Many have heard the phrase “green remodeling” floating around the home improvement industry and are not sure exactly what it means. While it is true that “green remodeling” has to do with making your home more energy efficient, the idea covers more ground than that.
A green remodel is like a philosophy you can apply to your home. From weatherization to waste disposal to choosing recycled and reclaimed building materials, green remodeling can be practiced on several facets of your home. Green remodeling does not just mean making your home energy efficient, it also means making your home, and consequently your daily life, more environmentally responsible.
The United States Department of Energy reported that buildings use up 40 percent of all the energy consumed in America. According to the Department of Energy, a large-scale greening of homes can save more money, and reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions more than hybrid cars do.
Greening your home takes many forms, from installing new windows to purchasing Energy Star appliances. If you want to green your home, search out a green remodeling professional. What does that mean? Well, a green remodeling professional is one who takes sustainability into account at every stage of your remodel. A green remodeling pro is skilled at responsibly maximizing resources, both your own and mother nature’s.
A green professional knows that green remodeling is also a way of thinking, not simply a way of buying. For example, if you are thinking of replacing your kitchen cabinets, your green remodeling professional may suggest carefully removing your old cabinets and donating them to Habitat for Humanity for reclamation, rather than simply adding them to the waste stream.
Green remodeling professionals meet a lot of clients that are skeptical about the quality and value of greening a home. The truth is that most green homes do not look different from conventional homes. Most green remodeling elements, like improved air quality or increased energy efficiency, are part of the inner structure of a home. Furthermore, most recycled products, like floors and counter tops, look the same as their non-recycled equivalent.
These days, green remodeling is getting a lot more publicity than usual, and that is a good thing. There are many benefits to green remodeling, from the pride you can take in your beautiful new, environmentally responsible home to the direct savings in energy costs you will notice after your remodel is complete.
Since money talks, here are three tangible economic reasons why now is a better time than ever to invest in green remodeling your home.
1. The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, also referred to as the Stimulus bill, offers significant tax credits to homeowners that perform a green remodel. If you want to install, for example, a solar water heater or a new energy efficient HVAC, the stimulus bill qualifies you for a tax credit. This tax credit was approved in 2009 and has been extended all the way to the end of 2010. If you get some green remodeling done this year, the government will pay you to do it.
2. If you are thinking of selling your home, a green remodel will pump up the value of your home. Because of the potential long-term energy savings of a green home, homebuyers are willing to pay a lot more for homes that already have these improvements.
3. For those of you who just bought a home or are planning to live in your home for a long time, a green remodel is just as valuable, if not more so. A green remodel will improve the energy efficiency of your home. The investment you make in a green remodel will start coming back to you right away in lower monthly energy bills. Over the years, these savings will pay for your remodel, then start paying you.
Look into green remodeling. Find an informed green remodeling professional. Ask them questions and gather knowledge about energy and water conservation, renewable and recycled materials, and the potential for drastically improving the living quality in your home. All of these benefits, coupled with the economic breaks outlined above, make this the best time yet to green your home.
