Nolo’s Real Estate Tips for Home Buyers

Own a co-op? Then you probably won't be happy to know (or remember) that residential buildings are a major offender when it comes to releases of carbon dioxide emissions. But as you also know too well, doing something about it will require enthusiasm, or at least buy-in, from other owners. For inspiration and advice, check out Mireya Navarro's article, "It's Not Easy Turning Co-Op Boards Green," in the March 26, 2009 issue of the New York Times.

One of the most interesting factoids was that you don't need to go all out with solar panels to have an effect on the bottom line -- the greatest bang for the buck comes from simple conservation measures like insulating pipes and weather-stripping doors.

Another interesting suggestion comes up in the article "Start Greening Your Building," from The Cooperator: The Co-Op and Condo Monthly: installing a device that measures every owner's individual energy usage -- that can certainly wake up some people who weren't too concerned about energy costs when they were spread among all owners.

And for more information for New York City residents, check out the website of Green Home NYC, a volunteer-run organization whose mission is to facilitate the adoption of sustainable building methods and materials by owners of small residential and commercial buildings in New York City.

That's right, I'm now the owner of a new (but old, made of recycled wood), Audubon-specification-compliant wren house.

Actually, I think I spent more time with this choice than with the house I'm living in. As with human houses, the particular bird houses I was checking out were all unique, made by Berkeley Rustic Birdhouses. I had to carefully consider price range, size (the entry, in particular, can't be too big if you want to attract wrens), aesthetics, and -- trying to get into the mindset of a small bird here -- which one might feel like "home." Sound familiar?

Mounting it became another lesson in home ownership -- there's nothing so valuable as a friendly neighbor with power tools! (Thanks, Joe.)

Now I'm suddenly shifting into the mindset of a home seller. Will any birds take a look? Will they peer inside in delight and say, "This is it!" or just look for signs to the next open house? I'm told it could take a year or more (for one thing, the birds need to feel sure I'm not going to move this new object tomorrow), but of course I want some to move in right now...

With the economy down, you might assume you can no longer afford the "luxury" of a home built using green construction techniques and materials. But the latest reports show that other buyers who've done the math are still convinced that the energy-saving features of green construction make it a good deal.

See, for example, this article by Mari Saito in the Philadelphia Business Journal, describing one condo buyer's shock that her monthly electricity bill went from about $280 per month in her former loft to just $76.

And in a related article by Diane M. Fiske, the Journal describes how one local developer is coming up with efficient ways to build homes that are both affordable and energy-saving. An important part of the strategy is the use of SIPS, or "standard insulated panels." These panels are made of wood (either young farmed trees or leftover wood flakes) and a foam insulating material. They're precut to the designer's specifications and put together on site, like a giant puzzle. They're getting high reviews for environmental friendliness (like reduced wood waste) and tight, heat-conserving qualities.

By the way, if you're building your own house, SIPS might be a good option as well. For more information on SIPS, see:

• http://www.toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Whole-House-Systems/structural-insulated-panels
• http://www.sips.org/content/technical/index.cfm?pageId=20
• http://www.usa-sips.com/faq.htm
  

Settling into your new kitchen and curious about things like whether to buy a plastic or wooden chopping board? Here's a fun quiz from the Sierra Club -- I scored pretty well, but still learned more than usually comes standard in the average "green" article.

And while we're talking green, let me throw in a tip of my own. I just painted the bedroom and was finally able to justify having saved all those old bedspreads, sheets, and towels -- you know, the ones that are too ratty to give to charity -- just like my Lithuanian refugee mother taught me. The box of rags was starting to feel like its own kind of clutter, but I was able to cover the floor and all the furniture that was too big to move out, without having to buy any tarps. Very satisfying.