Best Green Home Tips » pros & cons of building new green homes

Cons of Building or Buying a New Green Home

Jennifer — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:35:02 +0000

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:

There’s a learning curve and green building mistakes can happen. Research is key to avoiding this con. Not all green building aspects and techniques will work for all sites and locations. Making a mistake because you ignored the research end can be costly both in time and money.
It can be harder to find a new green home to buy in an area you like because green simply isn’t as prevalent yet. Same goes for finding a green designer or architect and construction company. However, this is quickly becoming less of a con as more home builders jump into green methods.
Green homes may have some features that make resale harder. When we built our real estate agent warned against composting toilets, saying no one would be on board buying a house with one. I’m not so sure that’s true, but it’s smart to investigate what sells and doesn’t in your area.
You may find it’s harder to get the perfect green home insurance.
Green homes sometimes require more daily consideration. For example, a dual flush toilet means everyone (guests too) need to know how to use it. Solar panels and other alternative energy options can require maintenance by the home owner.
Sometimes the people in your neighborhood will complain. I’ve heard the most complaints about green prefabs moving into more traditional neighborhoods.
It can take longer to choose and plan the perfect green home site.

Overall though, I still think most of the cons of green building can be avoided with careful planning and that in the long run green is far better for your health, the planet’s health, and your wallet. Coming up resources for remodeling green, building green, or buying a new green home.

Pros of Building or Buying a New Green Home

Jennifer — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:39:14 +0000

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

Jennifer — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:30:00 +0000

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

Jennifer — Thu, 14 May 2009 03:03:46 +0000

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.