Buying New Avoids Obsolescence

by Michele Weaver | Nov 2, 2020 | HER Home

Deep entertainment centers originally designed to accommodate large tube-type TV’s… desks in kitchens, which become clutter magnets… two-story high ceilings that echo and are expensive to heat and cool… hard to reach plant shelves that need dusting… depressing laundry/mud room entries from the garage… amenities such as these can make homes feel old and obsolete. The age of your home often reflects design features and amenities popular at that time. Generally speaking, the older the home, the farther away its design is from what today’s home buyers may be looking for.

The average age of owner-occupied homes in America is 37 years (American Community Survey from the National Association of Home Builders, NAHB). Particularly over the last four decades, professional home designers have catered to evolving home buyer preferences. This, in turn, has somewhat diminished the appeal and desirability of resale homes as prospective buyers factor in the added costs and hassles of remodeling along with the home’s purchase price.

Design Basics’ Monroe home plan (now retired) was popular three-plus decades ago. It is two steps down from the entry into the formal living room, and there is also a step down into the “sunken” family room at the back. Unified great rooms for entertaining are more in vogue today, but not step-downs into living spaces. Similarly, the home’s formal dining room plus separate dinette has fallen out of favor compared to a single eating area, especially one that’s expandable for large get-togethers. The majority of buyers today prefer island kitchens to peninsula layouts, and the Monroe’s little pantry next to the dishwasher isn’t going to turn any heads. That kitchen is also closed off from the living and dining rooms, in contrast to the popularity of today’s open designs.

The vanity in the Monroe’s upstairs suite is wide enough to replace with the much more desirable double sink variety, but the skinny 24-inch wide doors leading into the bathroom, toilet area, and walk-in closet, as well as the hall bathroom, are considered drawbacks today. And it would be virtually impossible to finish living space in the Monroe’s basement with anything much taller than a seven-foot high ceiling.

In contrast, the Herndon (plan 29318) has a flex room up front that could easily be closed off for a home office, and this design is wide open across the back. The island kitchen is served by a large walk-in pantry and coming in from the garage, a drop zone, seat, and coat closet rather than the laundry room. Upstairs, the hall bathroom is a compartmented layout with two sinks, alongside the conveniently located laundry room. Your bedroom suite offers great storage, two sinks in the bathroom, and a five-foot shower with the option of also having a soaking tub.

Though 35 square feet smaller and 10 feet narrower, the Herndon plan obviously was designed for today’s buyers.

Resale home prices loosely correlate with the home’s age, which makes sense as pricier, newer resale homes may have fewer design-related deficiencies. On the other side of the equation, new construction homes command a price premium – for example, they typically cost “more per square foot” than resale homes. Resale or new, purchasing a home is a large investment and price is important. It’s a number, and it represents a long-term commitment. But it is more than just a number, as it reflects your priorities, what you are willing to trade-off or settle for, and peace of mind – the topic of our next blog post.

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Thoughtful Design Concepts

Cover plan featured: Herndon (plan 29318)

Building a Stronger, Safer Home

by Michele Weaver | Oct 26, 2020 | HER Home

How your choices affect the cost of your new home.

People expect their new home to be a strong, safe, well-built structure. After all, isn’t that what building codes are for? Well, the answer is YES…and NO. Building codes do establish some minimum performance criteria. But codes vary from location to location; they vary in their interpretation, inspection, and enforcement; and the most likely perils vary geographically.

As homeowner insurance premiums rise to cover ever-increasing claims, paying attention to stronger and safer construction details can pay off in reduced insurance premiums as well as peace of mind. And, many of the decisions to be made in this area are realistic only when the home is being built. The types of perils we are most likely to encounter are grouped below into three main areas: natural disasters; fire and water damage; and personal security.

NATURAL DISASTERS

High Winds

It doesn’t have to be a tornado or hurricane. Every year, high winds cause billions of dollars in damage to homes across the country. Essentially, when wind strikes against your home, several unfortunate things can happen. Your home can be lifted up and be slid off its foundation. Wind forced up under the eaves of your roof may tear the roof off. Wind can also cause the house to rack (lean) or cause an upper floor to shift where it is connected to the main floor.

