GREEN LIVING: Eco-Homes - Convert Your House

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Eco-Homes - How You Can Turn Your House Into One by Curt Roese

The pace of new construction is slowing to a crawl as the recession continues. However, remodeling has not taken a hit, since many people are looking to remodel the homes they have rather than to buy another home or have a new home built. Since there is an increasing level of concern with making homes environmentally friendly, many of those looking to remodel are hoping to convert their homes into eco-homes as part of the remodeling process.

What are eco-homes? If you live in the UK you're probably familiar with the term - this is a rating system used to evaluate environmental standards as they relate to house construction. The idea is to create homes which are comfortable and attractive yet low impact environmentally.

The US has a similar system for rating eco-homes. The US standard is called LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This certification program sets standards for home design, construction and performance.

You can live in an eco-home without building a new home. A lot of homeowners can simply remodel their existing home to comply with the applicable environmental standards.

Even the garden variety tract home can become an eco-home with some relatively simple steps. A lot of newer homes are actually designed with the environment in mind, since consumers are looking for eco-homes.

Changing your old windows is one of the easiest ways to reduce your energy consumption and make yours a greener home. This will significantly lower your heating bill, keep you warmer in cold weather - and it will also give your home a new look. There is more to eco-homes than merely the design of the home or even the materials which are used in the construction of the home. By replacing your older appliances with newer, more energy-efficient appliances you can reduce your energy consumption a great deal - and also greatly reduce your energy bills; something any homeowner can appreciate.

You can save upwards of 30% of your energy costs just by replacing your old and inefficient appliances - and untold amounts of natural resources over the lives of these energy efficient replacements. The interest in eco-homes reflects an interest in living while having a smaller environmental footprint. You can turn the home you already own into an eco-home for a much lower cost than buying or building a new home and benefit from the savings you'll see - while the planet benefits from your reduced energy usage.

Curt Roese is the author and is a Real Estate Broker holding the EcoBroker and NAR GREEN Designations. Find more information about Eco-Homes and sign up for his informative newsletter at Green Homes.