While green home construction has traditionally been viewed as something only home additions contractors working in niche markets would engage in, a new report from The Seattle Times shows that the techniques used to build a green home have gone mainstream. In 2005, the report notes, only 2% of new homes were built with any sort of inclusion of environmentally friendly practices. A decade later, that number has spiked to almost 25%. By 2018, analysts estimate 84% of design and build contractors specializing in single-family homes will be using green building methods.
Green Home Construction Just Makes Financial Sense
As BankRate.com highlights, the reasons behind green home construction’s meteoric rise likely have little to do with the environmental advantages — finance, not environmentalism, may be the key. It’s no secret that home values have been significantly suppressed since the start of the Great Recession in 2008. Even today, as the housing market continues to make strides toward recovery, home values are markedly lower.
And that, writes Think Progress, is pushing more people to consider green home construction. Yes, going green means increased short term costs, but in the long term, green techniques both reduce costs — utilities are a big factor here — and drastically increase home values. An average green home commands a 9% higher price during a sale than a home of comparable size that eschews green for more traditional building methods.
Health Benefits Also a Contributing Factor
While the financial benefits are undoubtedly the biggest piece in the puzzle, more and more Americans have found that green makes sense for their health, too. As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggests, green homes don’t impact air and water quality like traditional methods. Paints, insulation, and other materials made from completely natural ingredients mean avoiding the volatile organic compounds (VOC) that lead to allergy-like symptoms and the often toxic reactions that come with the traditional approach to home building. These benefits, coupled with the aforementioned financial advantages, make for a potent fuel that continues to drive the green homes industry forward.
Have you taken advantage of green home improvements or construction services? Tell us why or why not in the comments below.
