Home Renovations
If you are looking for quick green renovations that are cost effective, check out these green home renovation tips.
So you bought that reposed home as an investment. You knew it was going to need some renovations. Where should you start, and what renovations give you the best return on investment? Is going green a good option?
Many homeowners want to live a little greener and reduce their carbon footprint. But not every green dream should become a reality. Some green renovation projects simply don't deliver the kind of return on investment to make them helpful to anyone but the independently wealthy - and the housing contractors doing the work.
Start with the low hanging fruit first.
An ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. To find out how much you can save click in the link below to use the lighting calculator.
http://www.gelighting.com/na/home_lighting/products/pop_lighting_calc.htm
A good green project that won't break one's budget involves sealing faulty air-duct work. That kind of project should come in under $1,000, and it makes a huge difference on the energy bill. It is not green to replace if you can improve.
Simply insulating existing walls can have a bigger energy savings impact for less cost. And the homeowner doesn't have to swap out any materials to do so. Start with un-insulated areas of the home like the basement or crawl space. Heat travels from hot to cold so there is a greater opportunity to see a good return on investment.
Be smart when considering renovations. Realize even the best intentioned sales person's job is to sell even if the return on investment is low. Always start with an energy audit as that will give you a map as to where the largest gains in savings can be made.
To learn more ways you can benefit from energy efficient and green renovations, go to:
http://www.epa.gov/greeningepa/projects
http://www.greenhomeguide.org/guide_for_green_renovation/
To find a local green contractor go to:
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