Personal

8 Questions To Ask When Buying Green

by Rich

“Green” is definitely the buzz word in building, and green home construction is booming. However, many green-minded home buyers don’t know the right questions to ask when looking for a house. Here are 10 questions to keep in mind if you are serious about buying green:

1. Has the home been certified for energy efficiency or environmental impact by an independent third-party?

There is no single standard of definition of a green home, and there are several different certification programs for houses. The LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council is considered to be the nation-wide benchmark for green building. To become LEED certified, a home must be at least 15 percent energy efficient than a comparable home built to code and includes criteria for indoor air quality, material use, water efficiency and landscaping. The EPA’s Energy Star program focuses solely on energy efficiency. In addition, there are more than 80 local and regional green-home certification programs across the country.

2. How do I find a green-minded real estate agent?

A good place to start is EcoBroker International, an organization that trains real estate agents in green building. Ask around and look at Web sites devoted to listing green homes like ListedGreen.com.

3. How energy efficient is the home now?

Most homebuyers know to look for Energy Star-rated air conditioners, boilers and furnaces, but it is important to consider what lies beneath when it comes to energy consumption. The most energy-efficient homes have wood framing and foam insulation. Other features you should look for are windows that are well insulated and positioned for optimal day lighting and a light-colored roof to reflect heat.

4. How water-wise is the home?
Homes built prior to 1980 may have plumbing fixtures that guzzle water. Look for high efficiency 2.5 gallon-per-minute (gpm) showerheads and 2.0 gpm faucets, as well as water-saving toilets certified as top performers by the EPA’s WaterSense program.

5. Could the house contain lead and asbestos?

Lead can still be found in paint in some homes built before 1978, while asbestos may be lurking in homes built before 1981. Asbestos can be found in asphalt tile floors; the backing on vinyl sheet or tile flooring; cements; plaster, spackling, and decorative compounds; furnace gaskets; flexible duct connectors; exterior siding; insulation; and roofing materials.

Be wary of other indoor air pollutants. Heating systems that use wood, natural gas, oil and kerosene can pollute a house with combustion gases, such as nitrogen oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter.

6. Are there other indoor air pollution sources?

Believe it or not, it is newer homes where buyers need to be the most vigilant for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are pollutants in paint, floor finishes, carpeting and particleboard cabinets and furniture that can that can aggravate asthma and respiratory problems. Studies have found that levels of most VOCs in new homes decrease markedly after one year.
Beware that synthetic carpet may give off over 100 different VOCs, while old carpet could be a haven for allergens. Consider hardwood flooring as an alternative.

7. Are there possible sources of contamination that I should know about?

It’s better to be safe than sorry. Identify any potential hazards such as nearby landfills, abandoned manufacturing plants, leaking underground petroleum tanks or any other sources of groundwater or soil contamination, particularly if the home is served by well water. Preliminary environmental reports are available from Environmental Data Resources Inc..

8. How can I pay for future “green” improvements?

There are green financing options available. For example, energy-efficient mortgages let borrowers fold costs of energy improvements, such as a new furnace or improved insulation, into the total mortgage amount. Check out the Residential Energy Services Network’s Web site (http://www.natresnet.org) for more information.

Rich Van Tassel is President of Royal Oaks Building Group, LLC, a home building company founded in 2002 in Raleigh, North Carolina. During his first year in business with Royal Oaks, he built 38 homes with $6.8 million in total revenue. By 2006, Royal Oaks Building Group, LLC was listed by the Triangle Business Journal as the 18th largest builder by volume in the Raleigh-Durham and the 12th fastest growing, privately held company in the Triangle on the Fast 50 list, with 131 homes and $28.8 million in revenue. He resides in Apex, North Carolina.

Photo Credit: Health.com

Permalink |  Save on del.ico.us

1. Being a LEED Certified homebuilder should be the seal of approval giving a level of comfort to the GREEN homebuyer. We try to educate the homebuyer as to how to evaluate all of the green features built into the home. From Solar Power to the eco-friendly landscaping.

   
   — Alan Sherin    Dec 18, 02:41 PM    #

Commenting is closed for this article.