(12/14/2011) - The latest study extolling the intrinsic value found in
green homes puts energy efficiency at the top of the list of features buyers
most desire.
The Yahoo! Home Horizon 2012 study of homeowners, buyers, sellers and
renters underscores what recent studies have also found -- homeownership
remains the centerpiece of the American Dream and going green helps make
that dream come true.
A green home can be newly built or improved with solar-power and packed to the rafters with
enough sustainable materials, energy efficient appliances and carbon
footprint reducing technology to drastically reduce energy costs or take it
off the grid entirely.
Affordable dream homes are plentiful, but in the tight economy, consumers
have learned to keep an eye on the future and want to save even more on
operating costs after they buy one of those bargain dream homes.
Apparently, there's no selling point quite like a home that helps save
money while helping to save the planet.
On in four -- 25 percent -- of all single-family homes built in 2010
earned EPA's Energy Star rating, up from 21 percent in 2009, according to
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In the Yahoo! study of 1,545 adults:
• More than four out of five (81 percent) say owning a home is still
part of the American Dream.
• Fifty percent said green or energy-efficient appliances and
building materials is a requirement for their dream home, followed by water
views and building a custom home (both 38 percent); suburban location (31
percent); beach location (27 percent) and cottage in the woods (20 percent).
• Sixty percent of those in the market say that
green/energy-efficient appliances are amenities they want in their next
home.
• Twenty-seven percent of those in the market say that finding a
more energy-efficient home is a key reason for seeking a new home.
Higher cost of green has become relative
In the past, resistance to green homes has been tied to the greater cost
to build green than to build the old-fashioned way -- without considering
the planet.
But that's been offset, not just by the energy savings over time, but the
premium price green homes reap when resold. They
sell for as much as $20,000 more than a comparable home without major
energy-efficient construction or upgrades, studies reveal.
Also, before a quarter of all new homes sold carried the Energy Star
rating, it was a bit of a crap shoot trying to determine the true added value
bestowed on green homes -- again, other than energy savings.
Yahoo! also says much of the discussion about green homes too often
buzzes about super spinach-green homes, hyper-efficient properties that
consume zero or near zero energy and are off the grid and out of the price
range of rank-and-file buyers.
However, Sarah Susanka, architect and author of the "Not So Big"series of
books and information, says other approaches can make homes lighter shades
of green and more affordable.
Doing-it-yourself and the use of sustainable and
renewable materials, smaller homes, energy-efficient design, insulation,
upgraded windows and doors and winterizing your home can all save energy,
reduce costs and not cost a fortune.
Tax incentives, rebates and other programs, likewise
help offset the cost of greater energy efficiency.
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