green remodeling

You are currently browsing articles tagged green remodeling.

Cons of Building or Buying a New Green Home

May 21, 2009 in Green Building by Jennifer | No comments

This month we’ve been sorting out which is better: remodeling green or buying or building a new green home. So far we’ve looked at…

Today the last part of our series – the cons of building or buying new. However, stay tuned because soon I’ll post some resources that will help you out, no matter your final decision.

CONS OF BUILDING OR BUYING A NEW GREEN HOME:

The obvious first con of going with a new green home is cost. Green homes can cost more at the start than conventional. In the long run a green home will save you money, but start-up costs can stop some people cold. According to CNN Money, if you went as green as possible, a green home might cost you 20-30% more than a traditional home, but don’t forget there are shades of green in-between as well. You’ll also get tax credits. Green Prefab can also be an affordable way to build or buy green.

Side note: I built a green home and the costs were not more than a traditional home – but keep in mind that we built small as well (also a green feature). Additionally a piece at Ecomii notes that green costing more is a myth. According to this piece; “The chief complaint most people have with green building is cost… This is not true — but it’s a common misconception promoted by ignorant architects and contractors who are afraid of building in a different way. Good architects and contractors know how to save their clients money. The client sets the budget, and a project should come in at or below that budget. With a clear direction of budget, there is no reason you can’t build a green building for the same price as, or less than, a traditional building.” Read more.

OTHER CONS:

Read the rest of this entry »

Pros of Building or Buying a New Green Home

May 18, 2009 in Green Building by Jennifer | 2 comments

Last week we started looking at remodeling green vs. buying a new green home or building a new green home. So far we took a peek at:

This week we’re moving on to pros and cons of building or buying a new green home. Later we’ll round it all up and look at some resources for both.

Building or buying a new green home does have many pros…

Green home will almost always (if you build within size reasons) cost less to operate. Your energy, water, and other maintenance costs will all likely be lower in the long term. You can also save money with green building tax cuts.

Green homes last longer than a typical conventional (non-green) home.

Green housing can meet the needs of the community both in terms of affordable to run housing and in terms of keeping the community healthy.

Green structures are healthy for the people who live there and are healthier than conventional homes for the people who build them – i.e. cut down on indoor air pollution and involve fewer toxic materials during the building process.

If a home meets typical current green building standards, green building offers opportunities during the building process to save energy, cut greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources, improve air and water quality, and reduces construction waste. Green building can also use up resources that might just be tossed – i.e. materials from a home deconstruction.

Green homes can be more relaxing. For example, a super energy efficient home is comfortable for the people living there and causes less stress because there’s not always a concern about how to cool or heat the home.

Green building or buying a new green home involves a learning curve for sure, but it’s not as hard as some think. Read the following for tips and ideas…

Cons of Remodeling Green

May 14, 2009 in Green Building by Jennifer | 1 comment

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?

Pros of Remodeling Green

May 13, 2009 in Green Building by Jennifer | 3 comments

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.

Is There an Ideal Sustainable Home?

January 30, 2009 in Sustainable Building by Jennifer | No comments

Sustainable housing is not a new idea, but there are many different ideas surrounding the term sustainable building, some of them always changing (think LEED). People have varied sustainable plans when designing a house, but in reality you can narrow sustainability down to some basic ideas.

The best sustainable housing is…

Sustainable at each level. From choosing a site and clearing the land. Your choice of materials and your building ethics (i.e. recycling waste). Your energy system and landscaping. At each level of the planning and building process there are sustainable aspects you can consider.

A sustainable home has a light footprint and takes up less space. You can sort of build a green McMansion but that majorly defeats the true purpose of sustainable design.

The best sustainable materials are locally acquired, efficient, and recyclable. You can go further by choosing materials that have been reclaimed and by using only what you need. For example, two sinks in the bath, may be overkill.

Sustainable housing requires less fuel to heat or cool and maximizes natural vs. non-renewable resources for energy. Wind, solar, proper landscaping, window quality, and more are all ideas surrounding sustainable energy for housing.

Sustainable housing makes the most of water use with things like water efficient appliances, rainwater systems, and low-water landscaping.

Interior design is also a consideration. Non-toxic paints, clean air techniques, reclaimed floors, sustainable furniture, and more all contribute to overall sustainable design.

In my opinion, sustainable design also adds to the land integrity instead of claiming aesthetics from said land. This is not an across the board idea, but it makes little sense to overtake nature with design.

To learn more about sustainable design read:

Questions for A Green Home Remodel

September 29, 2008 in Sustainable Building by Jennifer | 1 comment

If you’re thinking of a green remodel for your house, there are some basic questions to consider.

General home questions:

What don’t you like about your current home?

What do you adore about your current home?

Do you have enough space? Too much space?

How efficient is your current insulation solution – is your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer without having to use huge energy drains?

Is there mold in your home? Other problems? Before a remodel, you do need to plan for the costs of taking care of current problematic issues.

What sort of alternative energy options appeal to you – how much work are you willing to put into alternative energy upkeep?

Window questions:

How much natural light does each room receive?

Is energy efficient glass used for all your windows?

Is it even feasible to change window placement if you choose – can skylights or solar lighting be implemented?

Are windows properly placed with roof overhang, or other sun blockers?

Outdoor living:

How can you bring more of the outside environment indoors?

Can you green renovate your landscaping during your remodel?

Money issues:

How much can you afford to spend on green renovations?

How are you spending now on utilities?

Will green renovations cost as much to build a new green home or relocate to a green home? If so, which choice is best for you?

How much money will green renovations save you in the long run – and how long until you recoup your costs.

What eco-benefits will a green remodel have and does that increase the worth of the remodel to you?

This is just a start. These questions will get you thinking, but the best thing to do if you’re considering a remodel is to speak with a green remodeling professional or a builder who has green know-how.