As the market is picking back up, we're seeing more and more new home
construction and a flood of new buyers. In fact, recent studies from
McGraw-Hill Construction show that one in five homes built in 2012 were
considered 'green'.
The benefits of more
sustainable homes come in many forms. Living in a high performance home
provides a healthier indoor environment for families. Home owners can
also expect cost savings due to durability and increased efficiency, and
overall a more comfortable place to live. People say you can actually
feel the difference when inside a home that's been built with
sustainability in mind.
It certainly doesn't hurt that studies also show home owners
looking to sell a high performance home can expect to see a boost in the
sales price. Single family homes with a green certification actually
sell for about 9% higher than their non-green alternatives. So if you're
looking to buy or sell your home soon, take a look at these numbers and studies
to gain a clearer perspective on how sustainable features could benefit
you and your family. If your home is newer, you may have a good number
of efficient features already present!
Upgrading to a green home may be an option for you, but remember most of the housing stock here in the Northeast was built before 1940 when building codes didn't factor energy efficiency and sustainability. It is possible, through thoughtful retrofits, to make a brown home more energy efficient. This may be an excellent way to increase the value of your brown home. In a recent draft of new national guidelines for bank appraisers to establish proper valuation of green buildings the Appraisal Practices Board states that appraisers should be aware of "a brown discount for existing buildings that don't green up."
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