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Greening Your Home
In our world today, many consumers are becoming energy-conscious and wanting to make their home purchase wise in that regard. Several years back, there were homes designed called thermal envelope homes. These homes presented a way of keeping heat or air inside the home by becoming a home within a home. Some would feature an enclosed front entry, designed to keep the heat or air inside the front entrance on the home. Other homes would envelope the entire house in an exterior wall 6 to 12 inches on the north, south, roof and floor - this would provide a buffer zone of circulated solar air, warming the home. Recently we have been referring to energy-efficient homes as "Green" Building, or those designed from the beginning of the building stage to save energy and to use recycled materials for building, etc. There are many special and sometimes expensive features about these homes. For example, building with 6" walls and providing thicker insulation may cost more up front, but in the long run, you will save on gas and electric costs. Using windows with an Energy Star rating will also help with these costs. Another example would be to install a boiler system or solar heating system. These are typically more friendly to the environment and much more efficient.
If you own a home currently and are wondering what you could do to make your home more appealing to a buyer looking for a "Green" home, you may consider the following suggestions:
1. Replace your windows with Energy Star-rated windows.
2. Replace the light bulbs in all of your canned lighting, etc., with the new energy efficient bulbs. They cost a little more, but should last longer too.
3. Have more insulation blown into your attic. Builders are doing this more often today when building a new home.
4. Change out your old heating or a/c system for a newer, more efficent system. Consult with several companies before making your decision. It's amazing what you will learn when you speak with each one.
5. Install recycling bins in your laundry room. This can provide an easy, tucked away solution to recycling trash.
These are just a few DIY suggestions. If you are looking to do major changes and renovations, please consult with a "Green" builder or designer to help. There are some things that truly need to be handled by the professionals!
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