Your green home is just around the corner. No, you don’t have to go to extremes and give up all of the creature comforts that make a home a home.  With a few simple adjustments in your buying process and thought process, your next home search can be fulfilling on every lever from the grass to what you spend on gas.

Green Home Buying Tip 1: Location, location, location!
How close will your home be to schools, the office and everyday conveniences like grocery stores and other popular destinations? The less you have to drive, the better! Your green home offers you easy access to  everything you need during the day without even have to start the car. Inclement weather aside, wouldn’t it be nice to walk or hop on your bike to get your daily duties done?

Green Home Buying Tip 2: Green amenities
Whether you’re in a more rural section of Colorado like we are or in the hustle and bustle of the big city, have a look at what surrounds your green home. Eco-friendly dry cleaners, farmers markets, local produce and meats, quality public transportation, bike paths – all of these green amenities weigh-in on how green your future home will truly be.

Green Home Buying Tip 3: Downsize
You don’t necessarily have to sacrifice space for eco-friendly, but reducing your overall footprint will save on electricity, water and gas over the years. If you opt for a more spacious home, it’s still easy to make your green home dreams a reality. Make sure to invest in energy-efficient lighting fixtures and bulbs, opt for eco-friendly landscaping and install ceiling fans throughout your house in order to help your heater and AC work more efficiently year-round. Some families work better in larger houses and other can bear with the size constraints of a smaller home – whatever the right decision for you, green home buying is still a possibility. Just keep your eyes open during the home tour process and look for ways to save!

To close out this week, here’s a fun, interactive quiz to take from PlantGreen on making your house green. They also have a handy Green Home Buying Guide! We hope to meet you out and about this Spring, so be sure to check out our local events calendar for upcoming events in Montrose, Ouray, Ridgway and Telluride.

The Staff at San Juan Realty, Inc.