access to all the episodes we recorded with leading experts in Wellness Design, Healthy Homes and Sustainability last year.
Here are a selection of the Key Takeaways from a few of the Season 1 episodes but please go to the Apple or Spotify links of the show and you’ll find the entire catalogue.
Previously on The Healthy Home Show ….
Katie Brumley , Organise to Thrive, Decluttering for a Healthier Home & Mind – Read the Key Takeaways
Lars Tewes , Clean Living, Creating a Healthy Home Microbiome – Read the Key Takeaways
Katherine Russell , Director of John Lewis BTR, Building Wellness into Rental Living –Read the Key Takeaways
Jemima Hartshorn , Founder – Mums For Lungs Campaign, The Fight For Cleaner Air – Read the Key Takeaways
Claire Davis and James Davis of The Midlife Mentors , Strategies for Midlife Mastery – Read the Key Takeaways
Emma Hames, Director & Producer of the Documentary – Toxsick – Read the Key Takeaways
Frven LIM, Author of ‘Happier Architects’ – Designing Happiness & Wellbeing –Read the Key Takeaways
Marci Kenon, Toxins Educator Extraordinaire – Fighting For A Toxin-Free Future –Read the Key Takeaways
Darryn De La Soul, Founder – Margate Mushrooms – The Medicinal Power of Mushrooms – Read the Key Takeaways
My upcoming guests include:
carly Harryman Founder – Rocker Mumma
Annie Scog (BBNC, Adv Dip – Building Biology, LFA, CPHD) – Healthy Home Expert Australia
Joost Vogelaar , Aquatru Water Filters
Louise Gookey – Presenter – Sustainable Fashion and Green Living Expert
Laura Harnett , Founder – SEEP Eco Cleaning Tools
Events
It’s not just the weather that is hotting up but the events calendar too! Here is a quick rundown of the main events coming up over the next few months if you’re into Health, Interior Design and Non-Toxic Living!
Clerkenwell Design Week
One of my favourite events of the year! It has such a fun line-up of free talks and workshops to attend and is a great opportunity to rub shoulders with other designers. The dates are 20th, 21st and 22nd May.… hope to see you there!
UKREiiF
This is a bit of a calendar clash for me as this event runs at the same time as Clerkenwell Design Week BUT if you’re more interested in the future of our housing and hearing from the developers and architects rather than designers, this is the event for you.
U.S. Toxins Summit
The date for the Toxins Summit has now been pushed back to September. I’m super excited to be taking part in this summit alongside toxin experts and legends such as Darin Olien and Robert Lustig . Learn how to Optimise your Health and Minimise your Exposure to Toxins that are everywhere in our Homes and Environment in this upcoming Summit with Marci Kenon . Stay Tuned for the event details which I we will be released shortly and tune in to my podcast episode with Marci NEXT WEEK that will be discussing the highlights of the summit , amongst other toxic topics!
Discount Codes
Everybody loves a bargain! here are some current discount codes for some of my favourite products that I use everyday to optimise my home and health..
Evolve Beauty– Beauty gifts are probably THE most popular gift at any time of year. I have mentioned how much I love EVOLVE, so many times, not just for the quality for their products but also for the thought that goes into their packaging and minimising waste as much as possible.
At the checkout use the code – THEHEALTHYHOMETEAM
Clean Living – if you listened to my recent podcast interview with Lars Tewes from Clean Living, you would no doubt be convinced by the wonders of Probiotic Cleaners and how they need only clean better but are so much better for our health and the environment. Its the future of cleaning so get your discount by booking through this link …
Go to their website – Clean Living
or by using the following code at Checkout
CHARLIELEMMERNEW5
EMF Protection UK – If you have followed my podcast or newsletter for a while, you will know I talk a lot about the concern that I feel we should all have around the increasing levels of technology in our day to day lives. BUT, its unlikely that anyone is dumping their mobile phone or laptop anytime soon. Therefore, its super important that we protect ourselves from the excessive radiation from wifi and other technology as much as possible.
You can get a 10% DISCOUNT with the code – CHARLIE10
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Thanks so much for your support in subscribing to this Newsletter. If there is anything I haven’t covered that you feel should be or if you have any requests for future subjects, let me know. I’m always open to hearing about your Healthy Home and Lifestyle concerns so that we can find solutions together. Thank you for subscribing!
I want to make sure that I am covering topics that are of interest to you. So, if there is anything particular you would like to get more information on or any specific guest you would like to learn from on The Healthy Home Show, let me know via email at hello@charlielemmer.com.
Be WELL
Charlie x
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