Above is a visual that touches on the topics I discuss in my posting. There is a lot of talk about going green. I discuss multiple ways of doing so. This image suggests making your home safer and greener by looking for low VOC paints as they increase indoor air quality (Green, 2011). When it comes to lighting Natural light using skylights and bigger windows are becoming more common ways of lighting your home (Green, 2011). When it comes to flooring you have options such as cork or bamboo as recycled and reused materials. Another way of making your home greener is by installing water efficient faucets, toilets and showers, in addition to tank less water heaters (Green, 2011).
I mentioned previously small and inexpensive renovations that you could do to improve the overall look and feel of your home, not to mention the value. The majority of my previous suggestions were cosmetic; all centered around how each of the rooms in your house look, the fixtures in each of those rooms and even goes as far as the landscaping in your yard. This post will be more focused on how the upgrades in your home can make you feel. To put this into perspective, imagine you were going to buy a new house, before it was built. In this scenario you can chose from the variety of styles and floor plans the builder offers, as well as options and upgrades on details and finishes (Holmes, 2011). Depending on the builder, sometimes the options and choices of upgrades are very limited. Most times, those options are limited to finishes. Rarely do they offer green upgrades, or upgrades on what matters most: what's behind the walls (Holmes, 2011). A lot of builders and building companies have model homes, or even a design centre you can visit to help you decide on the finishes and upgrades you might want to add. What's on display is always finishes. It's never the insulation, the drywall or tile underlayment (Holmes, 2011). You'll never see air purifiers on display or added as an extra appliance. Energy Star appliances are standard now with new homes, and they are built to minimum code standards with regard to construction, building envelope, insulation (Holmes, 2011).
So where are the green upgrades? Some leading green builders offer features such as solar rooftop photovoltaic (PV) and solar hot-water pre-heating rough-ins for those who want that option. And lots are coming on board with low/no VOC paints, and maybe some bamboo flooring (Holmes, 2011). That’s about it when it comes to green update options. That's all driven by consumer demand. Builders will build what sells, so it's up to you to demand upgrades that will really increase the value of your home (Holmes, 2011). Everyone is concerned about indoor air quality, and the effects of mold and allergens on their families' health (Holmes, 2011). How many people are really aware of the upgrades they can have that will improve that indoor air quality? The type of insulation you choose, the type of cabinets and flooring, all contribute to the indoor air quality (Holmes, 2011). Try adding an air-purifying system or premium HEPA filtration to your HVAC.
Some people will advise you to choose your upgrades based on future resale of your home (Holmes, 2011). That's fine, but who's to say a brushed nickel faucet will still be fashionable when your home goes on the market? Will cherry cabinets be in, or will painted wood? Is your money better spent on a granite countertop or on a properly insulated basement and attic (Holmes, 2011)? A finished basement is a popular one. But for me, this is one of the real traps of a 'builder upgrade.’ It’s guaranteed that if you opt for this upgrade, you will have a basement finished to minimum code (Holmes, 2011). That's all that's required. In addition this will be a complete waste of your money, in either a short time or a slightly longer time, when you need to tear everything out because it's tainted with mold (Holmes, 2011).
Conventional wisdom says that spending your upgrade money on kitchen and bathrooms will repay you (Holmes, 2011). However in Holmes’s mind every penny you invest in an upgrade that improves your home's efficiency will repay you, too. In his opinion, when your budget is limited, spend your upgrade money on the places you can't get to later: behind the walls (Holmes, 2011). You can always upgrade a standard finish to something pricier later, if you want to. It is not so easy to change your insulation or the underlayment beneath your tiles or replace your standard drywall with mold-resistant (Holmes, 2011). The consumer decisions always seem to be: Do you want the premium kitchen cabinets or the standard? Do you want a granite countertop or laminate? What kind of tile do you want in the bathroom? People spend hours discussing choices of light fixtures, door handles, cabinet hardware, plumbing fixtures, paint color, crown molding and style of baseboards (Holmes, 2011). Try asking about the level of insulation code or above code. Or even kind of insulation -- blown-in cellulose, batt, or spray foam (Holmes, 2011). How good are the windows? Does the house have mold-resistant drywall or standard? Can you choose sustainably sourced hardwood for your flooring? Ask the questions. Make the right choices on really matters when it comes to your upgrades (Holmes, 2011).
This article to me was very refreshing to read. It really did address the important issues, not only what my home look like and how much money is this going to make me. Obviously I am not interested in buying a new home anytime soon; however this research has made me more informed in what I would look for going forward. Not only will my home be more comfortable if I opted for some of the upgrades mentioned above, I would also feel better about my effect on my environment.
Currently in my home, I have baseboards, ancient baseboards and very inefficient baseboards at that. I chose not to run them as they make my electric bill sky rocket. I use two space heaters, but due to the lack of proper insulation under the house and old windows and doors, much of my heat is lost in the cracks and crevices. After seeing this in black and white, I will put off some of my future smaller renovations and expedite getting new doors and windows on my house and proper insulation under my home.
Articles Cited:
Green DIY home trends for 2011.(2011) Retrieved November 23, 2011. from http://www.jetsongreen.com/2011/02/green-home-diy-trends-for-2011.html.
Holmes M. (2011, October). Demand upgrades that increase value of home. Winnipeg Free Press (MB). Retrieved November 23rd, 2011 from the Newspaper Source Plus Database.
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