{"id":19324,"date":"2016-07-19T12:09:07","date_gmt":"2016-07-19T16:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=19324"},"modified":"2016-07-19T12:09:07","modified_gmt":"2016-07-19T16:09:07","slug":"living-green-how-it-affects-your-home-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/living-green-how-it-affects-your-home-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"Living Green: How It Affects Your Home Insurance"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n Choosing to \u201clive green\u201d is a lifestyle choice that is becoming more widespread than ever. Many are concerned about our human impact on the environment, what happens to our refuse<\/a>, and in general, living with energy and water conservation in mind. Since houses encompass all of these concerns, it\u2019s no surprise that the benefits of green living are most apparent when it comes to our homes.<\/p>\n In today\u2019s world, green changes in the home can mean a lot of different things to different people. For some, it means installing solar panels on an existing home; for others it means starting green with special building materials or living smaller or closer to the land<\/a>. All of these are things to take into consideration; all of these choices will also impact your home insurance. Here we\u2019ll discuss the three different approaches:<\/p>\n If you want your existing home to be more green, the easiest way to begin is by retrofitting green building enhancements. For instance, you might add a skylight for natural light in the bathroom, thus reducing the energy use of your home, or you might add a greenhouse as one of the structures on your property so that you can grow plants throughout the year. Finally, you might also decide to add solar panels to your roof or property so that you can reap further benefits of reduced energy costs.<\/p>\n All these enhancements are expenses, but insurance companies don\u2019t look at it this way. They look at the replacement value. You will need to consult with your agent to see if the replacement value of your home has changed, and here are some of the ways it could:<\/p>\nAdding Green to Your Home<\/h3>\n
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Living Smaller or Closer to the Land<\/h3>\n