Is it best to buy, build or remodel a greenbuilt home in the Austin, Texas area? Many people may ponder this question who are interested in saving money, saving our Earth and or just living a simpler lifestyle. There are many things to consider to make the right decision for you. Thankfully we have many experts and organizations right here in the Austin, Texas area! Austin Energy's Green Building Program just celebrated 20 years of helping people to live greener and is our nation's first green building program. Austin Energy's Green Building Program applies to homes in Austin Energy's range, it does not apply to other towns just outside of or even touching Austin, Texas. The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED is a national program.Building an Austin TC Green Home When building a home, the advantage is that you can createyour own personal visionof your perfect house including architectural style, room sizes, exact features and more. You can also pick the lot your new green home goes on, whether a 50 foot lot in town or 50 acres out in the country where you can have chickens and horses too. There are many architects in the Austin Texas area who know how to design a home using enough building science to create a Net Zero home. A Net Zero home produces more energy than it uses over a period of a year. A Net Zero home is built very tight so it does not lose much energy at all. Solar Panels provide energy from the sun which is stored in batteries and perhaps sold back to the electricity provider. There are also many architects and home builders in the Austin Texas area who know how to build with straw bales, ICF construction, SIP panels and more. Many production builders in our area are using foam insulation or solar panels. I am familiar with and have sold many types of greenbuilt homes. I know many builders and architects in the Austin area with expertise in green construction.Buying an Austin TX Green HomeWhen buying an Austin TX Green home you are limited only by what homes are on the ground or under construction at the time you are shopping. We have many different types of green built homes as well as many different locales where greenbuilt homes are located in the Austin TX area. Straw Bale, ICF, SIP and just really tightly built or retrofitted homes are available for purchase. Many homes have total rainwater collection or auxillary rainwater collection as well. Some homes may be older homes that have been retrofitted to become much tighter and more efficient perhaps even adding a solar array. I am familiar with and know how to find the greenbuilt homes in and around Austin, Texas. Allow me to help you in your quest.Remodeling an Austin TX Green HomeYou may want to buy an Austin TX area home and remodel it or remodel the home you are now living in. I am currently in the process of doing that and my home will eventually be for sale. My home for example, is a Scott Felder production home not of any energy efficient design. However, it is south facing and does have double paned windows as well as many mature trees for shading in Summer. I have added more ceiling fans, Energy Star roof shingles and plan to add foam insulation and much more efficient HVAC systems. I have added xeriscaping, a very water wise yard as well as turned my yard into a National Wildlife Federation Certified yard as well. When adding foam insulation as a retrofit, it creates a sealed attic so you cannot do this without being sure any gas appliances are vented correctly. The sealed attics are incredibly cooler in the Summer and warmer in the Winter and considered "conditioned" space. Your attic stored items will stay in much better shape and you can stand to be up there when temperatures are extreme outside because it will be nice and comfy year round. There are many retrofitted homes for sale in the Austin Texas MLS. Let me find one for you! Betty Saenz is an Austin, Texas EcoBroker®, REALTOR®, a green real estate agent who specializes in greenbuilt, energy efficient and water efficient homes. Call Betty Saenz at (512) 785-5050 ore-mail Betty SaenzEcoBroker® at Sky Realty, Austin, Texas. Betty's main website isBettySellsAustin.com and her Green website isTexasOrganicHome.com
...read more