Does going for a green home make sense?
For Aayush, his dream home should have a modern design, but ‘earthy’ in all its aspects. Around a year’s after consulting an architect, he and his family moved into a new home, built with stabilized mud blocks. His family harvests rainwater for the entire household and treats waste water for re-cycling. The cost of his house was about Rs 1,350 per square feet, which was same as what anyone would have spent to construct a traditional house.
Along with modern design and exciting interiors, many people like Aayush now prefer for ‘earthy’ homes. The numbers of green certified builders are increasing day by day, especially in metros. Green apartments and villas are costlier than usual apartments, but the developers projects the cost savings in a long run. So many home buyers finds green homes interesting, but often think twice or remain confused whether to go for it or not. So let us analyze whether going for green homes make sense.
What are green homes?
A green home does not mean that it is built with mud blocks. But instead, a green home offers several eco-friendly features and with a conservation of natural resources like rainwater, solar power etc. It also tries to lower the carbon footprint-the amount of greenhouse gases an entity emits, by clever use of materials. A green house also means a green atmosphere around away from the hustles and bustles of city life and also constructions made in a way that ample light and fresh air are brought into the rooms.
Should we go for it?
With an increase in awareness about conservation of resources and lowering of carbon footprint, more and more developers are offering solutions in both residential and commercial spaces. Reports say that at present India has more than 1000 billion sq ft of green spaces. The number is expected to double by next year.
Price Factors
Green home helps to save money in a long run. Green buildings lower energy consumption by 30-50% and water consumption by 30-70% depending on the construction features. Power consumption will be less especially due to less use of air conditioning and increased use of solar power. If you factor in these savings, green buildings can be a cheaper option for your budget. However, the only disadvantage is that due to non-availability of green materials and consultants initial costs are on the higher side.
But experts say that the negligible hike in the full cycle costs are well compensated and one can recover it in 3-5 years time.
Loan Advantage
An eco-friendly helps you get loans at cheaper rates. Some banks offer lower interest rates for green project, while some others offer incentives for energy-efficient homes.
Beware of Fraudulent Practices
Home buyers should be extra careful while going for green home, because there are several fraudulent companies claim themselves as ‘green’ charging the buyers more. All builders who advertise as ‘green’ or ‘eco-friendly’ may not be so in reality and calls themselves eco-friendly just because they have landscaped gardens. Also as the industry being unorganized, prices tend to vary from builder to builder. So buyers should check for the green certification of the builder and make a comparative study of the cost factors with other players before taking a decision.
Eco friendly homes are still in a nascent stage in India, but still the builder enquiries keep increasing day by day. With an active support from government and corporates, green buildings will soon become the norm in India.