Illustration courtesy of Simpson Strong-Tie.
(Click on image to enlarge.)

The solution is to create a strong structure by providing what is called a “continuous load path.” This means making sure the roof is strongly attached to the walls; the first and second stories (of a two-story home) are reinforced where they connect; and that the connections for the home to its foundation are strong and secure.

Certain types of building systems, such as concrete wall systems and Structurally Insulated Panels (SIP), are inherently stronger than conventional “stick-framing.” Yet, attention must still be paid to properly attaching the roof (and how SIP wall panels are attached to the foundation).

The Simpson Strong-Tie company, manufacturer of metal connectors used in home building, has developed a prescriptive method for building homes to withstand varying levels of high winds. For less than $1,000 more for a typical-size new home, additional connectors will make it much more likely to withstand high winds.

Siding and Sheathing

In strong winds, debris, tree branches, etc., can be turned into dangerous projectiles. The insurance industry has shot
2” x 4” wood studs out of a cannon at 80 mph at common exterior wall structures. Masonry siding materials have fared well, but they’re typically more expensive and may only be used on the front of the house, if at all. The 2” x 4”s more easily penetrated other siding materials.

There are a wide variety of siding materials available today, the most popular of which include vinyl, hardboard, fiber-cement, and engineered wood. Fiber cement and engineered wood tend to better survive severe weather, and various levels of wind and impact resistance can be found in each category. As with roof coverings, high wind and impact rated siding may qualify for homeowner insurance discounts. Talk to your insurance agent.

The exterior wall sheathing (the material attached to the outside of the framing studs) is your next line of defense after the siding. Insulating rigid foam sheathing, while beneficial for energy efficiency, provides little protection against airborne projectiles. Engineered wood (plywood or OSB) are better choices. And, in the face of strong winds or seismic disturbances, properly nailed engineered wood sheathing also adds structural rigidity to the walls.

Windows

If extreme pressures from high winds cause a window to fail or airborne debris shatters the glass, the damage, particularly from water, can be extensive. Especially in coastal areas or those along “tornado alley,” windows with high design pressures or windows with impact-rated glass can be a wise choice. Functional storm shutters and storm screens are other solutions for window protection.

FIRE AND WATER DAMAGE

Fire Damage

There were approximately 380,000 residential fires in 2018 in the U.S., according to FEMA. Several prudent measures can greatly reduce your home’s risks associated with fire. Outside, the materials used on the exterior of your home can reduce the likelihood of wildfire igniting your home. Non-combustible materials are best: fiber cement siding; tile, metal, slate, concrete, or fire-rated asphalt shingles, etc.

Inside your home, building codes require smoke detectors, which may provide precious additional seconds for your escape. Create a family escape plan and rehearse it (including the meeting spot outdoors where you will rendezvous). Consider especially how people will escape second-floor rooms if hallway access is blocked. In the kitchen, a fire extinguisher is recommended. Be sure it is rated for all types of fires (grease, electrical, etc.).

Water Damage

According to the Insurance Information Institute, more than one in fifty homes in the U.S. experience extensive non-weather-related water damage each year. While there is little we can do to protect our homes from a nearby river overflowing its banks, much of the flooding we encounter is due to leaks that occur within our homes. Sinks, toilets, and bathtubs overflow… washing machine hoses burst… water heater tanks rupture… all spelling disaster.

Water leak detection + automatic water shut-off devices are quickly becoming popular. As the name suggests, such systems typically consist of small water sensors placed where catastrophic leaks might occur (laundry, baths, water heater, kitchen). If these remote sensors get wet, they send an electronic signal to your smart phone and/or a shut-off device that turns off water to all parts of the home. The bottom line? You have a little puddle to clean up, not a flood!

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Roost Wi-Fi enabled Smart Sensor detects water leaks and sends an alert to your smartphone. (Photo courtesy of Roost)

PERSONAL SECURITY

Almost 300,000 homes are broken into every year in the U.S. According to law enforcement agencies, most unlawful entry is through doorways. The first, and most obvious step is to have dead bolt locks on all exterior doors, including the door from the garage into the home.

