From localism.com

As first time home buyers step into the real estate market they are looking at things very differently then their parents did.  Trends that make a home stylish now go beyond curb appeal.  As Builder magazine reports, today, first time buyers are looking for a house that is above all, energy efficient.

As the sustainability movement grows we see it having a greater affect on the home structure in addition to lifestyle changes. Indicators show a rise in demand for greener built and designed homes is everywhere, and one of the most notable examples is the 2010 HGTV Green Home. The home in Plymouth, Mass. features all of the trending eco-home characteristics from the inside out.  Today we’ve taken a close look at the elements of a green home these new buyers are looking for.

Smaller Homes – First time homebuyers are willing to sacrifice square footage for higher quality. Smaller homes and urban living is becoming more attractive to new home buyers.  With a compact space, less energy is used and has a smaller footprint.  Buying a home in the city also allows residents to put more sustainable and efficient practices into action, like their daily commute and ability to walk to retailers, restaurants and farmers markets.

Green Construction - As PATH points out in this article, green construction is expected to grow to represent between 5 and 10 percent of all housing starts in 2010.  This means that more alternative building practices and material options are being presented to first time homebuyers, and one of those options is prefab homes. Though once seen as less pleasing to the eye, there are a number of green benefits to prefab homes making them appealing, and most important is the cost savings.

Interior Design Materials – Living in a sustainable home goes beyond the building structure. First time homebuyers are looking for sustainable elements incorporated into the interior design as well.   A number of materials are top of mind for new homebuyers and interior designers alike including bamboo, organic cotton and low VOC paints.

Redefining Amenities – To buyers of the past pools, hot tubs and multicar garages are among the long list of amenities desired in a new home.  Today that list has dramatically changed to incorporate elements that allow for dwellers to live a greener, more efficient lifestyle.  Green homes that attract new buyers include space for separate recycling and trash receptacles, composting and rainwater collection stations and solar panels.

There are many ways first time homebuyers are looking to make greener purchases in today’s economy; the above aspects are small sample of the criteria.  This article from Planet Green lists a number of tips and hints on how to find the best green home possible.

Though there are different ways for homebuyers to approach their search and many elements they should look for, it is consistently important for these purchasers to find a house that has sustainable features from the inside out, and will serve as more than just a shell to live in by allowing dwellers to adopt a fully eco-conscious lifestyle.

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Eco-Friendly Practices With a Seasonal Twist

Complements of All Holiday Treasures

Unfortunately there is no universal formula or “to-do” list to live a more eco-conscious lifestyle. Because there are so many ways to approach designing a more sustainable lifestyle it’s best for households to do an audit on a regular basis to really see where there is room for green improvement.

Timing your eco-lifestyle audit with the change in weather is a great way to ensure you’ve got a customized plan that adapts to the unique seasonal conditions. Below we’ve listed a few of the most popular “green tips” and given them a winter/holiday twist.

Packaging – Avoid purchasing products with too much packaging to go green year round – There are plenty of ways to customize this for the Fall and Winter. Be sure to make a statement when purchasing gifts and ensure they reflect your eco-values. We like this idea from Re-Nest that suggests using apple packaging for ornament storage.

Water Conservation – There’s nothing worse then pulling back the shower curtain or opening the bathroom door after a hot shower and feeling the cold air rush in. At HomeIntel we understand the appeal of long hot shower on a cold day. But with an appropriate exit plan and a little creativity we suggest you push yourself to get out of the shower this winter instead of staying in longer and wasting extra water and the energy used to heat it. We love Dwell’s idea of using a PHID (portable humanoid insulation device).

Energy Efficiency – A big topic when the weather gets colder is how to be energy efficient and have as warm a home as possible. Beyond programmable Thermostats there are a number of efficient options including space-heaters like this one from Vornado. The Daily Green outlines simple practices that make great weekend projects to help homeowners keep the cold out and energy use down.

For more ideas on how to be eco-conscious this winter check out this list of helpful and creative ideas – everything from winterized composting to bringing evergreens indoors to block the drafts.

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In today’s green landscape advanced technology allows consumers to conserve both financial and natural resources at home.  Seeing a difference in your energy bill is one thing, but measuring the natural resources being conserved with the use of green products is less obvious.

We’ve taken a look at products that make savings by the numbers easier and answer the question:

How much money and how many natural resources does your product really save?

Some products communicate how much they save in the name of product model and feature.

• Bricor and Kohler manufacture low flow products that help buyers cut back on water use.
• Their shower heads are categorized by GPM – or how many gallons per minute of water they use.
• Some Bricor models are even equipped with a pause button to hold water flow for shorter periods of time that it’s not used in the shower.
• These companies will compare the GPM of their green products to traditional shower heads.

There is also a wide range of tools that homeowners can use to measure the output of different energy sources throughout their home.

• SmartHome USA features a number of monitoring items that will read not only energy usage but also how much money that household item is costing the consumer.
• These tools are great for before and after impact.
• They can be used to measure traditional non-beneficial appliances and then newer efficient ones and the difference is obvious.
• Among Black & Decker’s (IMRE’s client) line of energy saving products is the Thermal Leak Detector
• With this measurement tool consumers can find the hidden cracks in their home that allow heating and cooling energy to escape
• By detecting these energy leaking areas and closing them up, homeowners keep the energy inside and save on their monthly heating and cooling bill

Online, there are also leading groups and organizations that quantify the benefits of purchasing conservation tools. Here at Green and Save they explain the ROI on purchasing a composter by providing the amount of mulching and gardening supplies used yearly that the compost will replace.

Then of course there are conservation products that have measurement and benefits that are much more obvious to the average consumer.  For example when using a rain collection barrel there is a set amount of water that barrel is able to collect and every time a homeowner uses the water collected they know how much they are saving from their traditional water supply.

In order for a homeowner to get started on conservation they should first use a measurement tool to see where their house is producing the most negative output – whether that’s energy, water, or natural waste Once they find their household weaknesses they will have a better idea of how to reduce their impact and make the most efficient adjustments possible.

Disclosure: Black & Decker is a client of IMRE

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