Green Homes Will Defy the Housing Slump, Says EPA

By Susan Seliger

There is one bit of a good news in this terrifyingly tumultuous housing market. Going green can help you sell your house — at least that’s what the EPA believes. While traditional houses are spiraling downward in value across the country, according to the Environmental Protection Agency homes that incorporate environmental features – especially green plumbing fixtures – are what buyers are looking for.

EPA’s optimism about the green housing market stems from a McGraw-Hill Construction study (conducted when the housing market was very soft but not yet in its current panic) which predicted that the current market share of green housing (6-10%) would double in the next five years. The study also found that 60% of builders believed that green features in a home would help them sell houses in a down market

While Sales figures on green homes are hard to come by, a number of studies indicate that home buyers are coming to expect green fixtures and features. Makes sense — house buyers are looking for ways to save money – not just on the price of the house – but on the long-term maintenance. They want to save on energy costs. But they also seem to like water-saving fixtures. Builders are also turning to these water-saving fixtures, especially because many localities (in California and other areas where water is scarce) have made water-saving a requirement for new housing projects.

Anticipating the demand for saving water in home-building, the EPA’s WaterSense program (which certifies water-saving appliances) launched a New Housing Project in August 2008 to sign on builders who will produce at least one home that meets the EPA’S standards for a water-efficient home – ready for sale within six months of the launch.

So look for water-efficient homes to come onto the market in early 2009 from the following builders who were selected to participate in the pilot program.

• Anderson Homes; Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Aspen Homes of Colorado; Windsor, Colorado
• Cleantech Homes; Beverly, Massachusetts
• Dorn Homes; Tubac, Arizona
• Greenlife Homes; Houston, Texas
• Nappier and Turner Construction Company; Hendersonville, North Carolina
• Tim O’Brien Homes, Inc.; Waukesha, Wisconsin

To find water-saving fixtures that have been approved by the EPA, look for those that have the WaterSense label.

For more about water-efficiency in new homes, go to the EPA’s WaterSense web site.

Photo credit: EPA web site