Exterior Doors and Locks

Three types of failures may occur when thieves attempt to kick in a door:

Poorly built doors will simply break apart under stress. High quality steel, fiberglass, or solid wood doors significantly reduce the chance of this occurrence.
Second, the strike, latch, or bolt can fail. Look for American National Standards Institute (ANSI) grading on the locking hardware. A grade 1 is strongest, offering the best protection, but more expensive. Grade 2 and 3 are acceptable in non-critical areas. Avoid locks with no grade at all. Also look for heavy gauge strike plates.
Third, the mounting hinges can pull away from the door frame. The best defense here is to use ANSI Grade 2 or better rated hinges and long 3” screws to secure the hinge to the doorframe. (And, if the door swings outward, be sure to use non-removable hinge pins!)

If thieves do not have to be concerned about making noise, they may drill a lock to gain access to your home. Some manufacturers have taken special precautions to safeguard against having their locks drilled; UL-437 rated locks meet universal standards for drill and pick resistance.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the best deterrents to break-in. ‘Lightscaping’ is a term used to describe exterior lighting for both aesthetic value and security. A well-lit house presents a much higher risk of being seen and is therefore a less desirable target.

Lightscaping systems can be powered by either regular household current (120 volt) or low voltage (24 volt) supply. Low voltage systems can be less expensive to purchase and install, use only 1/3 as much power as household current systems, and are safer in the event of a cut or exposed wire.

Motion-activated light fixtures are an excellent alternative. The sudden presence of light can be enough to scare off thieves and can also grab the attention of anyone else in the neighborhood.

Whole House Surge Protection

With more and more products in our homes utilizing sensitive electronics, surge protectors can protect expensive entertainment systems, computers, communication equipment, appliances, and more from sudden voltage spikes or power outages. Inexpensive whole-house surge protectors can be installed in the home’s main breaker panel starting at under $200.

Garage Doors, Openers

Hospital emergency rooms in the U.S. treat thousands of victims of garage door related injuries every year. So that neither you nor anyone in your household show up in that statistic:

Select garage doors that are designed to reduce the likelihood of someone’s fingers getting pinched or crushed between the panels of the garage door as it closes.
Look for garage doors that use specially designed or enclosed springs that cannot fly free if they break.
Garage doors are one of the first areas of a home to fail in high wind conditions. If you are building in an area prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, or other high wind scenarios, consider choosing a garage door that is manufactured and rated for high wind and impact resistance.
If you install a keypad for the garage door opener, make sure it is mounted high enough that young children will not be able to play with the buttons.

Theft. The easiest way for would-be thieves to access your home is through an open garage door. It’s almost an invitation for theft! The Chamberlain garage door openers with myQ® Garage & Access Control App allows you to open and close your garage door from your smartphone. It will also alert you if the garage door has been left open or if it is opened while you are away.

(Photo courtesy of Chamberlain)

AS A NATION, WE CAN BUILD BETTER HOMES. And one definition of “better” is stronger and safer!

For more resources on thoughtful design and products:

View other articles on our blog
Browse our Her Home™ Magazine
Thoughtful Design Concepts

(Product spotlights are for informational purposes only.)

New Home Cost: Cheaper than Expected?

by Michele Weaver | Oct 20, 2020 | Great Design

“When the price is higher, people tend to focus on the things that make it higher. When the price is lower people tend to focus on things explaining why it’s lower,” William Poundstone wrote in his book, Priceless. Which do you want? Prospective buyers touring your homes to figure out why your prices are cheaper, or having them appreciate what makes your homes more expensive?

In most markets, national/production builders can offer what appears to be the “best prices.” Rightfully so, as they may enjoy economies of scale that can provide certain cost advantages in terms of land, building products, and even labor. The model homes are attractively presented, consumers notice the Delta faucets and Whirlpool appliances, and the sales representatives show how easy it would be to own one of their homes. (Photo courtesy: Delta Faucet)

Some of these builders deliver an outstanding value, but oftentimes, in checking online reviews and apps such as Next Door, the builder’s reputation, quality, and customer service may be suspect. Buyers reason that is how the builder can price their homes cheaper. Aware of this, some buyers will accept those risks and buy on price; others rule out that builder, fearing the potential disappointment and regret.

