Green Building

Yesterday we looked at the Pros of Remodeling Green. Today let’s look at some of the downsides or negatives of remodeling green vs. building a new green home.

Most economical green home remodels rely on the fact that you have a decent shell of a home standing already. Some very old homes, homes with mold, or homes with major design flaws can be tough to remodel green and it will cost you more than if your house was in better shape to start with.

While having a place to live as you remodel is useful, it can also be annoying to live among the shambles of a remodel. Plus, in some cases there are remodel tasks that cannot be completed with you living in the house so you’ll have to find temporary housing.

There can be hidden costs such as architectural design fees, structural engineering fees, demolition costs, permit fees, plus of course there is always the strong possibility of unforeseen or emergency conditions.

If you’re making structural changes they may bring down the resale value of your home if you make the wrong decision. For example, making a structural change that makes no sense to the original design – an old school sun porch on a modern dwelling.

If the cost of remodeling green will outweigh your resale value it’s smarter to build new.

What you want vs. what you can have may not match up. Some green home features won’t work well, or will cost too much with certain homes, whereas if you build, you get to plan those features in from the start (in most cases).

Can you think of other negatives of green remodeling?

There’s been a lot of talk over the last few years about remodeling green vs. buying a new green home or building a new green home. Some people think remodeling existing structures is more environmentally sound, while others note that the costs of doing so can be huge, thus making building from scratch a better or at least reasonable option. This week, we’re going to look at the pros and cons of both remodeling green and new green homes. Later I’ll round all the posts up in one easy access post.

Pros involved with remodeling an existing structure green…

• Remodeling or restoring a home using green methods is a great way to use your housing dollars to the max. Some green changes cost very little but can save you big money in the long run.
• Remodeling does not use up new land – unless you’re drastically expanding your home – and I know you don’t want that; right?
• You eliminate the energy and materials used by new green construction. New construction, in almost all cases will use more resources than a remodel.
• Green home remodeling means your home will use less energy and water and have improved air quality. Green remodeling by pros will minimize waste and recycles materials that are left over.
• Your home will cost less in the long run to manage.
• Your home resale value usually will go up. According to Seattle.gov “80% of homebuyers say new homes don’t meet their environmental expectations and 96% said they are willing to pay more for a home with green features.”
• Your home will look better.
• You can remodel green in small steps – i.e. you have a place to live while you go green vs. building a new green home where you’ll need a place to stay in the meantime.
• There are less decisions to make with a green home remodel. Building new green homes from the ground up requires making scads of huge decisions, often on a minimum time frame; it can be a lot of pressure. Remodeling is less pressure on you.
• Green remodeling improves your neighborhood and community both eco-wise and socially. For example, one idea within green remodeling is creating more outdoor living space which is welcoming to neighbors.
• Green remodeling supports local businesses – because by nature, to remodel green, you’d use local suppliers and craftsmen.

Can you think of any other green remodeling pros?

Coming up: Cons of green remodels, pros & cons of building new green homes, and resources for both remodeling and building green.