Commercial Real Estate Insurance

So is it safe to say that you are aware of what it means to “Go Green?” The craze of green has taken over just about every aspect of society from the news, politics, fashion, nutrition and even technology making it difficult to properly define green. Though the overall outcome and motivation for going green is of course to aid in creating a better eco-friendly environment and allocation of resources for the future generations – it is exceptionally beneficial to you as well. As the craze takes off it has driven more and more people to take green into their homes, and I say that literally. Custom built green homes and buildings have become a popular investment that assists the environment and consumers alike. If you are building a home it is beneficial for numerous reasons to begin building a green home.

The first and foremost reasoning for building a green home is Energy Savings. This is done by increasing your water and heating efficiencies. There are many ways that this is done. Making sure that your home is properly insulated is a key factor. Most homes have insulation; however, making sure that you’re insulated with high quality insulation and the key word “properly” installed insulation greatly increases its efficiency. There are many voids where insulation can be installed and making sure that all of home is insulated correctly is vastly important. Another factor is upgraded windows and doors. Doubled paned windows are a must and appropriate weather stripping increases its effectiveness. Installing energy efficient appliances and systems takes another step in making sure your home is holding its value.

Another reason to go with a green home is your health. Green homes are designed to decrease the amount of air pollutants within your home by better ventilation systems. This is done in many ways from the design of the home to the ventilation system and filters used in itself – all of which plays a role in the overall air quality.

Because a green home is built to be of higher quality – less maintenance is required. When it comes to building a green home the key words are properly and efficient, and when products are installed properly and efficiently they require less maintenance. This lack of constant maintenance can play a huge role in the time and money put into the upkeep of a home. Read the rest of this entry »

Being green is all about saving, reducing and conserving the planet’s natural resources. How can a green philosophy apply to real estate though?

If you are going to build a new house from scratch, then you have a blank canvas on which you can layer one green innovation on top of another to improve the environmental credibility of your home.

It may not seem as though it is as easy for most people who have no intention of building new real estate and are quite happy living where they are or if they move will choose an already constructed home. However there are a number of ways you can green your property, many of which should save you money either straight away or over a reasonable period of time.

The best time to implement many green improvements is when you need to make a change to your property. Your existing boiler may not be the most environmentally friendly, but the energy used to manufacture it is already accounted for. If it is still relatively new, just throwing it out to get an improved model is unlikely to make financial sense. What you can do is make sure that it runs as efficiently as possible by having it cleaned and serviced on a regular basis, usually once a year.

Adding extra insulation to your property can also help reduce the amount of heat and therefore energy you waste. This can be relatively cheap to install and the money saved will usually pay the cost of the added insulation in about two years. Even more simply, by closing curtains as soon as it gets dark, you will help trap warm air in your house rather than letting it escape through the cold surface of the windows.

Fitting energy efficient light bulbs will cut your electricity bill and switching those lights off when you are not in a room will reduce it even more. Developing good habits in you and your family can take only a few days and will save money. Read the rest of this entry »