So, what is a "Green Home"?
These days, you don’t have to have a house sunk deep into the ground or one made from recycled tires for it to be considered 'green.’ Often some sensible touches can make a big difference. Like using sustainable materials like bamboo or cork flooring. Or low VOC (non-toxic) paints and finishes. Or retrofitting your home with added insulation and "low-e" windows.
These types of features can go a long way towards making your home more eco-friendly.
Click on our interactive home (below) to see examples of green features that you might already have in your existing home, or would want to look for in a new home purchase.
Look for these types of characteristics of an energy efficient home:
- Was the home built using fewer resources during construction?
- Is it super insulated?
- Are the appliances Energy Star™ ?
- How about the windows - are they low-e?
- Do awnings or overhangs keep the sun from baking the rooms inside?
- Has the landscaping been designed to minimize the use of water?
- Is there a lot of natural light?
- Is there radiant floor heat, or perhaps geothermal?
- If there is a furnace, is it high efficiency?
- Are carpets all natural wool - or made from recycled materials?
- Are there outdoor room spaces?
- Is the electricity powered by wind or solar?
- Are floors made from something sustainable - like natural linoleum, concrete or cork
- Can the thermostat be programmed so you aren't overheating or overcooling spaces?
You can have an elegant home and it can be surprisingly green. And virtue really IS its own reward - you won't have to pay a premium to live with such integrity.
"Green Real Estate" takes on a whole new meaning when it refers to cost savings as well as to conservation. Maybe your home has a high efficiency furnace, low-e windows and recycled-content building materials.
Bravo! You are helping to save the planet and your own money at the same time.
Plus there's no need to go full bore -- to strawbale walls and natural lime plasters (though some do!) No - your next home may simply have several delicate 'shades of green' to it. Let us help you sort out what level of conservation... and cost savings... you can achieve in your next home.
Click here to learn more about energy efficiency and greener homes strategies.