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Employing A Builder To Build A Green Home

In recent years many new home buyers are looking to go ‘green’ with their new homes. There are quite a number of different design features needed when you are going to build a ‘green’ home and it pays to have a very good knowledge of what is needed because there are some quite strict regulations about what is ‘green’ and what is not.

There are indications that the request for a ‘green’ home is going to become more and more prominent as years go by and any builder worth their income will have researched exactly what to put in a ‘green’ home and how to design it so that all the best advantages are taken care of.

The design and products used are paramount to the success of owning and living in a ‘green’ home.

Building for temperature control

One consideration with building a ‘green’ home is finding the right block of land, or should I say finding a block of land that is facing in the right direction. The idea behind a ‘green’ home is not to use air conditioning or have heating, so it is important that the home is facing north to catch the winter sun and that the layout of the rooms within the house utilise the best use of the winter sun and also the summer breezes.

Window placement, size, structure and coverings also have significant impact on the home. Windows need to be large, allow good light, opening sufficiently to allow the breeze through the home, usually have double glazing and have window treatments that cut out the light at night.

What are other features of an eco friendly home?

• The use of environmentally friendly products
• A carefully designed home with northern aspect
• An outdoor living area protected from wind and rain
• Light coloured roof
• Cross ventilation throughout the house
• Solar heating, especially hot water
• Fully insulated ceilings and walls
• CFL lighting
• Living room facing north
• Garage not directly leading into the house
• Big eaves
• Water tanks

Planning an eco friendly home

If owning an eco friendly home is your dream then sit down with an experienced builder who will be able to talk to you about how a house can be designed to fall within the requirements of a ‘green’ home.

It is not all about the design when building it also comes down to the fact that eco friendly homes use building products that have reduced chemical emissions.

The cost to build a ‘green’ home can be substantially more initially but the savings can be huge over time. Savings are in the nature of power, water and very much in the healthier lifestyle experienced by the family. Another benefit that has not been mentioned either, is the fact that ‘green’ homes have a better than average resale value.