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Buying a new home is one of the biggest and most important investments you'll make in your lifetime, so it makes sense to explore all the possibilities. Green homes represent one of the most exciting opportunities for today's new home buyers, not only in terms of making a socially conscious choice that benefits the environment, but in terms of improving your family's quality of life and saving money on energy and maintenance costs.
What does it really mean to go green?
Here's the lowdown on the major differences between green and traditional homes…
Increased Energy Efficiency Saves You Money
Energy efficiency is one of the key benefits of buying a green home because it translates into dollars back in your pocket through savings on energy bills. There are many ways to improve energy efficiency in new homes-for example, builders can use the sun and the home site to the building's advantage for natural heating, cooling and day lighting.
Beyond careful placement of the home on the site, green homes typically offer extras like upgraded insulation to protect from drafts and double-pane windows, which prevent energy loss and provide a quieter interior environment. Other energy-saving amenities you'll find in green homes include passive solar heating, high efficiency furnaces or zoned, hydronic radiant heating, tankless water heaters, as well as whole house and solar attic fans. Adding overhangs on south-facing windows and planting deciduous trees on the west and south sides of homes are other ways builders improve energy efficiency.
A Healthier Living
Environment for Your Family
Thanks to the use of safer building products, green homes also provide a healthier living environment. A common source of indoor air pollution is the offgassing of chemicals including formaldehyde, found in pressed-wood products such as particleboard or fiberboard. Many paints, floor finishes, adhesives and sealants also emit unhealthy volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Green building technology incorporates the use of low-VOC paints, cleaners and adhesives and avoids products with added formaldehyde.
Poor indoor air quality may also result from inadequate ventilation, which can allow moisture infiltration and promote mold growth. Green homes offer improved ventilation systems and incorporate features like hard surface flooring and permanent front door walk-off mats to reduce dust, another major source of air pollution inside homes.
Water Conservation Further Reduces Your Expenses
Green homes are landscaped to use water wisely, which not only reduces homeowner expenses, but contributes toward preserving our shared resources. In addition, high efficiency appliances like ultra-low flush or dual flush toilets, low-flow plumbing fixtures, re-circulating hot water pumps, grey water systems, and rainwater harvesting systems further minimize water usage.
Green Homes Preserve Natural Resources for Future Generations
Green construction practices help protect natural resources by reducing the quantities of wood, water, metals, fossil fuels and other materials used throughout the building process. Advanced framing techniques can reduce lumber requirements without compromising structural integrity and use of engineered wood products can help protect old-growth forests.
Use of Durable Products Provides Savings on Maintenance Costs
In addition to minimizing construction waste through careful management of the construction site, builders are incorporating more durable products into today's green homes to reduce the impact on the environment. Roofing products with 40- or 50-year warranties divert future waste from landfills. Use of reclaimed and recycled products including decking, lumber, and glass and ceramic tile not only conserve resources, but can also improve durability and provide cost savings due to the longer life of many of these products.
It's clear that purchasing a green home has many advantages. By going green you can reduce the cost of homeownership, minimize the impact on the earth, and most importantly, ensure a healthier living environment for your family.
Be sure to incorporate today's new green communities into your home search and discover the exciting benefits of owning a green home.
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