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Finding a Green Home
Location is Everything
Q: What's the first thing to look for in a green home?
A: The
community around it.
Looking for a home
that has a small ecological footprint (and save you money)?
The first thing you need to look at is the community surrounding
the house. If your home is located in a thriving "village"
with multiple amenities close to your doorstep, then you will
spend much less time driving from place to place. You'll
save gas, time and money and live better.
For all you need to
know about urban villages and complete communities, see the
Ontario Smart Growth
Network.
At the other end of
the spectrum, is a self-sufficient house -- off the grid and
with it's own food supply. Here you have a peaceful life
and a degree of security against peak oil and other ecological
and economic catastrophes.
Get a Green Mortgage
If you are looking
to buy a new home, shop around for a green mortgage that will
help you improve the energy rating of your house, purchase an
Energy Star house, or carry out other ecological enhancements to
the home and yard.
Stay tuned for more
details....
Buy a Green Home
If you are in the
market for a new home, reread the first section! Now, if
you are really looking for a suburban greenfield home then the
best advice we can give you is to make sure it is Energy Star
rated (or an EnerGuide 80 rating on the Canadian scale).
There are an increasing number of developers, such as Mattamy
Homes, that are offering high-efficiency homes. As energy
prices continue to rise, it's an investment you won't regret.
For the ultimate in
green home design, look into the straw bale homes that are being
built across Ontario.
Upgrade your Home
Do you live in a
sieve? Are you eternally chilly in winter and sweating (or
turning up the air conditioning) in the summer? If so,
it's time for a home upgrade!
First, get a home
energy audit. Contact Green Communities Canada for the
EnerGuide auditor nearest you, or consult the Yellow Pages.
(You can also search our
Greenlinks
database for "EnerGuide" or "energy audit").
Next, depending on
the auditors advice you can make a number of energy-saving
investments including draftproofing, increased insulation,
high-efficiency windows, high-efficiency furnace,
high-efficiency air-conditioner, or new appliances.
Investing in conservation will also increase your comfort and
enjoyment of your home.
For other energy
saving tips, see our page on conserving
energy.
Find a Green Realtor
Green real estate is
catching on, and more and more realtors realize the importance
of being able to market the ecological benefits of a home and
its surrounding community.
We're working with
Evolution Green to
develop an Ontario green realtor program. Stay tuned for
details.
Search
Greenlinks:
Enter
"home" "cottage" or "real estate" into the Green Links database to find
web links on green homes.
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