Interest in building an energy-draining dream home that comes with high costs and wasteful space is fast becoming a thing of the past. Today’s homeowners are very savvy about energy-efficiency and economics. The economy has swiftly changed us from excessive pampering to practical living. Helping to make that road easier are architects and designers, builders and manufacturers, who support green building through their products and services.
Here are some common questions people ask when deciding whether or not to purchase or build a green home:
Q: How much is it going to cost to heat and cool a green home?
A: Residential cooling and heating alone make up 20% of the United States ‘ yearly energy use. Throw in household lighting, appliances and other electronic equipment, and homes are clearly a major source of energy consumption. Green homes use 40% less energy than comparable standard homes.
Q: But what does a “Green” home look like?
A: Your new dream home is likely to be smaller but designed to look bigger with the right floor plan, window locations and interior design accents. Flexible spaces make it easier to do more with less space.
Q: Is it true that there are several tax breaks available and even a special energy-efficiency mortgage for building a green home?
That’s correct. If you build an energy-efficient home you may qualify for a higher mortgage and get a tax break. You can read this entire article on Why Build Green in our latest issue of Home Ideas, along with a Green Home Checklist and our exclusive collection of green house plans.
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Christine Cooney
Christine has over a decade of experience as a house plan and floor plan expert. Outside of providing her expertise to customers to help them find and build their dream homes, her passion and knowledge of the home building industry allows Christine to guide families and builders through all of the important steps from finding plans to building custom homes that meet the expectations of today’s new home owner. Christine’s years of knowledge of the diverse trends and needs of the modern homeowner has made her into an authoritative and trusted voice in the online house plan community..