Many people are very confused about what green is and there is a perception that green cost more. This really depends on how you look at it. It is our opinion at The Hoots Group that it should not cost more when design correctly.
I prefer not to even use the work green when talking about construction, however when I used other keywords, Google and other search engines did not pick them up as ofter- so let’s call it green for now.
When dealing with new homes or renovations- green deals with many different aspects from paints and finishes to your HVAC. The KISS (Keep It Simple S…..) method works best for me an my staff. Follow these basic rules when designing a house:
1. Try not to waste materials. Does this cost more? NO- it saves all of us money.
2. Do not bring chemicals into the indoors environment. Does this cost more? NO- there are alternatives for every type of finish these days that are around the same cost as toxic products. This saves you on allergy shots. Most asthma and allergy cases that we know about can be tied to environmental conditions either inside or out.
3. Obey the energy code (which is Law) and offer upgrades that make sence. Does this cost more? NO- every energy efficient upgrade that we offer has a fast payback. If it does not- then we look into finding a better solution.
Note: Any upgrade that has a Return On Investment that is shorter than the term of the loan means that you save more money each pay period than you pay out? If you do not make these upgrades- then you are not being adviced well.
4. Try to use materials that are locally sourced. Does this cost more? NO- it should cost less since there is less energy involved in shipping the materials to the site.
Of source there are exceptions to these points, but it if think about the design and construction process and let common sence rule, green will actually save you money. If you are being told otherwise- they have not done enough research ot tried hard enough to make your home a healthier and more efficient place to live.
If you have questions about any of this feel free to contact us or post a comment below so we can start a healthy discuss about the cost of going green.
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