Eco-Awareness: Guide to Green Home Buying

As the world continues to embrace all that is eco-friendly, with more green products and services hitting the market everyday, it is becoming easier to incorporate efficiency into your real estate search. For those who are scoping out eco-friendly homes for sale in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and surrounding coastal Orange County areas, here are a few tips from Planet Green that can help you pick a property with green potential.

Get Green Guidance: The best way to begin a real estate search, whether you’re in the market for a green property or not, is to seek assistance from a professional. You can enlist an EcoBroker like Surterre Properties® to pair you with a Realtor® who understands energy efficiency and can present homes for sale that meet your eco-needs.

Consider Location: Living in a community that offers close proximity to schools, shops, restaurants and entertainment is not only beneficial for its convenience, it will also help to naturally lower your carbon footprint. Less driving means less stress on the environment and ultimately less stress in every aspect of your life.

Evaluate an Estate’s Energy Efficiency: If your Realtor is already well-versed in green real estate, they will be able to help you assess the efficiency of a home. You should check for factors like effective insulation, properly operating heating and cooling systems and appropriate windows. You may want to hire a professional to conduct a home energy audit for the most accurate evaluation.

Explore a Home’s Renewable Energy Possibilities: While you’re looking at Orange County homes for sale, research whether alternative technologies like solar panels and wind power are feasible features for the properties you are considering. You can also look into taking advantage of energy rebate programs available.