If you’re not the lowest price builder in your market, your challenge is to help possible buyers identify what makes your homes more expensive. Those factors, if they matter to the buyer, will help them justify choosing you, so you may also need to help those folks appreciate why you build that way and/or include those amenities. Remember, buyers buy on emotion and subsequently justify those decisions rationally. Wanting to buy a home based on factors other than the lowest price is emotional.

Some of the factors might be obvious – the Craftsman touches add to their home’s curb appeal. They fall in love with the look, can’t wait for their friends to see it, and value aesthetics. Other factors might require demonstration – the glass block windows (photo courtesy: Hy-Lite®) in the suite’s bathroom that provide both light AND privacy, plus crank out for fresh air, too! Factors might even be hidden – like the high performance insulation that will make their home more comfortable to live in, and is estimated to save them $XX monthly in utilities, giving them “bragging rights” as well as appealing to their desire to be environmentally responsible.

So, how do you make sure new home shoppers become aware the many reasons your home is a better value, even when it is more expensive? Besides the obvious model home tour, focus on rapport and trust. Rapport is a two-way street. The buyers want to know more about you, your company, and the homes you build. On the flip side, they’ll appreciate talking with someone who listens, cares, and truly has their interests at heart. Trust takes a little longer, though most people initially believe people they meet are trustworthy until they have reason to doubt. Knowledge of home building and your models is an important component of establishing trust. So is discovering things you have in common with the hopeful buyers (e.g., affiliations, schooling, interests, hobbies, preferences, etc.) – such similarities can go a long way with both rapport and trust. People like to do business with others like themselves. Transparency also aids in building trust, especially when it comes to pricing. Think pre-priced options and upgrades. Intriguing signage in your model home that calls attention to a specific feature that might be overlooked or under-appreciated can aid your buyer’s learning about amenities they would really want, but may not have even been aware of, further establishing trust.

As a business thought-leader and author, Seth Godin points out, price is a story, “People form assumptions and associations based on your pricing.”

Hyundai’s pricing strategy is very different from that of Mercedes Benz, and they sold a million and a half more vehicles world-wide last year than Mercedes. Yes, people form assumptions about Hyundai and Mercedes vehicles based in part on their pricing. But Mercedes sales pros probably aren’t losing any sleep over Hyundai prices!

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(Product spotlights are for informational purposes only.)

Healthier Home = Healthier Household

by Michele Weaver | Oct 19, 2020 | HER Home

How your choices affect the cost of your new home.

With all four children plus mom suffering from asthma and allergies, Paul and Cindy opted to invest $3,000 in a high-performance air filter and air purification system when building their new home. They feel it was the best choice they made, particularly when it cut their family’s dependence on maintenance and rescue medications in half! We rarely appreciate feeling good and take our health for granted. Learning about some of the healthy choices to consider is the first step to making the best new home investment decision.

Indoor Air Quality is becoming an increasingly important aspect of new homes. Today’s tighter homes can potentially trap airborne pollutants, from annoying odors to molds, pollen, and bacteria. An estimated half of illnesses are directly related to or aggravated by the air we breathe. These same pollutants can trigger adverse reactions in the 40% of U.S. households having one or more members suffering from asthma, allergies, or another respiratory ailment. Some of today’s building materials and furnishings can release chemicals bothersome to sensitive individuals, or harbor indoor air pollutants. Wise product choices can greatly reduce indoor air quality problems.

Eliminate Sources of Air Pollution. The first step is to improving air quality is to eliminate sources of possible indoor air pollution, removing paints, cleaning chemicals, gasoline, pesticides, etc., from inside the home. If they will be kept in an attached garage, you will want to ensure the garage is air-sealed from the walls/ceiling of adjoining living spaces in the home.

Bed Covers. Bedding can be a significant source of allergens. Dust mite allergy is the most common allergy, and there are two million dust mites in the average double bed! Many doctors recommend a mite-proof box spring and mattress and pillow encasings.

