No one can deny at this point that people are generally becoming more and more aware of the need to protect the environment from further harm. In fact, such awareness has already been translated to action. A number of governments have put a ban on single-use plastics such as straws and bags. The good old days of using paper bags for groceries are slowly coming back.
As pro-environmental behaviors gain traction all over the world, there is now also an increasing interest in ecologically sound building designs. Current homebuyers, for example, are now much more willing to pay more for eco-friendly houses.
Basically, a home becomes eco-friendly when it takes advantage of elements that help tone down — if not completely eliminate — the need for fossil fuel-based electricity. One of such element is the location of the property. In this article, we help you assess if a home is indeed located in an environmentally friendly spot.
The house is built on soil that supports gardens and trees
Deciduous trees, when planted around the house, can help block the sweltering heat of the summer sun. With this, you will be able to save a lot on your energy use bill because the need to use air conditioners will be greatly reduced. But there is a need for you to make sure that their canopies remain or can easily be made open so that the sun can penetrate during winter. For this, you might need the help of a skilled arborist.
Aside from trees, shrubs and other plants also help in making the air around you cool. So more than just beautifying your lawn, having flora all over your property can be an effective means to cut back on electricity costs and ultimately contribute to environmental preservation.
When you see that the soil around the house that you’re eyeing is fertile enough to support plants, it will be wise to get the services of real estate lawyers — especially those from McQuarrie — so that the property acquisition process can commence without much issue.
The home is in a spot where there is a lot of sunlight
The sun should be the ultimate light source of a home that aims to cut back on power costs. Aside from ensuring that the structure itself is designed in such a way that it lets in a lot of sun, as a buyer you must also ensure that it is located in a spot where the sun shines bright for the most part of each day.
Besides providing sufficient lighting during the day, the sunny location can also help you take your pro-environmental efforts to the next level because it is going to be a prime spot for solar panels. The energy generated by these panels can be used to illuminate your home in the evenings.
The house is on a sloping piece of land
Though it’s not as important as the previous points, being on a slope allows a house to take advantage of the stronger winds that blow there, eliminating the need for cooling systems.
But there is a downside to this. Building structures on a slope requires backfills and the heavy use of stabilizers, which can significantly increase construction costs and ultimately the selling price. But for sure, this additional cost will be offset by the amount that is saved from not using cooling systems heavily on a regular basis.
