Cheaper Homes Cost More to Build

Reader Contribution by Staff
article image

As I travel the country, talking with builders, architects, homeowners and ordinary citizens about green building, I’m continually confronted with the issue of building cost. The standard response to my talks is “Your ideas on green building are all well and good, but, bottom line, they cost more and people aren’t going to pay more for a green home.”

My standard reply to the conventional logic is, “What people have to understand is that it costs more to build a cheaper home.”

What I mean by that is simple. The cost of a home isn’t the price you pay when you sign on the dotted line. That is, it is not the cost of the mortgage. The cost of a home is the cost of the mortgage and the utility bill plus maintenance and even health costs.

By building a super energy-efficient, healthy, durable green home, you may increase the mortgage, but you’ll dramatically lower the utility bill. You’ll lower maintenance costs, and could even reduce health costs.

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368