Here’s a checklist of features to look out for and questions to ask to determine the green quality of your next home.

Eco Home Tip 1 – Location Location Location – pick a location that’s convenient and easy to get to. Close to shops, amenities and public transport will reduce the amount of emissions that come from getting around. Inquire about the council’s recycling program.

Eco Home Tip 2 – Orient yourself with the right orientation – if a house is to have good eco principles, it will designed with the right orientation. This means that the living areas will face due north, to make the most of the winter sun while allowing the hotter summer sun to pass overhead. Sleeping rooms, meanwhile, will be oriented towards to the South to capture cool summer breezes.

Eco Home tip 3 – Cosy is not a four letter word – consider how the space is used as much as the size of it. Oversized houses utilises more resources in both construction and maintenance, while smaller dwellings are cleverly conceived can feel quite spacious.

Eco Home Tip 4 – Inquire about insulation – ask about the insulation. Higher R values means the house will better protected against extreme weather elements. See if the windows are double glazed. While you’re at it, ask about other green home features such as solar panels and solar hot water. Make your message loud and clear!

Eco Home Tip #11 Good green help – there are a few Australian green realtors, such as ecoproperty, who specialise in green listings. Check the Green Pages green directory for real estate agents who will help you find the perfect green home.

The important thing is to ask before you buy. Even if the real estate agent can’t tell you upfront, it’s important to let the market know that buyers and renters are looking for this bit of information. While no single home will have all of the sustainable features listed, at least you can get a clear picture of what the potential home has to offer.

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First, research the available subsidies. The Federal Government offers a generous tax credit on solar arrays installed after the beginning of 2009 and it is applicable anywhere in the US. Subsidies offered by states and utilities vary from absolutely nothing to very generous amounts (sometimes as much as half of the installed cost of the system). In particular, pay attention to what subsidies different utilities in your state offer. Some may be generous, others stingy. Find out which utility serves the property you’re considering buying.

Location, Location, Location. You’ve heard the expression that in real estate it’s all about location, location, location. That’s basically true in solar arrays too. The siting of the array can have a huge impact on how well it can turn sunshine to electricity. When you’re walking around the outside of a property examine the orientation of the roof. Is there a good south facing region of the roof that could accommodate an array? Is there a lot of shading on the roof from 9 am to 3 pm? If so, the roof is a poor candidate for placing an array. If you can eliminate the shading you’ll be OK, but if neighbors’ trees or power lines are the culprits then you’re likely out of luck.

Is the property in a covenant controlled development? If so, you might run into restriction to what you can put up on your roof. If the HOA forbids solar arrays or would require you to locate the array in an undesirable location (a north facing roof section, for example) then you should consider a different property. Some states, like California, protect home owners who wish to install a solar array from cosmetic objections. However, in many states these issues haven’t been addressed yet and you don’t want to be the guinea pig.

Finally, look up a number of local installers and interview them. Finding the right installer is critical to the entire process. Do your homework before you jump in to the project.

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If you want an eco friendly home, you’ll be glad to know that customization has never been easier. You can even build your own solar panels or wind generators if you wish. The plans are on the internet, and the parts aren’t hard to come by at all. You can order kits online that contain all the parts necessary for getting started.

Another simple way to make an eco friendly home is to use compact fluorescent light bulbs. They use nearly 75% less energy than the standard kind. On top of that, they can last eight times longer! This means that you can save a lot of money on energy costs over the months.

Try not to waste water. You can achieve this by installing showerheads designed for low flows. Since you’ll be wasting less water every time you shower, you’ll be saving a lot of money. You should also check your faucets to make sure they don’t need repaired. Leaks can cost you a lot more money than you may realize.

One great way you can work on an eco friendly home is by using more fans. Exhaust fans can help alleviate unwanted humidity inside your house during summer months. And in the winter, ceiling fans can force heat down from the ceiling, which will help keep you warm. By using more fans, you can save both on air conditioning during the summer and heat in the winter!

Eco friendly homes are wonderful to invest and to live in. Not only will you being living in a cleaner environment, but you’ll also save a fortune on energy and electric! For more information, be sure to read other helpful tips for designing eco friendly homes.

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Searching for a Green Home

As real estate agencies become more knowledgeable on green living, you may find it easy to spot the most important elements needed to make an environmentally-friendly house. As you tour potential residences with a Realtor, look for the more obvious signs:

The exterior: What does the house look like? An eco-friendly home will be covered with paint that is low in toxicity and therefore doesn’t release deadly toxins into the air, or use a “green” style of siding. Fiber cement siding, for example, expends less energy in manufacture than vinyl, and is less toxic.

Insulation: In school we remembered the three R’s. When buying a home, you just need to know the R factor. This calculates how quickly heat is conducted across a surface. A home with little to no insulation is more likely to absorb the heat, moisture and cold air from outside, resulting in a low R factor. When looking for a home, you want to be certain the insulation rates at a high R factor. A well-insulated home protects you from the elements, and can help reduce heating and cooling bills.

Also, check the windows. Are they double-hung, insulated, and installed correctly? If so, not only will the windows reduce the amount of UV rays filtered into the home, but they also provide for easy use and natural ventilation. The larger the windows in the home, the better the opportunity for natural lighting, which lessens the needs for electricity.

Flooring: Definitely check for hard-surface flooring in the homes you visit. Eco-friendly hardwood and similar styles are simpler to clean and maintain than carpet, and do not absorb as much moisture. Should something spill on a carpet, chances are it will remain there even after cleaning, and increase the risk of mold. However, if prefer a carpeted home, you may wish to look for carpets made without artificial dyes and installed with non-toxic glues.

Plumbing: It’s a fact that the less water you use, the lower your bill. Low-flow plumbing fixtures are also eco-friendly, as they require less energy to use and prevent waste. You may also want to see if the home has a tankless water system, which allows for instant heating of water so you don’t waste time waiting for water to heat when you need it.

Your home is your castle, and the planet is a vast kingdom that needs to be preserved for future generations. As you search for a new home, take the time to ask about environmentally friendly features. A green home not only helps to conserve energy and natural resources, but it can also preserve your own “green.”

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The Advantages of Downtown Living – the Green Way

Commuting to work seemed less of a hassle when gas prices were affordable. If you work in the downtown area, chances are buying or renting a condo or loft may have greater appeal. A shorter trip to work, augmented by public transportation or merely the chance at some exercise, definitely proves a more eco-friendly lifestyle. As downtown residences develop, so do surrounding city blocks by establishing grocery stores, boutiques, doctors’ offices, and other services. An extensive tour of your downtown with a qualified real estate agent can reveal the convenience of living close to work – daily necessities are readily provided, plus options for entertainment and recreation may increase if your city’s maintains concert and sport venues in the vicinity. This could allow you to keep your car in storage or, better yet, sell it and not have to worry about insurance or payments.

As the average loft or apartment within the city may average between a thousand and fifteen hundred square feet, you’ll find there may not be enough room to house everything you own. Cutting down on personal items and furniture makes for a more environmentally friendly living space – the less you own, the less energy is required to sustain your home. Add on some green appliances and fixtures like low-flow plumbing, hardwood floors, and eco-friendly lighting and you could save big on utility bills, too!

As a healthier living option, the urban lifestyle has its benefits. If you work in a major downtown area and are done with the lengthy, nerve-wracking commute, consider a closer move to treat not only your sanity, but your wallet.

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