More of us are becoming conscience about the impact our lives are having on the environment, and doing what we can to reduce that impact. There are many ways we can do this, some obvious like:
- Buying locally produced items/food
- Using our cars less
- Recycling more of our rubbish
- Turning off un-needed lights
- Not letting our taps drip
But there are other ways that may be less obvious on first glance, like:
- choosing energy efficient electrical items
- Installing grey water management systems
- And choosing the right developer when buying a new home.
It is the last of these less obvious methods of reducing our ecological “footprint” that we will look at in this article. We aim to help you make sure you choose the right home for you built by the right builder, whether the home you are looking at is a new build or on the second hand market.
What makes a good developer?
The government is pushing the housing developers more and more to ensure that the houses that they build won’t damage our environment, and will remain energy efficient for years to come, but with all things, some of the improvements are slow coming. Some builders however have embraced these changes whole-heartedly and not only meet, but strive to exceed the government’s legislation regarding sustainable housing.
These developers don’t just focus on the physical building, but the entire development. They landscape to include plenty of green space, and add in bodies of water which are great not just to look at and for the local wildlife, but they form vital parts of a sustainable drainage solution for the whole development.
Some developers, like Bloor Homes, have even won awards (and for some of their developments, like their Gatewen Villiage in Wrexham, multiple awards) to praise the standard of their buildings and their commitment to building safe, accessible and sustainable homes.
What else should I look for?
When buying a new build home from a builder, most will be able to provide you with all the relevant information regarding the energy efficiency of your prospective home, including the energy rating for any of the electrical appliances that are included, the energy rating for any boilers/heating systems, and also for the house itself (including things like window ratings/level of loft and wall insulation, etc).
Some developers will offer this information to you without prompting, but if not you are within your rights to request it from them before closing the deal. If you are really lucky, if you are buying on the second hand market and it is a relatively new build, the previous owner may still have this information also or you may be able to access similar information if you ask your conveyancing solicitor.