It’s 2015 and awareness of the importance of “going green” has been on a steady increase. What was once considered to be a drastic movement embraced only by extremists, the importance of making our homes more environmentally friendly has gone mainstream.
More new homes are being built with sustainable features as standard. Owners of existing homes are choosing to seek out ways to make their remodeling projects “green.” And homes that are considered green sell faster and closer to list price.
If you are considering upgrading your home with sustainable projects, the most important aspect of planning is knowing your overall incentive for doing so. According to the Green Resource Council, 45 percent of home buyers chose energy cost savings as their motivation for going green, 19 percent considered health benefits, 17 percent cited concern for the environment, and four percent chose walkability and access to public transportation as their main incentives for going green.
Here are a few recommendations and tips for going green based on your motivation.
Cost-saving benefits: If cutting down on your energy bills is a top consideration, a good place to begin is with a home energy audit. For a small investment, you can hire a professional energy auditor to come through your home and evaluate where you are losing energy. They will also provide a list of recommended improvements to make in order to cut down on your overall energy use.
One such improvement may be to properly seal your home. Leaking air through improperly sealed ductwork and gaps in window frames and doorways is one reason your energy bills may be high. Having those areas sealed can help you better control your indoor climate, thereby decreasing your energy usage and overall bills.
Another way to save money is by installing Energy Star products. Replacing appliances, water heaters, windows, and even light bulbs can help you save money at home while also improving your impact on the environment.
Healthy living benefits: Replacing flooring, cabinetry and paint are the top recommended projects for health considerations. Off-gassing from non-environmentally friendly building materials often aggravates conditions such as asthma and allergies.
Carpets, paints and other synthetic materials such as plywood and pressed-wood products are the top offenders. These items have volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that not only irritate current health issues, but have also been known to cause more serious conditions. Replacing these items with low-VOC products can greatly enhance the quality of air inside your home.
Concern for overall environment: Most green upgrades at home will contribute to bettering the environment at large. When purchasing building or design materials, look locally first and foremost. This helps keep money in the local economy, and also reduces pollution caused by the long-haul transportation of materials.
Other ways to enhance the environment are to optimize your insulation in order to reduce emissions and overall energy use. Also insulate your water heater if it has an R-Value lower than 24. This simple upgrade alone can reduce standby heat losses up to 45 percent.
If you have home improvement projects planned, it is well worth the effort to find ways to “green” your project. In the end, it will provide a better overall experience in your home and will help increase market value when it comes time to sell. FBN
By Jacki Tait
Jacki Tait is a Green Designated real estate agent through the National Association of REALTORS and a member of the US Green Building Council. Tait is an agent with Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty in Flagstaff, and also leads a team of agents in the Valley.