You try not to litter. Your car does not billow black smoke into the atmosphere. You are aware of humanity’s impact on the environment. One of the reasons that you are considering going green with the home you buy is to make a difference, even if it's a small one. Whether it’s a residential home or a condo, reducing the environmental footprint of your home can affect the environment and your bottom line.

Being Nice Is Not Enough

New research by the University of Applied Sciences in Kiel, Germany shows that people who value social responsibility at a business level are more likely to focus on environmental sustainability. Having a sense of global accountability at an individual fiscal level is wonderful, but the implementation can be daunting.

The environmentalist organization We Can Live Green defines “Going Green” as a social phenomenon with individuals who use their consumer voice to grow sustainability and lessen their impact on the environment. Having this definition in your head as you stand in front of a home or an apartment building can derail any environmental do-gooder. Break your projects down into small pieces. Do the cheap and easy things first. Wrap heating pipes to lower energy consumption. Change incandescent lights with LED bulbs. Put in programmable thermostats. Start small then work your way up.

The Tear-Down Mentality

Feasibility is the buzzword of environmental sustainability. For example, as of October 1, California’s law AB-1879 requires manufacturers of certain chemicals to study the feasibility of alternatives. It does not mandate the use of any alternative, only an analysis of the feasibility. As a property manager, razing the building may be the best from Mother Nature’s point of view, but it probably is not feasible from a fiscal perspective. A good way to find out how much money will be saved in the long run is to ask a contractor that specializes in energy upgrade to do a cost-benefit analysis.

New Versus Old

In 1999, you could have easily dropped $300 on a DVD player. Today you can pick one up for $30. New technology may get the job done, but it can be costly. As the science becomes more common, prices often drop. Knowing when to implement a new green technology can make your home or rental building stand out on the marketplace, while not costing an arm and leg in new innovation markups.

Look to conferences for green ideas and breakthroughs. This year the Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen, China will feature a “Green Buildings” exhibition area. The exhibit will focus on the whole life cycle of a green building, from its construction to its energy footprint to its eventual destruction. Though flying to China may be out of the question, these types of green sustainability conferences take place throughout the world and usually have vendor information that is accessible via the Internet. Let the experts guide you through socially responsible property management.

More and more home buyers are interested in becoming more environmentally responsible. As a result, the supply of green-built homes and condos is growing in the Madison area. To see what’s currently on offer check out this amazing array of green-built Madison homes and green-built Madison condos for sale. Join the green revolution! Call (563) BUY-SOLD or contact us using the form below. 

Posted by Jolenta Averill on

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