Going green isn’t just the fashionable catch phrase of the early 21st Century, conservation is an essential component of our long term sustainability. Heating and cooling a home today is expensive and has far-reaching environmental consequences.
“Energy efficiency is not on the wish list for home buyers in 2011 – it’s on the ‘must’ list,” writes Paul Cardis, CEO of Madison Wis.-Based AVID Ratings, which conducts research on home design preferences. Which eco-friendly amenities are grabbing buyers’ attention?
- High-efficiency insulation
- High-efficiency windows
- Double- and triple-glazed windows
- Tankless water heaters
- Water-conserving devices
- Products aimed at improving indoor air quality
- Renewable flooring products, such as bamboo and cork
Sources: NAR; American Institute of Architect’s Home Design Trends Survey (second quarter 2010) and 2010 AVID Home Design Drivers Study.
