Building a custom home is an exciting project that comes with endless possibilities. As you’re designing your home, there are many details you’ll want to consider to ensure it’s being built to your exact specifications.

At Hardwick General Contracting, we take time to learn about innovative and proven building techniques – those that will fortify homes we build, safeguard our client’s investment, and respect our environment.

These days, sustainability is a top priority for those building new homes. The idea that homes can run in a more efficient fashion and last longer is becoming increasingly popular, and there have never been more strategies for doing so.

Why Focus on Sustainability When Building New Homes?

There are many reasons to emphasize sustainability in new home construction projects. For one thing, having sustainability in mind when you’re working with a custom home builder to create your dream home can help you save money on utility costs indefinitely. For another, it can make you feel good that the home is built to last and will perform well in the Florida climate.

Here are a few savvy ways to make your custom home more sustainable so that you can save money in the long run while also enjoying a luxurious lifestyle.

1. Choose High-Performance Windows and Doors

Did you know that some windows are more energy-efficient than others? This is a very important consideration in Florida’s climate. As you’re designing your custom home, look for high-performance windows that boast features like special thermal coatings, air-tight installation, double glazing, and nonconductive framing. Most high-end brands provide quality, reliability, weather performance, and energy efficiency as standard specifications. These high-quality window and door specifications help model a home’s AC needs. When modeled correctly, it is much easier to maintain constant temperatures throughout the home, eliminating hot and cold spots. Windows and doors with low solar heat gain can help reduce fading on flooring, furniture, etc. Most importantly, choosing a high-performing window for a new home can eliminate the need for an expensive upgrade in the future.

2. Install Well-built Energy-Efficient Appliances

Gone are the energy-guzzling washers, dryers, and HVAC systems of the past. Today’s home luxury appliance companies are making energy efficiency a priority, which means the technology used in common household appliances only continues to get more advanced with each passing year.

Putting in energy-efficient washers and dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, HVAC systems, stoves, and water heaters will allow you to enjoy top of the line performance and reliability while reducing your waste output, and it will keep energy costs low all year round.

3. Make Use of Mixed Energy Sources Like Solar Power

Solar energy is one of the most efficient means of providing a mixed energy source for a Florida home. Consider equipping your HardwickGC custom home with solar panels to take advantage of our sunny days and make the most of this infinitely renewable resource, and to also off-set growing electric utility rates. After solar, the next step to consider for a “balanced” energy source is whole-home battery storage and back-up generation combined with energy monitoring. All these technologies can be integrated together so that your home has seamless energy sources to keep important things running like your internet and security system.

4. Use Durable Products

Florida has a relatively harsh environment for a home’s exterior. So, using high-quality, long-lasting, and proven exterior products can help protect the structure over its lifetime. These products also commonly use recycled or reused by-products to create a new more durable product that also significantly reduces maintenance requirements without taking away from the aesthetic. Summer storms and periodic hurricanes are part of our Florida lifestyle, and we need to protect our homes accordingly. Failed exterior cladding which allows for water intrusion is one of the leading construction defects in Florida.

 

Consider the Future

 

It’s inevitable that you’ll leave a footprint when building a custom home, but there are plenty of things you can do to minimize this while also enjoying a luxury custom home from Hardwick General Contracting. Contact HardwickGC and ask us about our green building principles to learn how we build custom homes with your future in mind.