Demand for Green-Building Products Underestimated

Green building is becoming popular but builders still underestimate the demand for home buyers, according to an online survey by Cahners Residential Group -- Professional Builder, Luxury Home Builder, Professional Remodeler and HousingZone.com.

Asked about their buyers' willingness to pay for green homes, builders said that less than half would pay extra. The writer of the survey story, David Johnston, said this is in sharp contrast to the fact that 89 percent of the buyers said they would be willing to pay more. When asked how much extra buyers would be willing to pay, builders underestimated almost every price range. Johnston said this is very significant because 95 percent of the builders claimed that the greatest constraint in using green products was cost.

Johnston also noted that procurement of green building products continues to be an issue for many builders. In general, green building products are often not availing in local markets according to the survey. When they were, 60 percent said they were 5 to 15 percent more expensive. Another interesting statistic in the survey was that builders buy green products from their traditional suppliers more than 80 percent of the time. Only 10.7 percent buy direct from manufacturers.

The survey determined that the consumer definition of green building includes more than energy efficiency. While energy efficiency is at the top of the consumer list, Johnston said that it is only the tip of their interests. Improved indoor air quality is also among the top three priorities for home buyers. Eighty-nine percent of those surveyed are aware that certain building materials emit gas chemicals into the living environment. Forty-five percent said that it was very important to live in a home free of toxic chemicals inside. For more information, visit www.housingzone.com.