Sustainable Homes Are Becoming More Popular

Posted under Blog by Ruth

According to a building expert, sustainable homes are now becoming more and more popular among homeowners wishing to renovate their properties.

The director of building merchant Buildbase, John Drennan, said that making improvements to the eco friendly credentials of homes has now become far more popular than ever before.

He said that “Everyone, not just the professional contractor, but the very basic DIYer, is very interested.”

He added that people are interested in a wide range of measures, ranging from solar power to harvesting rainwater and more – whatever helps to reduce carbon footprints.

Installing eco friendly materials such as double glazing is also becoming more and more common in both new and older properties. Double glazing creates a layer of air between the window panes, which traps in heat and leaves homes naturally warmer. Not only do measures like this keep the home more comfortable, they also reduce the need to turn up the heating so high.

The comments from Mr Drennan have come just as the British Property Federation announced that it has joined a coalition that calls for VAT rates to be cut on housing improvements, to help stimulate business.

The coalition, called ‘Cut the VAT’, is asking for VAT to be dropped from 17.5 percent to only five percent. The argument is that this would further encourage people to take up eco friendly renovations, helping the government to meet its carbon emission reductions targets and also homeowners who can’t afford costly repairs.