Buying a Green Home
More green homes are showing up on the market these days than ever before. This is because the whole world is becoming more concerned about energy use today and leaving a carbon footprint. But the buyer needs to be careful because not everything advertised as green is just that. There are some things to consider before buying one of these houses.
Try to find a real estate agent that knows about green houses for one thing. Not all of them understand everything they should. If you can find one that has been certified by the NAR (National Association of Realtors), that would be ideal. The realtor that has gone through this certification process can acquaint you with the green features of the home along with explaining any tax credits you can get or other information you need to know in conjunction with the house.
If you can’t find a NAR realtor then you can tell if a house is totally green by looking for certification from a third party. There are several organizations out there that do this Energy Star is probably the best known one. This certification shows the house has been tested and inspected for it better using energy than other homes of its size in the same local area. The certification by Energy Star shows the house is more efficient by at minimum of 15 percent than the houses constructed using 2004 International Residential Code.
Even on an older house you can evaluate it for energy usage. You can have an energy audit done on the house for about $300 – $500. An Expert will first inspect the house and look for how efficient it is constructed as far as using energy. Then he will do the blower- door test which shows anywhere that the energy is escaping. This test shows how tightly the house is sealed when doors and windows are closed.
If the house does not test out well you know it will use too much energy and needs improvements. You may want to keep looking at houses at this point. There might be something better out there that you don’t need to do energy improvements on.
Another aspect of a green house you need to be aware of is what type of landscaping does it have? If the house has all high-maintenance plants which need constant watering the landscaping is not very eco-friendly. If instead it has plants that need water in a moderate or low amount and are disease resistant too than these are usually more eco-friendly. Xeriscaping is a great way of landscaping today which a lot of green homeowners are turning to. It takes little water to maintain the landscaping done this way.
The good thing is that green houses do not necessarily cost more today than other types of homes. It all depends on the types of features included some are the same price as traditionally-built homes. They may however, cost a bit more per square foot of house since they are usually a bit smaller in size.
The green homes use less energy which means your energy bills will be lower. This alone is a reason to consider owning one. Just do your research and make sure it is truly a green home before you purchase it.
