Aug 1, 2020
As someone who spends so much time outdoors, enjoying the natural beauty of Marin County, it’s important to me to be as ‘green’ as possible in my home, as well. This means I watch my carbon footprint, shop farmer’s markets for local and seasonal produce, and encourage my clients to incorporate ‘green’ elements into their new and existing homes. Surprisingly, I find the biggest issue folks have with ‘going green’ is just how easy it is!
“Green home building” isn’t just a construction industry buzz word, it is a body of home construction techniques and practices that are becoming increasingly important to homeowners and home buyers alike. The methods result in homes that are more energy efficient, require lower maintenance, and healthier than typical new construction homes.
Energy efficient, sustainable homes are characterized by their use of sustainable materials, and less volatile chemicals, and finished with Energy Star-rated appliances and lighting fixtures.
So let’s review the five myths that have many confused on what it means to have a ‘green’ home:
1. Only new houses can be green
Not so! You can go green in your existing home by installing low-emissivity ("low E") windows, re-insulating the house, or even just purchasing more energy-efficient appliances that have the added benefit of saving you money on your utility bill while you’re saving the planet.
2. Green homes are too expensive
Nope! In fact, it would cost you more – and certainly add to the depletion of natural resources – to build a new home with the latest cutting-edge advancements in green building technology.
Among those incremental steps: Upgrade your roofing system to something with recycled metal that reflects the sun’s heat. A new, properly insulated roof could reduce your home’s heating and cooling expenditure by as much as 34%.
There is no one-size-fits-all sustainability answer, but improving your home's passive solar design by exploiting its orientation and ensuring its eaves and exterior shading, as well as providing good cross-ventilation are essential.
3. Sustainable homes are ugly
There’s no rule that says sustainable homes have to look a certain way—and they definitely don’t have to be ugly.
“There are so many delightful, well-planned, and well-considered sustainable homes—from adorable and modern tiny houses to net-zero luxury homes,” says Matt Daigle, CEO and founder of Rise, a leading online authority in sustainable home improvement.
4. Going green means going off the grid
When people think about going green, they have a tendency to imagine the extremes—as in, wearing handmade clothing and living in a recycled shack with a bunch of goats. Yikes.
Go as far as you want to go without feeling pressure. Solar panels and recycled-water systems are two ways that modern homeowners can get in on the sustainable-living lifestyle—minus the farm animals.
5. It’s hard to make your home eco-friendly
So not true. There are incremental steps to going green and local professionals, including LEEDS certified architects, can advise you on your options, such as Scott Lee, who built the first LEED certified home in Marin County. And while more and more companies are coming out with sustainable building products and designs, there’s an even easier way to make your place green—and it starts in the garden.
Try replacing annual foliage with native perennials, watering less, eliminating pesticides and fertilizers, or even just reducing the size of your lawn, which tends to require extra chemicals and water consumption. You can also grow deciduous trees that provide shade to your homes exterior walls to keep the summer sun from heating your home, yet let all that sunlight hit come winter to keep your heating bill down.
6. It will hurt the home’s resale value
This might be the biggest myth. A July 2017 study by the University of Texas at Austin and the U.S. Green Building Council (USBGC) found that homes built to meet green building standards such as LEED and ENERGY STAR are worth an average of $25,000 more than conventional homes.
Let's talk about the 'green' homes that are currently coming to market in Marin. And please be sure to contact me if you are selling your green home. I have clients who understand the value and would love to discuss this!
Tracy
Looking for more tips on going green? Read on ~
https://greenhomeguide.com/know-how/article/the-value-of-investing-in-a-leed-certified-home
https://www.builditgreen.org/green-certified-homes-bring-higher-sales-prices-despite-market-barriers
*A song by Kermit the Frog, as seen in this archive video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRZ-IxZ46ng
#tracycurtis #marinrealestate #coldwellbankerrealty #home #marincounty