Even with the economy slowing down, the green building is still booming in the United States. The green building marketplace is estimated to be worth between $40 billion and $70 billion per year by 2012. There are several reasons why the green building is showing such remarkable resilience to the financial crises that other related industries such as real estate and construction face. It is renowned for introducing new technologies to meet the ever-growing consumer preference and builder demands. Statistics show that over 80% of consumers are interested in green features and energy efficiency when buying a home.
In Charleston, South Carolina, many homebuyers that would be interested in green features and sustainable buildings have not been exposed to or educated about their options and for that reason, they do not ask for them. Your real estate agent can point out these features as they may be the deciding factor when selecting a home to buy. There are many homes for sale in Charleston’s real estate market with green features.
What makes a building green? A high-performance green building is energy efficient; it consumes less water and natural resources. It creates less waste when built and is healthier for its inhabitants than a standard building. Eco-friendly homes also tend to hold their value better, even in this slow real estate market green homes appraise for up to 15% more than comparable traditional homes. When taken into consideration, these factors could make the next green house just the perfect home for both, the homebuyer and the environment.
Some tips for buying a Green Home:
Look for:
o Air Quality Enhancing features
o Energy Efficient appliances (Energy Star appliances)
o Low emissivity and double paned windows
o Solar power if available
o Natural Light
o Native, drought-tolerant landscaping
o Low-flow toilets
o On-demand hot water system and water saving shower heads
When buying a new home look for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certified ratings.
Tips for Green Renovation:
o Reuse as much material (walls, foundation, interior doors) as possible when building a sustainable home.
o Use new materials that do not have to be shipped from far.
o Consider adding energy saving solutions such as geothermal heating and cooling systems, point-of-use water heaters as well as solar panels that supplement the hot water supply.
o Insulate your new house well, use new materials such as recycled denim and closed cell foam.
o Use structural panel systems and eco-roofing systems.
o Use paints, stains and adhesives with either low or zero volatile organic compounds as these will improve indoor air quality.
In Charleston, South Carolina, the Green Idea Home will be unlike any other home in South Carolina. The super energy efficient, modular home will be built in a factory and placed on sweeping marsh views of James Island, all wrapped in sustainable green construction and LEED (TM) certified for new construction. Modular homes are built off-site in climate controlled environment where building materials are protected from the elements. The result is a solid and precisely built home.
Steve deGuzman
Rehava is an independent real estate company that based its innovative real estate business model on combining online real estate search and brokerage services. At rehava Real Estate Store, we offer half of our commission back to buyers at closing.
When looking for Homes for sale in Charleston, SC [http://www.rehava.com/], rehava provides the latest Internet marketing tools to conduct real estate search online. rehava’s website offers MLS listing information combined with historical data and real estate trends as well as general information about the Greater Charleston Area. rehava partnered with Belief Networks to offer additional online tools to its clients; these additional online services were introduced to enhanced customer experience and satisfaction.
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