Green Homes—Creating a Project Plan

Before you plunge into a green home or remodeling project, take a minute to consider why upfront planning can be so important.

“We need to remember that the greater goal of all of our building projects is to support sustainable living,” says Victoria Schomer, a member of the American Society of Interior Designers and a LEED-accredited Professional, based in Asheville, NC.

“We need to create living and working spaces that maximize existing square footage, allow us to stay connected with nature, use what we already have better, readily recycle, and adopt green consumer habits on a day-to-day basis,” Schomer says. “Then, we'll hit that real endgame target of reducing our global impacts and protecting our planet and everyone living here.”

Find Green Experts

Don’t make a purchase until you know your plan. “Most things go wrong at the beginning, even though it may not feel like it. It’s the invisible decisions that equal missed opportunities and costly mistakes,” says Kathleen O’Brien, president of the green building consulting firm O’Brien and Co., Inc., in Seattle. The Northwest Green Home Primer, a book O’Brien co-authored with Kathleen Smith, is a comprehensive look at building, remodeling ,or buying green in that region, with worksheets, case studies, and illustrations that create a thoughtful real-world guide for getting green results.

To get your plan off to its best start, assemble a green team. O’Brien says there should be “one main hire” for the green team: the person responsible for the job. “Making sure this person is qualified and interested in a green project is absolutely key,” she says.

To find that person, look for professionals participating in a green home building program. Check with local programs developed by industry groups, such as master builders associations, environmental nonprofits, and municipal utilities.