This kitchen was remodeled with eco concerns in mind. All appliances were energy star. Other choices included an induction cooktop, keeping the existing cabinets but adding new doors & no-VOC paint.

Getting your house ready to sell the green way

Those ready to buy a house are increasingly concerned about green features in a home & the desire for more eco features will continue to grow in coming years–while those in the home selling process have different concerns. In either case, if you’re considering any remodeling construction to your property, it’s in your best interest to go as green as possible. If you’re not selling a house any time soon, it will still boost your future resale. And, if you are getting your house ready to sell, it can be a huge home selling marketing strategy.

7 Eco remodeling construction tips for home selling & general use

Here are 7 simple eco-savvy changes to implement into your upcoming remodeling construction. For the most part, they are budget-conscious too:

1. You’ve heard the hype about CFL’s (fluorescent lightbulbs). We all know we need to replace all our incandescent with them. But what about their hideous appearance? Especially the cheap corkscrew type? One worthwhile option is to have a contractor switch out the actual light fixtures to ones that will accommodate and hide the CFL’s. For example, in the bathroom, choose a light bar where the glass bells face upward instead of down. Conversely, if you choose bells that face down, you can buy the more expensive CFL’s that look like regular incandescents. Most flush mount overhead lights will hide CFL’s. Chandeliers also often have glass bells that point downward – instead, choose the upward type. Also, in the case of chandeliers, make sure to choose larger glass bells, with frosted glass. Take a look at all the varieties of CFL’s available at one of the big box hardware stores – for example, you can buy a shorter, compact corkscrew type CFL that might fit some chandeliers better than the standard size.
2. Paint is one of the easiest ways to go green. In one fell swoop, you can make a choice to reduce or nearly eliminate Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) from the air of your home. Three examples of NO-VOC paint are Olympic (sold at Lowe’s), Fresh Aire (sold at Home Depot), and Green Cote/Enviro Cote sold at Kelly Moore. With these paints being easily accessible and in myriad colors, there is no reason not to use them & you can discuss this with a contractor. Again, if you’re getting your house ready to sell and you paint with no-VOC’s, you can use this as a stellar feature on all of your home selling marketing collateral.
   

   Kitchen using reclaimed cabinets, zero-VOC paint & energy star appliances

3. Flooring for bathrooms has been a thorn in the side of eco-remodelers, but there are some interesting choices. My favorite is Marmoleum, which is made of all natural materials like linseed, among others & is completely sustainable and renewable. It comes in a plethora of designs, colors and textures, but is not, alas, inexpensive. You’re looking at around $20 a square foot. A more budget-friendly but slightly less eco idea is to go with a floor that has some post-consumer content (e.g. Tarkett) which also affords many style options—this would be about half the cost of the Marmoleum. These floors can also be used in kitchens and other areas of the home. Cork flooring is a great, sustainable choice as well, though not suitable for bathrooms. A great store in the Silicon Valley for looking at what is available is Interiors and Textiles in Palo Alto CA. If you’re getting ready to buy a house, it may make sense to spend a bit more & think long term about what you really want to have. Conversely, if you’re selling a house or getting ready to sell your house — you’ll definitely want to keep budget in mind since often higher end materials don’t bring proportionate returns.
4. Speaking of flooring, carpet has historically not made it onto the eco radar until recent years. There are two types that I know of – those made of plastic bottles and those made from corn. The latter is Smart Strand, which is a carpet technology that is used by many of the major brands. Smart Strand carpets are typically recyclable and have the information of the plant where they are to be re-purposed stamped on the back. Eco-friendly carpet pads are also available. These are easy choices to make, and are only pennies more than traditional products. Again, a huge resale point for home selling.
5. Almost every green-related article you read will tell you to buy Energy Star appliances. This article is no exception. Check each appliance’s Energy Star rating as well, to try to get the best rated one for the buck. In addition, if you’ve never heard of induction cook-tops, it’s worth a bit of research and self-education. You can view them on websites like AJMadison.com. The general gist of induction is that the burner reacts with the metal on the bottom of your pan (glass and copper pots will not work). Because if is not pumping out as much electricity, it is a greener choice than other cook-top options. They are not cheap, but the energy savings monthly may make sense if you plan on living in your home long term. And when home selling, it’s a great feature for the future-conscious.
6. One of the most earth-friendly decisions you can make in any remodeling construction project is to keep what you already have. Essentially, this is reducing, reusing, and recycling all in one. When you are evaluating a kitchen or bath remodel, think about whether you could possibly keep the existing cabinets. You or a contractor can paint the cabinet boxes with no-VOC paint and either reface with new doors to match (the doors can be painted with the same paint whether they are the original doors or new ones). Often, older cabinets do not have the convenient features of newer types, such as pull out drawers and organizer shelves. However, you can buy these separately at websites like KitchenShelves.com. Staying with what you have as much as possible is one key way to save money when home selling, and when you’re working on remodeling construction or staging.
7. The grocery store’s question of “paper or plastic” takes on new meaning when you think about how to handle the trash situation in your kitchen. One of my favorite things to do is to arrange organizers under the sink that accommodate both. A contractor can install them or you can do it yourself. Think of how many plastic bags you get from stores you frequent. Even if you carry your own eco bags with you, the chances of accumulating plastic ones is still high. The same goes with the paper type—you will probably bring a few home with you from time to time. There is no need to buy actual trash bags in light of this. Instead, buy the trash pull-out organizer that accommodates paper grocery bags and install it under your sink. Similarly, buy the type that will take the plastic shopping bags for installing on the back of the door of your under-sink cabinet.

Our Silicon Valley realtor team even helps people who are not currently selling a house or getting ready to buy a house. Primarily in those cases, we provide a contractor list of recommendations. In all instances, we recommend going as green as possible with any new remodeling construction efforts.

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Home selling? Find out your home value & start the consulting process for getting your house ready to sell by clicking My Home Value in the top navigation. Or, if you are interested in a complimentary 30-Minute Consult on getting your home ready to sell, call Kelsey Lane today to set a time: 408-316-0660, kelsey@kelseylane.com.

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