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Like many industries, innovations in green home building have become mired in speculation and myths. The heavy use, and often misuse, of  “green” messages across many industries has fostered a cynicism for some. While others are holding on to the early price tags or associations with the word.

However, like many industries, the building industry is always evolving. As we discover new information, technologies and products we have learned that green home building is not as much a type of building as it is the next evolution in building. Green and energy efficient homes are what have resulted from research and innovation, and with that understanding are gaining a much wider acceptance.

Here are a few of the top myths about green home building that we hope won’t be around much longer…

Green homes are no longer more expensive to build.
When energy efficient building products first came on the market they were leading edge, and tended to be more pricey that their traditional alternatives. We see this trend in every industry from electronics to clothing. However, as companies begin adopting sustainable, eco-friendly and energy efficient models in their design and practice the cost continues to come down. And most importantly, the cost of living and maintenance during the lifetime of the home is reduced with more durable construction and materials over traditionally built homes.

Remodeling a home is not always more “green” than building new.
Homes that were built 50 or 60 years ago were built with very different tools and specifications. For instance, some homes weren’t built with insulation at all and did not take into consideration environmental factors such as the home’s orientation on the lot to take advantage of natural sunlight and warmth. But as we learn more about how the environment around the home impacts everything from energy bills to the health of the homeowners, we are now building homes that are more efficient and comfortable when a remodel could not possibly meet these needs.

Green homes are not just for environmentalists.
Since we began building green homes in 2006 we have incorporated energy efficient and sustainable practices into projects for so many clients for so many different reasons. The top reason, however, comes down to increased durability, less maintenance problems and lowered utility bills. While there are environmental benefits to all of these factors, at the end of the day these homes are also better investments for our clients because of these same reasons.

As time passes and people begin to understand the benefits of using green practices when building their new home we suspect that there will also be a better understanding that green building is more about innovation than a movement.

Our clients in Des Peres created a flex-room in the basement to accomodate eating and entertaining for their regular family gatherings.

There are several advantages to building a new, custom home in St. Louis. Utility and maintenance savings and low in-fill building costs aside, homeowners also get a customized space, or as many of our client have commented, they end up with their “dream home.”

We have heard a lot recently about right-sizing homes, and have seen the market edge more towards smaller, more functional spaces in recent years. Now this trend towards modest, customized interior design and home construction has a name, and a movement behind it-slow home design.

What is a Slow Home?
In it’s most basic sense, when building a slow home careful attention is paid to how the house is built to make sure the home is easy to use, and easy on the environment. Slow home building encompass green building, custom building, accessibility and the aging in place movements.

A slow home is a custom designed home that is built with carefully selected materials and design elements that are customized to fit the needs of the family who will live in it. For example, a family that cooks more than they watch television could elect to increase their dining and cooking spaces in lieu of building a larger entertainment room. Or a family that is particularly active could elect to design their basement to accommodate indoor physical activity during the winter instead of creating a multimedia room.

Slow Homes Are Simpler, Not Smaller
Right-sizing and custom designing for maximized use should not be confused with smaller homes. The size of a slow home is determined by the functions it needs to serve for the family, and superfluous details are eliminated. For example, the unnecessary lofts that were once popular in home design tend to be unused spaces so they wouldn’t be included in a slow home. Or a family could weigh the need for a double-bowl vanity against the need for larger storage areas when designing a bathroom. Simpler, not smaller is the credo of a slow home.

Does A Home Have to Be Custom Built to Accomplish This?
While designing a space from scratch can really make the most of slow home design, this is something that homeowners can and are doing today in their existing spaces through smart planning and interior decorating. Many people who own

small businesses repurpose bedrooms or even family rooms as offices, families who entertain a lot may switch elect to appoint their dining room in the larger space traditionally used for a living room. Selecting Eco-friendly furnishings, paints, and appliances that are appropriately sized for your needs also minimizes the impact on the environment, another basic tenet of slow homes.

In short, any home can be a slow home with careful thought, selection and planning.

If you’d like more information about the slow home movement, and the folks who are pushing this concept into the spotlight, check out this article from RIS Media. And we’d like to send a special thank you to the folks who have been hosting the Kitchen and Bath Tribe Chats for bringing attention to this great home movement during their chat this week.

Hibbs Homes built our first green verified home in 2007 in Chesterfield, MO. Since that first home we have been incorporating energy efficient building techniques in all of the St. Louis buildings we have completed.

Green home building isn’t just a construction industry buzz word, it is a body of home construction techniques and practices that are becoming increasingly important to home owners and home buyers alike.

Energy efficient, sustainable homes are characterized by their use of sustainable materials, and less volatile chemicals. Green homes are finished with Energy Star rated appliances and lighting fixtures. And these homes also employ innovative air handling systems and home sealing techniques. These features save homeowners money over the course of time when they are living in the home, but are energy efficiency and sustainability features that increases the resale value of your home?

Since energy efficient and green homes are still on the leading edge of home building technology, it only makes sense that the valuation practices for these features are still in their infancy. The Appraisal Institute published their first book teaching professionals about how to value green homes in June of 2010, and as a developing paradigm for appraisal professionals it is a challenge that is top of mind for many home builders and homeowners.

Kim Hibbs, owner and general contractor for Hibbs Homes, explains, “Accurate appraisals for green verified homes are really a challenge right now. Most appraisers don’t fully understand the benefits to a green built home, only made more difficult because it is hard to find comparable homes to help with their analysis. The NAHB and many local HBA’s are taking an aggressive approach to help educate appraisers as to the short and long term benefits of these homes.” He went on to add, “In many markets, there is now a special category for green homes in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) which is used by Realtors to search for homes.”

Taking into consideration the daily cost of living, the average green home saves the homeowner around $800 a year in living expenses. Take, for example, the course of a standard home loan (30 years): the average green homeowner will save about $24,000 in living expenses, or about $66 per month, during that period of time if you maintain an energy efficient home, e.g. by replacing appliances, etc. That figure doesn’t even account for the increase escalating energy costs during those 30 years. So, bare bones you could easily say that an energy efficient home is worth in the ballpark of $24,000 more than a conventionally built home.

But the big question that remains to be answered is whether that will translate into the perceived value of a home by buyers? We predict, based on customer demand and education about these features, that energy efficiency is going to become much like many modern amenities that home buyers have come to accept as standard when looking for a home. Just as you have a home inspector evaluate the foundation of your home, you will also see buyers performing energy efficiency audits to determine if they will purchase a home or not.