A High Performance Home

A High-Performance Home -
Determining Budget & Costs

There is basically no ‘typical’ budget for a Green or High-Performance home. Green is now considered a High Performance (HP) home and it means different things to each individual.

Begin by making a list of your desired items
and talk with your builder and designer to discuss
ways to incorporate as many features as your budget will allow.

First, you must determine what you consider to be the green or high performance features and options you would like in your home. There are so many options to choose from when building green or HP. You can start with creating a very light green home, to a very dark green home, or anywhere in between. Did you know that most of the new local Habitat for Humanity homes in our area are being built ‘green’? Green /HP homes can be created on a very small scale, as well as in larger homes.

There are many variables with the costs, depending on the finishes you choose, the green features you incorporate initially, as well as the ones you plan to add in the future. Green homes can be built with no additional costs, by planning the home appropriately to the site it will be built on, working with the path of the sun across the property, using appropriately sized overhangs for the area, including water efficient plumbing fixtures, energy star rated appliances and using LED light fixtures. Also, it is important to make sure that anyone who makes a hole in the exterior walls, roof or floor of the building, seals them up. No holes should be left unsealed. Included in these homes should be universal design strategies as well, providing long term accessibility for all ages. These can include wider hallways and doors, one accessible Bathroom, with a 5’ turning radius, on the main floor and an exterior door with wheelchair access.

Not sure where to begin or what all is
included in a High-Performance Home?
CLICK HERE for our High Performance Basics Checklist

There are many upgrades, if your budget allows it, by including Energy Star rated windows, upgrading your insulation package in the entire house or at least in the attic, sealing your crawl space, sealing your attic, increasing the SEER rating of your HVAC units, choosing No VOC paints and cabinets with no formaldehyde. Then, you could add in readily renewable products, such as bamboo or cork flooring (no carpeting), tankless gas water heaters or solar panels for hot water, or photovoltaic panels or shingles for generating electricity and add in rainwater harvesting.

Second, consider having a HERS (Home Energy Rating Service) rater involved on your project. This service typically provides an energy analysis of your home. This includes things like conducting a blower door test, which provides data on how leaky your home is and where to seal it up, if there are holes to be sealed. They will also perform a duct blaster test, to determine how leaky the HVAC duct system is and how well the system provides the required air flow into the individual rooms. The options are really endless.

As you can see, there is a wide range of things to consider when building a green or high performance home. The most important features of a green / HP home are building it energy efficiently, meaning making sure the building envelop (walls, windows, roof and crawl space) are all of good quality and well sealed.

Third, make sure the indoor air quality is as good as you can afford to make it (being mindful of the materials installed and the out-gassing they emit), that your plumbing fixtures are water efficient and the appliances are energy efficient. A High Performance home can be built very cost effectively and also get very expensive, depending on your ‘green / HP’ goals and budget.

Be prepared and know what you want and don't need, and this will help you determine what will work best for you and your home in ease, comfort, and affordability.

At Pippin Home Designs, we are You-Inspired for Joyful Living to create
Award-Winning Homes with a View! Give us a call or email us today!