Building Green Saves You Money, Saves the Planet
Posted Nov 7, 2007 @ 7:26 am, Viewed by 524 Visitors, Read 530 Times.The buzz in the building industry is all about being green, but there’s still an underlying belief that building green is expensive. In reality, green building practices often cost no more than conventional building practices, and often costs less up front. The real bonus comes in after you’re done with the building and all moved in. Most environmentally friendly building options are designed to reduce your use of energy – and that adds up to subtracting your energy and utility costs. Here are a few green building facts for you to chew on:
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A home built to meet today’s green building standards will use 40% less energy than a home built between 1994 and 2001. Those standards include energy efficient windows and doors, more efficient insulation, low water use fixtures and plumbing and incorporating natural light, shade and heat in your building plan.
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According to current estimates, it may cost 1-3% more to build a green home than a conventional home, depending on the area of the country and how familiar your builders are with green materials. However, your finished “healthy house” will be 5-15% more valuable than other homes in your area. In addition, you’ll save up to 40% in utility costs each and every month, so you’ll recover those upfront extra costs very quickly.
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The earlier you decide to build green, the more affordable it will be to do so. If you start with a home plan that is designed specifically for green building, you’ll benefit from incorporating the natural features of your site, and a building that is designed to accommodate green features like solar panels and double-thick walls.
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A 2004 study conducted by Greg Kats of the consulting firm Capital E found that the savings of building green accumulate to $49-65 per square foot over the course of twenty years. The premium for building green is $4-5 per square foot. That’s an enormous return on a small investment.
If you’re buying a newly constructed home, or planning to have one custom built, all the research suggests that building green will pay off big in the long run, making the modestly higher up front costs well worth the price.
For more on building green check out Why Build Green from the Start?
Relocating to Tampa Florida? TampaHomes24-7.com is a one-stop source for all kinds of information related to the Tampa real estate market, including Wesley Chapel real estate.
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Hi, let me introduce myself, I’m Calum MacKenzie. My wife Kathy and I are Tampa real estate professionals who take our business seriously… okay, so sometimes I’m not so serious, but definitely personally. Read More
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