Archive for the ‘Green’ Category

A recent Builderonline.com article reports that homebuyers want well-performing sustainable products and homes that are attractive and traditional.

When it comes to the green movement, homebuyers care more about the looks and cost savings that come from sustainability.  According to the article, only 15% of consumers are green advocates while the other 85% are not willing to compromise style or function.  This means that homebuilders must be able to construct and sell sustainable homes that perform equally or better than non-sustainable focused ones and they must incorporate traditional architecture and aesthetics.

Among every age group, energy efficiency is a top priority.  This isn’t because homebuyers are green advocates.  It’s because they know that energy savings translates into money savings.  Experts suggest that sustainable homes be marketed in simple terms as most homebuyers want to know how a home will save them energy and money.  Surveys suggest that consumers do not respond well to complicated messages.  According to the article, “Focus on how much it costs to operate the home.”

Most consumers are under the impression that green products cost more presenting a sales challenge.  Since most consumers aren’t green advocates, they want to see where these costs will even out or when they will break even in energy savings.  At the end of the day, the majority of consumers are looking for a traditional looking home that will save them money.  Few are looking for a way to save the planet.

The 2010 Ideal Living Home at Achasta is the perfect case study when it comes to sustainable design.

The home features the latest and greatest in sustainable construction and interiors. While this is great and is always a strong selling point, these inclusions aren’t what make this home so unique. It’s the way the home utilizes future home building techniques without compromise.

What makes this home special is that its designers and builder were able to incorporate sustainable features and materials without losing the look and feel of the community. Known for its rustic charm and natural amenities, the Achasta community is located in the North Georgia Mountains where it has become a community staple in the town of Dahlonega.

When the Ideal Living Home was first planned, those involved understood the need for creating a sustainable home while maintaining the rustic charm of the community and the area. The finished product ended up being just that. From energy efficient HVACS to all natural counter tops and reclaimed hardwoods, the showhome successfully captures the elements of tomorrow’s sustainable design without compromising the rustic feel of the community.

This is important for future development. Sustainable features are a must for new home construction. While this is true, I think that it’s important that we don’t rush to let those features define our product. Sustainability should definitely be advertised but these features are becoming the standard and we still need to maintain an identity that makes our product unique. Achasta was able to do this seamlessly.

For more information about the 2010 Ideal Living Home visit their site at Achasta.com. You can also see a list of their vendors for the sustainable products used in the home’s construction and interior design.

Builders everywhere are trying to design new homes with the latest in sustainable technology while trying to maintain a high profit margin. There are several experts that see unstoppable reduction in profits for new homes. Most of them think that this is a change that builders need to start accepting for the future.

Builderonline.com has a great article featuring a builder, Bill Freeman. Freeman built a 3,000-square-foot house in Essex, Conn. with complete dedication to energy efficiency and savings. What he found out was that it’s difficult to build a large and luxurious home with a high HERS rating. He then called in a consultant who helped make a few minor tweaks to increase its rating. Tweaks along with his initial plans cost him more than usual, which will ultimately result in a lower profit margin.

The reality of the market is that striking a balance between profit and sustainability is a challenging task. In Freeman’s words, “A lot of builders don’t like hearing that, but it’s the reality now.” The challenge, especially in the luxury real estate market, is continuing to provide consumers with what they want while also obtaining high-energy efficiency scores and sustainability certifications.

All of this will certainly dictate how we market these types of homes. Just like new home designs, we must also strike a balance between luxury and sustainability in our messages. It is also important that sales agents are able to strike that balance when dealing with potential buyers.

As home building starts to pick up, everyone involved in the building and selling process needs to be on the same page when it comes to finding the sweet spot in the luxury market.

Builderonline.com has a great article titled “50 Ways To Waste Your Money.” It’s on their website and in this month’s issue of builder magazine. If you haven’t read it yet, I suggest you do so here.

It’s a lengthy article but it’s worth a read in its entirety. I naturally enjoyed some of the more marketing and advertising focused tips. Here are a few of the ones that I really liked.

Don’t Train Your Salespeople To Explain The Value Of Energy Efficiency

I have talked about this before but when you build a sustainable home and obtain a certification for it, it might not matter if you don’t have the proper people selling it. How can an untrained sales person sell something they don’t know anything about? You better believe that buyers who are attracted to your product because of its Earthcraft certification are going to have some serious sustainability questions. Salespeople need to be able to talk the talk when it comes to selling sustainable homes.

Neglect Your Website

According to the article, a third of home buyers rely on the internet as their first step when searching for a new home and 94 percent of buyers use it as a tool to search refine their choices during the buying process. Knowing this, I am not sure why anyone would neglect their website to save money. A lot of developers also make the mistake of not updating their websites regularly. Webmasters may be expensive but I would avoid the temptation of cutting costs in this department.

View Technology As A Cure-All

A lot of us are excited about the advancements of the web and mobile devices. The article issues a sound warning to those who may be relying on technology to do old things more efficiently. Experts believe that these new technologies, especially mobile ones, should be used in new, effective ways to create sales and leads. If you rely on these new technologies to execute old strategies, we are selling ourselves short.

These of course, are just a few of the ones that I really like. There are 47 more that touch on building, marketing, consumer research, and design. It is a read that is well worth your time.