Buying
"home, n.
1. A house, apartment, or other dwelling serving as the abode of a person, family, or household; residence. . . .
5. A place or environment natural or dear to one because of personal relationships or feelings of comfort and security." (Funk & Wagnalls Canadian College Dictionary, 1989)
I would be happy to help you find the dwelling – co-op or co-housing unit; single detached, duplex or multiple unit house; row or townhouse; condominium or apartment -- where you will feel at home.
What do you want?
The most important question to ask yourself when you are looking to buy a house is, "What do you want?" Your desires will always influence your decision, consciously or sub-consciously, so it is in your own best interest to ask yourself this question and answer it as honestly and thoroughly as possible.
Don't worry at the outset about whether your answer seems foolish or unrealistic -- this exercise is designed to make you aware of elements that will influence whatever decisions you make. Once you have answered this question, it becomes possible to map out the general areas you may want to consider and then narrow the field to specific homes.
What does buying green mean?
There are many components to green real estate, three of which are energy efficiency, materials and location. In a best case scenario, your home could be constructed of high efficiency, locally sourced, eco-friendly materials, located within easy walking distance of everything of importance to you. The design, layout and situation of the home on its beautifully landscaped lot would foster a perfect symbiosis between every aspect of the environment (including you). This would be unusual. More often, this perfection is compromised by conflicting needs, desires and circumstances, and people tend to focus on the aspects of green that are most important, obvious or available to them. Buying green could mean buying an older home that has been retrofitted for energy efficiency, it could mean buying an older home that you renovate yourself, or it could mean buying a new home built to the latest and greatest energy efficiency standards. Energystar appliances (or appliances that have received good ratings under the energuide system) and the incorporation of alternative energy sources in running a home (e.g., a passive solar hot water heater) contribute to a greener purchase.
Another approach to buying green could have less to do with the structure itself and more to do with location, situating yourself so that most of the places that are part of your everyday life are accessible by walking, rolling (wheelchair, rollerblade, skateboard, bike) or public transit. This situation is great for the physical environment, but the positives go far beyond that! The simple act of walking along the streets of your community vastly increases the opportunities for building links between you and the people in your neighbourhood. Strong communities are built by people interacting with people.
An important (and often overlooked) component of buying green is, well, the greenery. No matter how much or how little land is part of or adjacent to a home, greenery matters. Are there deciduous shade trees on the southern and western exposures to keep a place cooler in summer? Are there coniferous trees on the northern exposure to catch winter winds? Is the ground cover drought and pest resistant? Is there a green roof or rooftop garden? Is a balcony garden possible? Are there community garden plots nearby? Is there easy access to parks or green space?
There are many components to buying green, and through discussions with you and dedicated effort on my part, we can find the shade of green that's right for you.
