Getty Images
READ MORE ABOUT:
To the time honored criteria of choosing a new home—location, size, price, and style—we can now add the most important factor of all: ecological footprint. Regardless of economic upturns or downturns, going green is not negotiable. For a housing market that never goes flat, we invite you to visit Planet Green's "How to Go Green: Home Buying."
Top Tips for Greening Your Home Buying
Find an Eco-Broker: The concept of eco-awareness should no longer be foreign to the average real estate broker. However, to guarantee those helping in your house hunt understand and appreciate your needs and the planet's need, seek the greenest broker you can find.
Convenient Location: Where you buy will strongly impact how you live. Proximity to schools, work, stores, entertainment, the food co-op, the community garden, public transportation, along with anything else that increases the quality of your eco-life cannot be overstated.
Downsize: The average size of the American home three decades ago was 1,000 square feet. Today that number is 2,400 square feet. You can live large in a small space and in the process, reduce heating and electricity costs while drastically softening your carbon footprint. Choose your personal space with a global perspective.
Did You Know?
- Americans spend $160 billion each year to heat, cool, and light their homes
- The energy used by American to heat, cool, and light their homes represents about 21% of the national total energy consumption
- 85 million tons: The amount of CO2 saved annually (by 2030) if 60% of new homes in the U.S. were built according to dense, urban patterns, rather than typical suburban development
For more on Home Buying Tips check out Planet Green's Guide, How to Go Green: Home Buying. For more on Going Green, check out the Planet Green How to Go Green Archives.
-
- {}
