Going Green in the Abilene Texas Real Estate Area

It is getting more and more popular to go green, and many Americans are leading the way in their housing choices.

One local area recently reported that their realty market was stagnant except for a big rush on newly built homes that came up for sale. They were powered by solar heating and were extremely energy conscious to run.

It may be that many of these buyers are trying to help the environment, but one good side effect of going green, is that the running costs will be less once you have set yourself up to be operating an energy conscious home. Heating and cooling systems can account for up to a half of your total energy bill in a non-green home.

Energy Star being a popular way to go green. Check out the governments site on Energy Star products. One of the sites on Energy Star give you the top ten tips for finding a good contractor in your area, if you want to build a Abilene Texas 'green' house or have a radical make-over.

Of course, there are other small ways that you can save energy and money in your pocket. One of their recommendations is that you stop buying the old-fashioned light bulbs and start buying the new compact fluorescent light bulbs.

If your are planning to buy a home and have it built for you in the Abilene real estate area, remember that many builders will add your requirements in at the end, so therefore it is often easy to ask for preferred green options in a newly built house.

There is also a scheme that is run through the Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM). Under this scheme you can use green building materials and designs and qualify for a green mortgage. You can even get mortgage help from these people if you are only planning to renovate, as long as you will be using green techniques and ideas.

Some of the luxuries in a home which are not so 'sustainable' are being changed - gradually. For instance granite counter -tops are still fashionable, but buyers will often choose the look alike's made from engineered stone. These are lighter and have not used up large amounts of gas being carted around the country.

Similar 'swaps' are made with hardwood floors and kitchen cabinets. Bamboo is widely used nowadays in homes by people who prefer to use sustainable resources. Bamboo wood flooring looks like hard oak wood floors but it grows in one tenth the time of an oak tree!

Another popular flooring is cork, which feels warmer and softer than ceramic tiles and is also a sustainable source. A bathroom with cork walls and cork flooring always feels warmer due to the slight 'insulating' properties of cork.

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