Can $1000 Build You A Green Home?

According to FirstCoast, a home building company who primarily build starter homes, pumping up your budget by just a mere $1000 CAN get you a green home. In a long piece at Ecohome, the idea that green doesn’t have to cost more is illustrated by FirstCoast’s five big green and inexpensive ideas.

Two of the ideas include:

The home’s seal: A smart home sealing plan can go a long way toward greening your home without involving too much extra cost. FirstCoast notes that they use a specific combination of sealing techniques to achieve maximum energy savings. “Typically a combination of foam sealing and caulking throughout the exterior of the building envelope… foam to seal the wire and plumbing penetrations through the OSB sheathing, caulk at the base plate and corners, and low-expansion foam around the doors and the windows.”

Strategic cost savings: FirstCoast says that savings from strategic moves like cutting out a couple windows and using smarter design techniques saves costs overall which leaves room in the budget for greener options. This is a great point. Your choices can make a huge impact on both the costs of and the greenness of your home. For example, if you build smaller you can afford the better, but more expensive green appliances. If you focus on issues that will save you energy costs in the long run, like the sealing noted above, you may be able to spend more on little extras like installing a rain barrel, using only zero VOC paints, and maybe paying for custom landscaping help for a water saving rain garden.

Read the entire article to learn about all the money saving ideas for a green home: 5 Ways to Build Affordable, Energy Star-Rated Houses.