Green living is more than a trend. It’s been a huge part of the push to create more sustainable communities for the past decade-plus. And while you can drive a green car and work in a green office, are you practicing sustainability in the place where you spend the majority of your time: your home?
What is an Eco-Friendly Home?
The biggest challenge of searching for an eco-friendly or green home is that everyone has their own definition and opinion of what it entails. One seller might label his house eco-friendly because it has energy efficient appliances installed in the kitchen. Another might label her home green because the building materials are sustainable. Then there’s you, who wants official LEED certification.
In other words, things can get confusing pretty quickly, which is why you have to be absolutely clear from the beginning in regards to what you’re looking for. Getting straight on your definition of eco-friendly will save you a lot of time looking at properties that don’t fit your specifications.
3 Tips for Finding One
Once you know what you’re looking for, how do you actually find the right one? Depending on the market you live in, this could be a rather simple or incredibly complicated process.
The following should make it a bit easier.
- Leverage the Right Team
The first step is to get the right people on your team. This includes a real estate agent with an intimate understanding of your market. Choose someone who’s local and a part of the community.
For example, if you live in Scottsdale, you shouldn’t choose a real estate agent who services multiple cities all over the state of Arizona. Instead, you’d want to connect with someone like Andrea Lilienfeld, who has years of experience in the heart of Scottsdale. Why does this matter? The biggest benefit is that they aren’t just getting their information from the MLS system or an internet search. They actually know what’s happening in the community and can direct you to properties that fit your criteria.
- Be Patient in Your Search
Patience is often hard to come by in a home search, but you’ll need it when you’re searching for an eco-friendly house. At this point in time, inventory is low in most cities and you don’t have a lot of options to choose from. Assuming you have other criteria – like square footage, location, price, etc. – it could take weeks or months to zero in on something you actually like. Don’t rush the process; meticulously review your options.
- Be Willing to Build
Honestly, you might not find what you’re looking for. If you’re in a market where eco-friendly home building has yet to take off, it’s a possibility that the house you’re looking for doesn’t exist. This leaves you with two options: renovate or build.
A renovation can work in certain situations, though you might not get everything you’re looking for. In many cases, designing and building a new home is the most cost-effective option. It lets you get everything you want, without having to go through the hassle of modifying a design that was never intended to be green. And if you don’t want to go through the complicated design process, you can always try one of the many prefab homes available.
Green is a Way of Life
If you truly desire to make green living a part of your life, it’s imperative that you practice sustainability in your own home. An eco-friendly house with the right features and materials is a great place to start.
Just make sure you know what you’re looking for – and get the right help on your side.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
