In this day and age, preserving our environment is becoming more and more important, which is why green building trends are starting to shape the real estate market. Many homeowners would prefer to buy a sustainable home – and not just because they want to do their part but also because such homes spend less energy and water, which means that they are usually cheaper to live in. So, if you’re a real estate investor looking for a project worth investing it or a buyer who wants to learn more about the eco-friendly trends, here are some green building trends you should know about.

Green building materials

If you’re planning on building a green property, you should start from the beginning – use green building materials. Such materials can reduce waste, improve the quality of air and water systems, and protect biodiversity by not harming any natural resources. Plus, they cost less to “create”, since most of such materials are recycled. Some of the examples include metal roofing, solar power panels, reclaimed wood flooring and furniture, eco-friendly insulation options, etc. Metal roofs, for example, are great because they have inherent cooling properties, which means that you’d spend less money on using your AC unit.

Smart windows

The sun has many ways of disturbing you, especially during the warmer seasons. From the annoying glare to the ten degrees hotter rooms, your typical windows are not always your friends. This is why many people are switching to smart windows. With one button, these windows can turn from clear to opaque instantly. This might not sound very “smart” but it can actually save you a lot of money on your cooling bills. This is because the windows can block as much as 98% of the sunlight, which means that your home would no longer be too hot during summer. Moreover, there would be fewer things to clean, as you wouldn’t need any drapes or blinds. Also, it’s completely safe to position your furniture near the windows, since there wouldn’t be any discoloration caused by the UV rays.

Resilience

Since climate change is becoming more and more extreme, homes need to be built to withstand all the changes. This includes natural disasters and extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent. Therefore, most modern homes are built with resilience in mind, so they can handle not only the present conditions but the potential changes in the future as well, no matter how disastrous. If you happen to live in the Land Down Under, and you’d like to have a resilient home, you can find professional builders from Melbourne who could build you a home of your dreams. No matter how big or small you want it to be, they can customize it to suit all your needs.

Health and wellness

Health and wellness refers to both those involved in the building of the property and those who will live or work in it afterwards. For example, there is a higher focus on the air quality, which would improve the mood and productivity of everybody inside the building. It would also reduce the chance of any respiratory problems. This is especially important for offices and other work-related facilities, since it’s already a well-known fact that one’s environment can affect their motivation and productivity.

Tankless water heaters

Although these aren’t exactly new in the field, they are only beginning to grow in popularity. This is because they are much more convenient, efficient, and energy-saving. They use energy for heating the water only when needed, which also makes the water cleaner. Moreover, this also means that you’d always have hot water. Also, they usually last almost twice as much as the typical tanks do. Plus, they offer their users more flexibility when it comes to the room layout thanks to their compact shape. Whether you want to implement some of these trends in your next building project, or you’re simply looking for ways to make your own home more modern, these are some of the trends you should definitely think about. They would help you save money, preserve the environment, and – if you ever decide to sell your property – they would increase the value of it as well.