Radon. According to the U.S. EPA, radon, a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless gas causes an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year. It is a radioactive gas that is produced from the breakdown of uranium in the ground and leaks into the home through the foundation. The EPA has developed a nationwide, county-by-county map indicating potential radon levels broken into levels 1 (most serious), 2, and 3. (See map at right.) Adding radon-resistant construction features typically add $350 to $1,000 to the cost of building a new home (Source: EPA).

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Air Filtration. Filtering the air you breathe is the second step for improving indoor air quality. Air filter effectiveness is expressed by its MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) Rating, which describes the filtering effectiveness of increasingly smaller particles. MERV ratings range from 1 to 20, with higher numbers doing a better job of filtering more (and smaller) particulates in the air. Traditional furnace air filters are designed to protect the furnace—not people. Typical ‘disposable’ one-inch fiberglass filters have a MERV rating of between 1 and 4. One- to two-inch pleated filters with MERV ratings between 7 and 12 will remove most harmful contaminants (e.g., mold, dust). Yes, you won’t have to dust as often! Larger pleated filters with MERV ratings of 13 and higher can capture bacteria, smoke, and some viruses. But higher MERV ratings are not always good. Because they are so effective at filtration, they actually restrict airflow, causing furnaces and air conditioners to have to work harder and operate for longer periods of time to achieve comfortable temperatures. Filters with MERV 13+ ratings should be used only when the HVAC system has been designed for such high filtration.

Air Purification. Air purifiers, the third step in improving air quality, destroy bio-aerosols. Most models employ ultraviolet (UV) light(s) around which air passes prior to being circulated through the ductwork. Bio-aerosols, mold, viruses, and other live organisms in the air exposed to UV light for a long enough period of time are destroyed. Installations wherein the UV light is adjacent to the air filter may work best, where the UV light can kill living organisms trapped in the filter.

MicroPure®: MX4™ Ionic Oxidation utilizes propriety metallic technology and UV light energy to naturally produce ionic air scrubbers and destroy many indoor pollutants, such as bacteria, viruses, mold, VOC’s, mildew, allergens, and odors.

(Photo courtesy of Dust Free)

Wise Product Choices can help minimize potential problems.

Enamel-coated wire closet shelving is highly preferable to particleboard shelving. Particleboard can off-gas chemicals and block air currents moving in the closet. With wire shelving, there is no outgassing and air moves between clothes hanging in the closet, helping them stay fresher, longer.

Factory prefinished wood floors give off little or no VOCs—a problem that can continue for up to 6 months after finishing traditional wood floors on site.
Low-VOC or no-VOC paints and adhesives.
Use a mildew-resistant paint in the basement.
(Photos courtesy of Sherwin-Williams; click on the image to enlarge.)
Frameless shower doors are not only elegant, but easier to clean and keep clean because they eliminate the frame and its glass seal where contaminates can breed.

Energy-efficient sealed, outside air combustion natural gas fireplaces, furnaces, and water heaters utilize a special vent pipe to bring outside air into the combustion chamber to feed the fire, and all products of combustion are exhausted out of the house instead of potentially spilling (‘backdrafting’) into the home. An illustration may be helpful. Let’s assume you build a fairly tight home. With the clothes dryer, bathroom exhaust fans, or kitchen range hoods running, you are likely exhausting more air from the home than can naturally leak in, causing the home to depressurize. Traditionally vented gas appliances cannot vent the products of combustion outside if the home is depressurized.

Touchless faucets and toilets help minimize the spread of germs. (Photos courtesy of American Standard and Delta Faucet; click on image to enlarge.)
A seamless integral sink formed of the same material as the countertop eliminates the seam or rim, which is an area that’s often hard to clean and where mold and bacteria can grow.

Fresh Air Exchangers. A fresh air exchanger expels potentially stale, polluted indoor air and brings in fresh outdoor air at a controlled rate. Some models incorporate a high-performance air filter, filtering out any contaminants and allergens in the outside air before it is circulated through your home.

Lighting. Most of us underestimate the importance of natural light. Windows not only connect us to the world around us, they are very important for health. The number of windows, their sizes and placement, open design concepts, transom windows between living spaces with walls, and even lighter interior colors all increase light levels in the home, known to reduce eyestrain, headaches, and fatigue. According to lighting pioneer Dr. John Ott, the UV rays in natural light actually help our bodies absorb calcium and reduce cholesterol.

