(© 2009 LEED Canada for Homes)
What is a green home?
87% of homebuyers are more satisfied with a new green home then with a previous non-green home.
For more details, refer to Canada Green Home Guide – What makes a green home? You can also refer to the Green Homes Brochure.
Mayor Gregor Robertson and his city council is on the right track to be looking at amendments to make developing green buildings easier. Here’s a Q&A taken from the city’s website:
Q: What changes to bylaws is Council supporting?A: Relaxing building heights to allow for renewable energy technologies, such as solar panels, on roofs, and to provide access to green roofs.
Relaxing side yard and overhang requirements for fixed passive solar shading outside.
Allowing thicker walls that will have better insulation standards.
Q: Is there further consultation with the public?
A: Yes, staff will report back after further consultation with stakeholders in 2009 on:
- providing opportunities for larger shaded external balconies and reviewing the current enclosed balcony exclusion and Guidelines.
- providing opportunities to allow exclusions for at-grade waste storage facilities.
Q: What is the goal of these changes?
A: The changes are meant to remove or mitigate existing disincentives to greener building design practices. A number of current City regulations limit the use of green building approaches – particularly in the ways in which floor space is counted and how the allowable height/size of a building is determined. Allowing some flexibility on particular issues in the By-law will reduce barriers to using better building practices.
Q: Do these changes reduce our ecological footprint?
A: As part of the EcoDensity charter, they are important factors in reducing the city’s ecological footprint. Building practices have a significant effect on carbon emissions. Making green building practices easier, moves Vancouver toward goals such as carbon neutral new construction. The new Green Homes Program has given Vancouver North America’s highest environmental standards for single family homes.
The new laneway housing has been an ongoing learning experience for both the public and the city staff. Fortunately, we’ve made a keen effort to keep upto date with the latest developments in zoning and design guidelines. For those who are curious about the latest news also, there will be an upcoming laneway information session. Can you download the Laneway Housing Workshop form to find out how to register for this workshop.
Regardless if you agree with the latest Ipsos Reid poll stating that the Liberals intentionally misled voters, the HST will be a reality next summer.
The upcoming HST will highly impact new homebuyers and home renovation projects next year by adding a staggering 7%. That is why smart homebuyers are acting now rather than wasting time debating it on the radio open phone lines. They realize that a 7% increase next year actually means a 7% discount right now. It may not seem like a lot in minor purchases, but if you do the math for a new home project, it actually computes to a substantial amount. The average new home construction is about $400,000.00 in Vancouver. About half of this cost is labour, which is currently only taxed at 5%. So next year, every trades person is forced to include an additional 7% premium on their services which works out to be $14,000 for the average new house construction; that’s enough to buy you a gas-saving economy car! If that’s still not tangible to you, then forget the math and think about this; When was the last time your realtor gave you a car for buying a house from them? This is what it’s like if you act now, before the HST happens. Recently speaking to a professional design colleague in Ontario, she noted that there was a boom in the residential market after the HST was announced. Shrewd homeowners moved ahead with their projects so they can take advantage of the tax savings. Many homeowners in BC are currently put in the same position. Those who have been contemplating on construction projects now have an urgency to move ahead. This will create a demand for trades people and because of this, quality project teams will be scheduling work months in advance. It is prudent to act quickly so you have a talented design team who will be ready to work on your project.
In addition, there are signs that the recession is over and the current low interest rate is bound to go back up. Although July was a record month for home sales, there are still some good buys out there and prices have not returned to their highest levels. So with record low borrowing rates and prices off from their highs, now is a great time to invest in a new home or renovation.
I can’t predict if the BC Liberals will get another term, but I can predict the HST will be a reality and I can predict many people will be complaining that they have to pay 7% more than they had to. So if you’re one of those sitting on the fence about your new construction or renovation project, contact us at www.victoreric.com and we’ll give you a free project analyst and help you determine if now is a right time to start.
The Interior Design Show West (IDSwest) is Western Canada’s annual premiere residential design show featuring 200 exhibitors showcasing quality products and services to an audience of industry professionals, architects, designers, consumers and media….read more here.
For more information about the interior design show and how to obtain tickets, click here.
(© 2008 MMPI Canada)