These days, buying a home in Pittsburgh is about more than finding the right square footage, number of bedrooms, and price range. While these factors almost always make up the primary concerns for any home buyer in PA, the truth is that there is so much more to a home than the numbers and figures you see on an advertisement. In fact, Pittsburgh and Wexford are part of a growing trend of buying homes that are not only an investment in your future, but an investment in the future of the planet, as well.
What is an Eco-Friendly Home?
An eco-friendly home is any house that strives to reduce energy usage either during the building process or for average, everyday use. Green Home Building Standards have been established by the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), which strives to ensure that ecologically sound building practices meet structurally sound ones no matter where you live.
Some of the components of a “green” home include:
• Energy-efficient features, including appliances and windows with the Energy Star rating. This can also be accomplished by doing simple things like using more efficient lighting fixtures and light bulbs.
• Water-efficient features, including Energy Star ratings on toilets, showers, faucets, dishwashers, and washing machines. At a more advanced level, this can include water recirculation systems and on-site wastewater treatment systems.
• Resource-efficient features, which generally come from structural changes that have to do with house size and layout, window placement, heat conservation efforts, and even using fast-renewing resources (like bamboo) for the floor or other building materials.
• Quality air features, which provide good ventilation without introducing toxins into the air either inside or outside the home.
• Outdoor features, including landscaping that contributes to the local vegetation, and the use of permeable materials for driveways and walkway. Water waste should also be reduced wherever possible.
Purchasing a Green Home
One of the greatest things about eco-friendly homes in the Pittsburgh region is that most of the costs are figured in during the building process. This means that if you’re in the market to purchase a green home, you will only have to help maintain the work that’s already been done. While this can increase the initial price tag of your new PA home, chances are that it will save you large amounts of money as the years progress.
In an age where it’s becoming increasingly more important to give back to the environment, more and more homeowners in the Pittsburgh area are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. It doesn’t matter whether you purchase a new home in Pine Township or an older building with recent renovations in Wexford, Kevin Mihm can help you find a way to combine your love of the environment with the home of your dreams.
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