[Stephen Whalen]

How many people would buy a house that green products were used to do the rehab work? I'm am buying and flipping houses on Cape Cod and would like to go green with the remodels. Any thoughts?

 

[Blondesense]

Green is good. I would definitely buy green.

The problem is there seems to be many definitions of green. Everything from energy efficiency to high tech solar panels to reusing materials seems to qualify.

The idea was to create a home that uses very low energy, as well as having strong resistance to tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, fire, flood and insect damage, Pinkerton said."What we're able to do is develop a home that has very, very good insulating properties for heating and cooling," he said. "It's very robust and strong."

The above (cut and pasted from a local news article) seems like a good thing until you read the rest of the story.

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20110717/NEWS01/107170363/-1/7daysarchives/Gigantic-home-being-built-woody-hills-south-Ozark?odyssey=mod|dnmiss|umbrella|1

 

[AGWhitehouse]

If green means, cheaper utilities, them I'm in!

The "green" focus should be on the energy consumption side of things. Energy prices are rising and won't likely be slowing down. Give a buyer the prospect of lower utilities and you'll have a selling point few other homes will.

Green flooring is still just flooring to the regular Joe Shmoe...

 

[user1007]

I agree there is no real definition of what green is anymore and it is cliche and a buzzword. I do try to talk clients into recycled and recyclable building materials and of course the degree of energy efficiency they can afford? Is a wood frame house ever going to be green though?

I think you are better off talking about green or energy credits and how and if they might effect tax credits.

 

[AGWhitehouse]

The phrase "Green" has become synanomous with it's counterpart "Green" as in $$$. The products that claim to be green are laughable. Spray Foam is one. It is comprised of hazardous materials yet is considered green. The only green thing about it is the insulative value.

Energy Star coupled with a LEED rating is the best "Green" method available today. LEED takes care of the recycling, transportation, re-usable kind of aspects, while Energy Star takes care of the completed performance. If you just take Energy Star you can have environmentally poor products as long as it performs well. If you just take LEED then you can have a re-useable and recycled building that doesn't necessarily have to perform well.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'd want to know why it's considered green, and go based on that. Like if it has solar power, wind power, or insulation way beyond code requirements, that kind of stuff. Then yeah I'd probably buy if I think it really is green.

But lot of people tend to overuse green. They'll add a 50 watt solar panel and say that it's green. yeah, that panel might be enough to power the CFL light in the front of the house for a few hours. Now if I see there is a 2kw solar system and I'm told that the house has enough power output to last for a couple days during a power outage even with the AC, then yeah, now that would have me sold knowing the solar is actually making a difference.

 

[Rayhay72]

Go green baby!!!

Currently in the process of installing a hybrid Wind Turbine/Solar system with grid tie to supplement my electricity, so my answer is Yes. But, llike everyone else, I feel green is an overused, mostly inaccurate descriptor. Anything like power supplement thru solar or wind power is a great thing, another thing I really like are greywater systems, that will collect, filter and reuse grey water to Flush the toilets, Great way to conserve. Initially any truly "GREEN" system has a pretty hefty outlay of capital but they end up paying for themselves!!
:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[amyevans]

I would, if I was sure that the house was truly green, and not just being named as such to help it sell.