As homeowners, we are faced with the “greener” choices every day. Sometimes it’s easy to see the trends around us and pick up on them. However, sometimes we need to be more intentional with our choices. This is especially true when it comes to home improvement and design.
This past weekend I attended the 2016 State of Green Home Building Report, hosted by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and Virginia Habitat for Humanity. If you aren’t familiar with Virginia Habitat for Humanity, they are a not-for-profit housing provider that focuses on quality, affordable housing that is within the community, and willing to work in partnership with non-profit and government agencies.
The percentage of green roofs in Virginia’s single-family home projects has increased from 2.6% in 2010 to 10.6% in 2015. The percentage of green space in the home has also increased, and in the urban Richmond region, it’s 12.8%.
Home building is one of the most common ways we are impacted by the climate. There’s always a shortage of affordable housing, and it’s becoming a bigger challenge in Virginia with so many people moving in.
It’s a lot of work.
You can’t put solar on it if you live in a colder climate.
It costs more.
I’ll talk more about those in future posts, but we are facing a lot of challenges when it comes to green building. That’s why handyman services in hickman mills important to understand the different methods of green building and how we can make them more affordable and accessible to more people.
One of the greatest challenges in Virginia is the cost of green building. Some of the biggest expenses include the equipment to measure for green certification, and the cost of the materials.
However, there are ways that you can cut costs and save money in your home. Check out these ideas for starting green:
- Ask your contractor about the best materials for a green build.
- Make sure your contractor is educated about green building standards.
- Talk to your contractor about options that you can apply to your home and the materials that they use.
- Make sure your contractor is educated about your options to be more energy-efficient.
- Have a meeting with your contractor to discuss your options. Ask for more detail on the impact of different design choices.
