As members of the real estate community, we find ourselves responsible for educating most of the population on Green building practices. The simple fact is that most people don't give a whole lot of thought to green or sustainable building until they start their search for a new home. There is a good chance they will be with a realtor when they start that search.
Here are a few tips that I have learned while working with clients who are curious about "that whole Green Building thing." Please note that in this post I am not addressing clients who may already have a Lifestyle Of Health And Sustainability. (LOHAS) Those folks already have a deep understanding of Green and Sustainable building. I am focusing on people who may have heard about this type of building and are curious as to what it might mean to them.
Consider the homeowner's perspective and what they traditionally want from a home. The average homeowner is usually looking for a home that provides comfort, health, and safety at a reasonable cost. Increasingly buyers are finding that green features can enhance all of these things.
Here are a few ways that I translate green home features into the homeowner's experience.
Energy Efficient - more comfort and lower utility bills.
Water efficient - lower water and sewer bills.
Good indoor air quality - a healthy place to raise a family.
Durable - a long lasting and easy to maintain home.
Made with non-toxic materials - better personal and environmental health.
Environmentally responsible with reduced impacts - reflection of environmental values and protection of the Earth for our children's future.
Often times buyers want to be green in their hearts but end up making their buying decision based on their pocket book. These translations may help you to convince your clients that they can be both environmentally friendly and still take care of their wallet.
Good luck and STAY GREEN!
Photo by vancanjay
Mark Hall
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There have been many published articles about "green" things we can do to an older home to make it more energy efficient, form radiant barriers to sealing windows and ductwork.
Going Green is probably going to take over the world soon...
There are different shades of green! I've recently been involved in some "green"projects and have enjoyed learning lots about the different levels of "green".
Green building practices strive to balance environmental responsibility, resource efficiency, occupant comfort and community sensitivity. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) provides certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). USGBC is a coalition of leaders from all segments of the building industry that organized in the late 1990s to develop a "green building" rating system. LEED provides a complete framework for assessing building performance and meeting environmental sustainability goals.
Thank you all for the nice comments!
Kyle - Sooner than you THINK!
That's so true Mark - a home can be Green, but the buyer wants it to satisfy the usual user requirements as well. Fortunately, the Green builder I represent knows this and the result is a home that lives well *plus* has those other little perks under the hood!