Going Green Or Sustainable Is Not A Myth! by Jeff Hoel
In fact, in real estate today, going green isn’t just a trend; it’s a movement. Many people and businesses have changed their directional movement because they believe that every step toward a greener, more sustainable environment is a step in the right direction.
You’ve probably noticed that green is everywhere these days – in the news, politics, fashion, and even technology. So why not in real estate as well? You can hardly escape it, with thousands of messages and ideas coming at us from all sides, it can be easy to get caught up in “green washing” and tune out without thinking about the big picture of how Ggeen actions might work for you.
While it’s easy to get overwhelmed, it’s also simple to begin making a positive impact. According to a recent National Association of Home Builders survey, 61 percent of consumers said they would be willing to spend more than $5,000 upfront to save on utility costs – which green construction targets.
As a result, in my world of real estate today, we see the setting of new standards for both existing and new green homes. You can implement green products and practices into your home that reduce energy consumption, save money, and save the environment for a lot less than you think.
Many homeowners have a strong interest in energy conservation and the environment, but it can be very difficult to imagine how to integrate those ideas into their homes or businesses. Today, in our area, a few interested real estate professionals are transforming the industry by living, working, and educating green.
Seeing the value of Sustainable Management in real estate has not yet taken the country by storm. We hear about the financial woes across the country, some of us have lost jobs or been cut back, so just finding the money to keep our families together takes all of our personal energy and thinking.
But despite challenges, in the normal course of events, we may have made several decisions that have improved our Green rating – and didn’t even know it! If you have added appliances, furnaces, windows or doors, siding, and any number of other things in the normal course of life’s events, the likelihood is that not only have you have improved your energy consumption and reduced your expenditures, you have made a contribution to the sustainable green movement worldwide. I bet you didn’t think of that!
To me, as a Realtor with a Green designation, these upgrades are part of the appeal to entice new buyers, if you were to sell your property. My goal and the goal of Green Designated Realtors, is to make this an important part of the purchase and sale experience.
In today’s world, most home owners’ first experience with sustainable or green involves their pocketbook. People facing a major household replacement are given some choices and then the decision making process begins. Yes, it can cost more money to go with sustainable or green items or parts, but that charge is often mitigated quickly with the longer term benefits and savings.
If you are really new to Green or Sustainability in real estate, a home energy assessment, also known as a home energy audit, is the first step to determine how much energy your home consumes and to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. An assessment will show you problems that may, when corrected, save you significant amounts of money over time.
A home energy assessment performed by a Certified Rater can include a blower door test to depressurize your home to look for air leaks, an infrared scan of walls and ceilings, a low E detector for windows, and a survey of your lighting and appliances. Verification of improvements and home updates developed from the report can be a major selling point for homeowners. Home energy assessment’s range from $350-500 depending on the size of your home. Always check with your local utility to see if they offer free or discounted energy audits for their customers.
In summary, what you do at home –from the way you handle your garbage to the bulbs you put in your lamps – sends ripples out into your community and the whole planet. Going green isn’t as hard as you might think and it doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money. Besides, you may already have made the first step.
Learn more at www.wisustainable.com.