Why Going Green May Make Your HOA See Red

 Photo by Maria Godfrida via Pixabay

For a homeowner who wants to make green improvements and renovations to their personal property, the Conditions, Covenants & Restrictions, or CC&Rs, of the local homeowner association can pose problems that cost time, money and freedom of choice. This is especially true for homeowners who wish to make structural or aesthetic changes to existing homes. Here are only a few of the battles you might face when the local HOA discovers your plans for going green in a traditional or historic neighborhood.

Your Planned Solar Panels Aren’t Warming Anyone’s Hearts

While some HOAs may interfere with your choice of color of solar panels, others may not permit them at all. It’s an aesthetic dilemma. Allowing solar panels on one home differentiates it from the others. In a community that’s built upon history or tradition, individuality is rarely a good thing. If you’re thinking of adding solar panels to a home that’s governed by an HOA, you may be forced to buy certain-colored panels, or you may be banned from adding them at all. Consider this before buying a home, if you plan to make green upgrades in an area that features a homeowner association.

Your Energy Efficient Windows Are Getting a Cold Reception

Windows that feature double-paned glass or visible solar tints may get you in hot water with your HOA. Changing out historic windows and doors for more energy-efficient versions should be advantageous, right? Not if doing so sets your home apart from your neighbors or your condo unit apart from the rest of the building. If you want those new, modern windows that lower the cost of your energy bill over time, and you live in a home regulated by an HOA, prepare to fight for your right for window replacement. 

Your New Cool Metal Roof Is Being Hotly Debated

Cool metal roofing is all the rage for homeowners who live in dramatic climates. Cooler in summer and warmer in winter, they’d be a big improvement over those old cedar shakes your home is currently rocking. But you’ll probably never experience the convenience of cool metal if you live in an historic area where cedar shakes abound. While your HOA can’t prevent you from repairing or replacing a failing roof, they can legally limit the materials you use to do it. 

While homeowner associations do a lot for the communities they serve, they can cause consternation to those homeowners who place value on energy efficiency above historic appeal. If you’re planning to buy or renovate a home that’s regulated by the CC&Rs of the local HOA, make sure you completely understand the limitations they impose before you buy. Once in, you’re bound by the rules you agreed to follow, even if it means sacrificing energy efficiency in lieu of tradition. 

 

 

 

Energy Efficiency: Ways to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

Image by Ulrike Leone from Pixabay

Building a new home allows you to incorporate the latest technological advancements into your home, and that includes the latest energy-related innovations. If you’re building a new home, consider these five ways to make a home more energy-efficient. Including one or several of them in your new home will be good for the environment — and will likely have benefits for you too.

1. Upgrade the Insulation

Homebuilders today can use several types and grades of insulation in a home, and many of these are much more effective than what has been used in the past. Upgrading to high-end insulation isn’t a change that you’ll see in the home, but it’s one that you’ll feel. 

Good insulation will help maintain a consistent temperature throughout the day and night, and it’ll reduce drafts in the house. You’ll also save on utility bills any time you turn on the heat or air conditioner. Most times, the savings that you realize over the life span of your home could exceed the added cost of higher-end insulation.

2. Upgrade to High-Efficiency Windows

After insulation, the next major energy-related item to consider upgrading is your new home’s windows. A significant amount of heat transfer occurs through windows and installing high-efficiency windows can lessen how much heat or coolness transfers through the glass. This is another upgrade that can provide substantial utility bill savings over time.

3. Install a Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat affords precise control of your home’s HVAC system even when you’re not at home. The thermostat can increase comfort, heating or cooling your home just before you arrive. It can also help you save energy by managing the exact temperature settings in your home. Installing a smart thermostat is easy when the HVAC system is being put in.

4. Consider Solar Panels

For the ultimate in energy efficiency, consider having solar panels installed on your new home’s roof or in a nearby yard. Your home won’t only be using green electricity, but it’ll be generating that electricity itself. Should you generate more solar electricity than you need, you can often sell it back to the utility company in your region.

Your homebuilder may not install solar panels themselves, but they’ll likely know of and work with a specialized contractor who does. The contractor can give you a precise overview of what solar panels will do for your home, given your home’s particular location, size and other factors.

5. Consider EV Charging 

To extend your energy-efficient efforts beyond the home itself, consider having your homebuilder work with a contractor who installs EV (Electric Vehicle) charging stations. An EV charging station will let you quickly recharge an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle, and you may qualify for a substantial tax credit if you have a station installed. 

While this work is most often done when someone purchases an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle, it might make sense to install a charging station when you’re building a new home, even if you don’t yet have a compatible car. You’ll need a station if you purchase an electric vehicle soon, and it may be less costly to install a station during a home’s construction than afterward.

Make Your New Home Energy Efficient

Homes are becoming more energy-efficient every day, and there are many ways to make your new home more efficient. Take advantage of some of these ideas, and both the environment and you will reap the benefits.

Conditions, Covenants & Restrictions of Local HOA Can Limit Green Improvements

 Photo by Maria Godfrida via Pixabay

For a homeowner who wants to make green improvements and renovations to their personal property, the Conditions, Covenants & Restrictions, or CC&Rs, of the local homeowner association can pose problems that cost time, money and freedom of choice. This is especially true for homeowners who wish to make structural or aesthetic changes to existing homes. Here are only a few of the battles you might face when the local HOA discovers your plans for going green in a traditional or historic neighborhood.

Your Planned Solar Panels Aren’t Warming Anyone’s Hearts

While some HOAs may interfere with your choice of color of solar panels, others may not permit them at all. It’s an aesthetic dilemma. Allowing solar panels on one home differentiates it from the others. In a community that’s built upon history or tradition, individuality is rarely a good thing. If you’re thinking of adding solar panels to a home that’s governed by an HOA, you may be forced to buy certain-colored panels, or you may be banned from adding them at all. Consider this before buying a home, if you plan to make green upgrades in an area that features a homeowner association.

Your Energy Efficient Windows Are Getting a Cold Reception

Windows that feature double-paned glass or visible solar tints may get you in hot water with your HOA. Changing out historic windows and doors for more energy-efficient versions should be advantageous, right? Not if doing so sets your home apart from your neighbors or your condo unit apart from the rest of the building. If you want those new, modern windows that lower the cost of your energy bill over time, and you live in a home regulated by an HOA, prepare to fight for your right for window replacement. 

Your New Cool Metal Roof Is Being Hotly Debated

Cool metal roofing is all the rage for homeowners who live in dramatic climates. Cooler in summer and warmer in winter, they’d be a big improvement over those old cedar shakes your home is currently rocking. But you’ll probably never experience the convenience of cool metal if you live in an historic area where cedar shakes abound. While your HOA can’t prevent you from repairing or replacing a failing roof, they can legally limit the materials you use to do it. 

While homeowner associations do a lot for the communities they serve, they can cause consternation to those homeowners who place value on energy efficiency above historic appeal. If you’re planning to buy or renovate a home that’s regulated by the CC&Rs of the local HOA, make sure you completely understand the limitations they impose before you buy. Once in, you’re bound by the rules you agreed to follow, even if it means sacrificing energy efficiency in lieu of tradition. 

 

 

 

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