Water Purification. “Although the U.S. has one of the safest drinking water systems in the world, there are an estimated 4-32 million cases of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) per year from public drinking water systems,” according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). When looking to purchase water filters, look for those that have been certified by the National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency.

Most people rely on the water filtration that comes with their refrigerators. Such filters are typically rated for about 300 gallons, or six months of use, and will set you back $80 to $100 per year for replacement filters. Water filtration systems that attach to the end of your kitchen faucet run around $30 but are typically rated for only 100 gallons before the (approximately $10) filters need to be replaced. For larger households and/or filtered water for cooking, consider under sink water filtration systems that can provide 50 to 100 gallons of filtered water per day for $200 to $300 and expect to spend another $50 or so per year in replacement filters. Whole house systems provide filtered water for all of your needs – drinking, cooking, bathing, and laundry. Often rated 5 to 10 years and from 500,000 to 1,000,000 gallons, such systems are priced between $800 and $1,500, plus you’ll want it installed by a plumber.

Quiet. Due to their superior insulation and air sealing, much of the unwanted clatter that goes on outside cannot be heard inside energy-efficient homes. Few things in life are as important to our health as a good night’s sleep. Having a home free from outside noise not only betters our chances for rest, but the quiet promotes concentration, reduces irritability, and has been shown to have a positive impact on our mental health. Inside our homes, quiet appliances, bath fans, and furnaces reduce ambient noise. Solid core doors, and various soundproofing measures can be taken during construction to minimize noise transfer from one area to another.

Healthy home product choices typically aren’t as exciting as kitchen and bathroom selections, yet nothing is more important than the health of everyone in our households. As a nation, we spend the majority of our time indoors, so building a healthy home just makes sense. Next time we look at choices for building stronger/safer homes – yet another definition of a high-performance home.

For more resources on thoughtful design and products:

View other articles on our blog
Browse our Her Home™ Magazine
Thoughtful Design Concepts

(Product spotlights are for informational purposes only.)

Cover image courtesy of VELUX.

Green and Energy-Efficient Homes

by Michele Weaver | Oct 12, 2020 | HER Home

How your choices affect the cost of your new home.

“People don’t buy a new home because of the energy efficiency, though they’ll brag about that later,” according to home builder Hugh Fisher in Warwick, Rhode Island, referring to his net zero-energy ready homes at Wynfield Place. Bragging rights extend beyond tiny utility bills of the homes at Wynfield Place to the related benefits of improved comfort (no drafts, quieter); and a healthier home with improved indoor air quality, due in part to the tighter construction and also because there are no byproducts from fossil fuels (natural gas or heating oil) being burned.

Achieving a super energy-efficient home essentially boils down to three elements: energy-efficient construction; energy-saving products; and to get all the way to net zero-energy, a system such as solar, which can generate as much power as the home needs. Previously, we addressed energy-efficient construction, such as SIP and ICF building systems, high-performance air sealing and insultation, windows, etc. Now let’s look at products you choose for your home.

Heating and cooling your home can account for over 46% of your utility bills as reported on the directenergy.com website. Natural gas is the most common fuel, followed by electric heat, which is considerably more expensive to operate. Compared with a standard 80% efficient gas furnace, a 90% efficient furnace may save you around $100 per year for a 2,000 sq. ft. home, and a 95% efficient furnace might save $150 per year. But your home’s energy-efficient construction, your climate, size of home, and personal preferences play a large role in the amount of energy you will use. If a 95% efficient furnace is $1,000 higher than the 80% efficient furnace, that $150 annual savings becomes about a 7-year payback based on utility savings. Still, the more energy-efficient furnaces are typically higher quality and expected to last longer, so delaying replacement expenses helps offset the higher purchase price. And with the very efficient furnace, your home might be favored when it comes time to resell.

Water heating is often the second largest consumption of energy in the home.

Annual operating costs for a 50-gallon standard natural gas water heater averages $309 per year, with comparable electric water heater averaging $626 per year to run, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. While standard “tank-type” water heaters keep their tanks full of hot water 24/7, tankless water heaters heat the water on demand. Super-efficient tankless water heaters can be several hundred to about one thousand dollars higher than their tank-type counterparts but save $108/year in energy costs on average.

