Portland Buyers Attracted by Green Homes  

(ARA) - Portland home buyers of all income levels are looking for environmentally friendly properties, according to a study taken by the U.S. Green Building Council and McGraw-Hill Construction.

And in the difficult housing market in Oregon, sellers are looking for new ways to attract buyers. Making a home greener with cleaner air quality may just be the answer to getting bids.

Homeowners can use the following tips to make their house more environmentally friendly:

* Buy appliances that use less water and electricity.
Many companies sell appliances like washing machines and dishwashers which use 10 to 15 percent less energy and water than standard models. Not only are the appliances using less, but they save money when it comes to the electric and water bills.

* Use environmentally friendly flooring.
A wood floor produced without VOCs (volatile organic compounds) keeps the air clean in the house. Globus Cork offers cork flooring in 37 different colors which not only helps to maintain a constant air temperature in the room thanks to its natural thermal insulation properties, but also is a renewable resource. This is because only the cork bark is trimmed from the tree and the cork oak trees continue living. In addition, cork has a waxy substance called suberin, which repels bugs, mold, mites and even termites, keeping allergens at bay. Go to www.CorkFloor.com to learn more about the product.

* Change heavily used lights with energy-efficient models.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy ENERGY STAR program, if every American home replaced its five most frequently-used light fixtures – such as the kitchen ceiling lamps, outdoor post lamp or the living room table lamps – with fixtures that have earned the ENERGY STAR, almost $8 billion would be saved each year in energy costs and greenhouse gasses reduced at the rate of almost 10 million cars.

* Keep inside air from escaping.
Seals around windows and doors can break or be damaged over time and need to be replaced. Homebuyers shopping for a new property tend to check the house’s summer and winter energy bills, and a properly sealed home can change those bill amounts significantly to make a house more attractive.

According to the Green Building Council study, 70 percent of home buyers are more inclined to purchase a green home than a conventional home during a down housing market, and half of the homes renovated between 2005 and 2007 used products chosen for their green qualities.

With just a few changes or upgrades, a house that has been sitting on the market for some time can become a quick sell thanks to its environmentally friendly features.

Courtesy of ARAcontent