"Real estate"

Real estate / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Lifestyle, location and commuting

Moving to the countryside? Here's how that can work...

...reality that more people will want to live away from cities, so the key to that is creating well-designed communities with access to transportation and low carbon housing. And as an example of doing this right, take a look at this LEED Platinum prefab home built near Toronto - a model of what sustainable, comfortabl...

Lifestyle, location and commuting

Home-buying tips for seniors looking to downsize

...realize just how much stuff you have until you think about packing each item into boxes for your move; then, you’ll be more than ready to start sorting and deciding what to keep and what to sell, donate, give to loved ones, or throw away. Although hanging onto future collectibles like that Game of Thrones Box set may l...

Real estate

Are you selling a house? Here are the top 10 things homebuyers look for

Which house features are the best sellers? A market study by AVID Ratings Canada for the Canadian Home Builders' Association (CHBA) surveyed 12,000 homebuyers across Canada to see what Canadians are looking for when they go house shopping. We were pleased but not at all surprised by the results - here they are: The top...

Excavation

Things to look for when purchasing land for building a house

...real estate market and home renovations in the Ecohome Green Building Guide and these pages here: What to look forwhen house shopping How to choose the right neighbourhood for your lifestyle - shopping tips The top 10 things homebuyers are looking for What you need to know before renovating a home to sell it...

Real estate

Evaluating a home before purchase: how to recognize value and potential problems

...real bonus, and another indication of a conscientious builder. Insulation: It's hard to tell how well insulated a house is without ripping open a wall, but it's not a bad idea to ask the agent for details about the construction; with luck there may be some info at your disposal. Attics are easier to check; look for pro...

Real estate

Shopping for a home? Some tips for finding the right house and neighbourhood

For most of us, purchasing or building a home will be the biggest investment of our lives. This section is about knowing what to look for in new homes to get the best value for your dollar, or what to look for in a building lot for the same reasons. What to look for in a home location: Being close to where you work an...

Real estate

Downsizing your home: buying tips for seniors

...real estate agents and moving companies, older buyers can turn to senior moving services for convenient start-to-finish help during the moving process. Shopping for houses probably isn't what you imagined you’d be doing in retirement, but for many seniors, buying a new home is the first step toward increased financial ...

Lifestyle and environment

How to future proof homes as we face a changing climate

...reality that we are facing is that climate change is making storm events more frequent and much worse. While buildings that follow high performance standards like LEED and other programs can help reduce the rate of climate change, how else can we adapt? Why do we need to build more resilient homes? How do we build mo...

Grants and incentives

Green building tax credits and grants for 2025

Important to note: some programs may be discontinued, some new ones may be out there. Please help us keep this page updated if any of these don't work out or you know of others out there and drop a note in the comments at the bottom. According to the EnerQuality Green Building survey in October 2009, 40% of Ontario hom...

Off-grid and Net-Zero Housing

Net Zero Energy Community in Calgary, Alberta

Landmark Homes Inc. In Calgary Alberta, In partnership with Brookfield Residential Properties, has just started construction on a community of 27 prefabricated net zero energy homes, the first of its kind in Alberta. A ‘Net Zero Energy’ home on an annual basis generates as much or more power than it consumes, and each ...

Lifestyle and environment

Green buildings are better situated to handle climate extremes

The U.S. Green Building Council and the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning released a landmark report Feb. 29 that describes how green buildings advance resiliency in disasters. “Green Building and Climate Resilience: Understanding Impacts and Preparing for Changing Conditions” ...