Photo by Paula Jensen / SXC
Newer homes often come with energy efficient appliances but may also contain lower quality construction materials.
By FrontDoor.com
Let's say you're about to get started on your hunt for a new home and you're really interested in finding a place with eco-friendly potential. You grab a few real estate flip books and start searching for homes online.
You're imagining cork floors, recycled glass tiles in some rooms, low-flow fixtures and native plants in the yard. You might even go for a green roof. But if you're in the market for a green home, chances are you won't have much luck finding a home with the work done for you.
That means you'll need to purchase a home and retrofit it with your chosen updates. But what type of home is best for eco-friendly updates: a new home or an older, existing home? Here are some pros and cons of each option:
NEW HOMES
Pros
- Since 1994, federal standards have required toilets, showerheads and faucets to use less water than their older counterparts. A new home will automatically be more energy-efficient than one that has an ancient toilet, so you wouldn't need to update the space right away.
- Newer homes are typically built with efficient windows, so you probably won't need to make that investment.
- Today's homes come equipped with very effective insulation.
- It's debatable how "green" it is to tear out brand-new materials, even if you are replacing them with eco-friendly supplies.
Cons
- You know that new car (or new home) smell? That's the sweet smell of chemicals seeping into the air.
- According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside conventional new homes can be 10 times more polluted than outdoor air.
- New homes are often filled with formaldehyde-containing particleboard.
- Base models of just-built homes come with low-end features, like wood laminate flooring and vinyl countertops.
OLDER HOMES
Pros
- You get real wood floors, quality craftsmanship and architectural details that is not as common in newer homes.
- If parts of the home haven't been replaced for years or even decades, a remodel seems justified and will greatly increase the home's energy efficiency.
Cons
- Older homes usually aren't very energy-efficient. They rarely have energy-efficient windows or appliances.
- Historic homes may contain asbestos, a serious health hazard, especially during a remodeling job.
Provided by FrontDoor - http://www.frontdoor.com/
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