Why Greenhabbing Now?
For real estate investors the term greenhabbing may be an unfamiliar concept. However, with the explosion of interest in green buildings, greenhabbing is here to stay. So with that said, the definition of greenhabbing is the process of remodeling an existing structure to create a high performance structure.
By doing this, the new high performance space must meet the following criteria:
- A minimum of 80% of the materials used to greenhab (aka remodel) the structure must be high quality sustainable materials that create a healthier living/work environment.
- After completion, the greenhab must cost a minimum of 30% less to operate than comparable property.
- It must create less of an environmental impact than a comparable property.
As more builders and real estate “rehabbers” become interested in becoming green builders, the incidents of green-washing continues to increase. Oh, what is green-washing? It is modeled after white-washing….. it means to promote the perception that something is environmentally friendly, energy efficient etc.
A greenhabbed property is created through the four core elements of high performance, healthier living, low cost and low environmental impact. But overall let’s face it, we would not be greenhabbing our homes if it didn’t make sense as an investment!
