| What does a home builder mean when they say that | | | | advertise a building as green. |
| they build "green" homes? The term green is being | | | | There are several things you can do to ensure you |
| used a lot to describe a wide range of products and | | | | are truly getting an environmentally friendly home not |
| it is unclear exactly what is meant. It can mean that | | | | just a home that a builder put a little extra insulation |
| the product is made from recycled materials, or | | | | and a low flow toilet in to say it is green. First off |
| perhaps has a longer life then competitors, or maybe | | | | you can look for LEED certified builders and buildings. |
| uses less energy or any other number of ways that | | | | LEED is a group in the United States that sets |
| a product might be considered green or | | | | standards for green building and rates buildings based |
| environmentally friendly. This problem also exists in | | | | on their environmental impact or greenness. |
| green building, where the term can be applied to a | | | | However, not all builders will be LEED certified and |
| home or building for any number of reasons. As | | | | that doesn't mean they aren't making environmentally |
| consumers it is important to know what to look for | | | | friendly homes, they may just not have gotten the |
| when looking at green homes to make sure the | | | | certification. Other things you can look for are |
| house really is environmentally friendly. | | | | NAHBGreen certification, a green building program |
| The list of things that can make a home or building | | | | administered by the national association of |
| green is very long. Homes that use low flow toilets | | | | homebuilders, or energy star ratings for energy |
| and have energy efficient heating and cooling | | | | efficiency. |
| systems in them might be considered green by some | | | | Assuming you are interested in a home that does not |
| builders. However, not everyone would think this is a | | | | have a LEED or other green building certification but |
| green home. Other people focus more on building | | | | that is claiming to be green, there are still ways to |
| materials when considering whether or not a home is | | | | determine whether or not it really is an |
| green. Were environmentally friendly materials like | | | | environmentally friendly house. The main part of this |
| recycled wood, bamboo, or other recycled products | | | | is to become an educated consumer, look for building |
| like stone and metal used in construction? This could | | | | materials that are recycled or made from rapidly |
| make a home green as well. In addition some people | | | | renewable sources like bamboo. Also consider the |
| look at location and home size, focusing on questions | | | | orientation of the home and its windows. If the |
| like access to public transportation, environmental | | | | house was truly built to be environmentally friendly it |
| impact on the sight and efficient use of space. A | | | | will be built in such a way as to maximize the benefit |
| home that was built near local mass transit, within | | | | it can get from the environment. This usually means |
| walking distance of nearby stores, built on refill of an | | | | lots of south and east facing windows and very |
| old train depot and also built to maximize usable | | | | phew west facing windows. This helps warm the |
| space without having huge square footage would be | | | | house with sunlight in the morning and through the |
| considered green by these standards; and these are | | | | winter months, while keeping out the intense west |
| just a few examples of what different people can | | | | sun that can lead to high cooling costs in the summer. |
| mean when they say a home is green. | | | | The builder will also typically have preserved large |
| Further complicating the issue of green building, some | | | | shade trees to help keep the house cool if they are |
| builders will try to use the term green just to attract | | | | truly building an environmentally friendly home. You |
| attention to their properties. Green is becoming a | | | | can also ask the builder about things like construction |
| term that home buyers are looking for more and | | | | waste and what steps were taken to minimize it |
| more. Whether it is because they are concerned for | | | | during the building of the home to find out if the |
| the environment or they are looking for a home that | | | | home was built to be environmentally friendly or is |
| is going to be energy efficient, builders are realizing | | | | just being sold as green to get a higher price. By |
| that by advertising their homes and buildings as green | | | | making sure you take these steps when considering |
| they can get increased interest and a higher selling | | | | a green home we can insure that builders aren't |
| price for the property. So it is important as a | | | | getting away with labeling homes green that aren't |
| consumer to know what a builder means when they | | | | really environmentally friendly. |