As with furnaces, the more efficient tankless water heaters are expected to last longer (20 years) as compared to 10 years for a tank-type heater, so factoring in replacement costs, tankless water heaters often make financial sense. Plus, heating water on demand, you never run out of hot water. Solar water heating is gaining traction, but Solar’s average installed cost of $3,422 (Angie’s List) can be double the installed costs of other water heaters. That’s a 7-10 year payback for solar water heating compared to standard natural gas water heaters, or a 3-5 year payback when compared to electric water heating.

Appliances use almost as much energy in the average U.S. household as water heating. Fortunately, comparing energy consumption across models is fairly easy with the Energy Guide labels.

Lighting, the other main category for household energy consumption, is estimated to account for 10% of your utility usage. LED lighting has dropped so much in cost and the LED bulbs last so long that choosing LED lighting is a no-brainer, though the color temperature of the LED bulb should be taken into consideration when buying.

Photo courtesy: iLumigreen (Click on image to enlarge.)

The nine residences at Wynfield Place were built net zero-energy ready, getting all the way to net zero-energy meant adding a $25,000 – $30,000 solar shingle system to the homes. But due to these homes’ already low energy consumption, the incremental energy savings from the solar shingles could not cash flow vs. the added hit to the monthly mortgage, so the solar shingles were optional.

Fortunately, making energy efficient choices goes hand-in-hand with earth-friendly choices. According to the energystar.gov website, “More than 60% of U.S. electricity is generated by burning coal and natural gas, which releases greenhouse gases and other pollutants into the atmosphere.” Simply, the most environmentally friendly thing you can do in a new home is to make some of the energy-efficient choices above. That’s true for conserving clean water, too. On-demand water heaters often deliver hot water to your faucets and showerheads quicker than tank-type systems, meaning less water down the drain waiting for hot water. Similarly, many of more energy efficient dishwashers and clothes washers use less water in addition to less electricity.

Longer-lasting product choices are generally better for the environment. Roofing choices that last 40- or 50-years don’t end up in landfills nearly as quickly as cheaper shingles. Selecting paint that’s scrubbable means the occasional cleaning rather than repainting. And, some product choices have recycled-content options. Several manufacturers offer carpeting made from recycled plastic bottles that is priced competitively with nylon carpet. Recycled glass tile options and even countertops can be beautiful alternatives.

Photo courtesy of Atlas Roofing – Class 4 Impact Rated StormMaster® Shake Style Shingles (Click on image to enlarge.)

So, there are numerous reasons to feel good about making wise, energy-smart, and environmentally-friendly product choices, starting with the fact that some of them may actually reduce your total monthly cost of home ownership due to energy or insurance savings. Some may increase your home’s resale value, recouping that additional initial investment when you sell your home. And all the while, you’ll know you made a difference in creating a healthier planet for our kids and grandkids.

Still, sometimes these energy wise and green building choices require trade-offs. To meet your budget, you may have to choose between investing in added energy efficiency or, say, that chef-inspired kitchen you’ve been dreaming of. Then there’s your home’s appraisal value. Perhaps all of the energy efficient upgrades add $15,000 to your home’s price, but aren’t reflected in your appraisal, which comes in $7,000 less than where it needs to be for your mortgage. Behind the drywall, that high-performance insulation is a “hidden asset” the appraiser doesn’t see. It is imperative the appraiser becomes aware of these added measures.

Energy and the environment are two lenses used to look at high performance homes. Next time we turn our attention to choices to create healthier homes.

For more resources on thoughtful design and products:

Visit our blog
Browse our Her Home™ Magazine
Thoughtful Design Concepts
Homebuilding Gets a Energy-Efficient Makeover

(Product spotlights are for informational purposes only.)

Cover image: The Bassett (plan #42240) as built by Big Sky Homes using Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) construction technology.

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Buying New Avoids Obsolescence

Building a Stronger, Safer Home

New Home Cost: Cheaper than Expected?

Healthier Home = Healthier Household

Green and Energy-Efficient Homes

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