Buying a Green Home is Simple, Keeping it Green is the Real Challenge

This article first appeared in the Toronto Sun Homes-Extra, April 27-29 edition.

Whether or not your newly constructed home has a formal “green” designation, you should consider it a “green home.” The by-product of continually updated building codes & strict manufacturing laws is a new home that is more energy efficient than one built even as recently as 5 years ago. Understanding how installed products function individually and together will enable you to keep your home running at optimal efficiency, reducing your cost of ownership and helping your maintain its market value. Who doesn’t want to own a home that costs less and is worth more?

One of the single greatest advantages of buying a new home is having all new products without the hassle of renovating. Although new products shouldn’t require repair, they do require routine maintenance and proper care to continue running at peak performance - very similar to a car. But how many of us stay on track with oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, tune ups, etc? Whether it’s because of time constraints, not understanding how to do the work or the cost, the reality is most of us don’t do everything that is necessary to keep our cars running in peak condition, even though we would benefit from better fuel efficiency.

The first step in keeping your home running efficiently is understanding the products and systems within it. Most green designations such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Homes and BuiltGreen mandate homeowner training as part of the certification process, but all reputable builders will conduct this type of training regardless. Even if you are an experienced homeowner, ask questions and take notes; this is a great opportunity to learn as much as you can from an expert at no cost.

Ensure you have all of the resources you require to take over operation of your home and keep it running efficiently. Manufacturers create detailed instructions for their products and in most cases they will vary, even if the products are similar. A home has hundreds of products installed from dozens of manufacturers, so ensure your builder provides these documents to you before you take possession of the home. This library of information will serve you well, as it will help to ensure you are maintaining everything as required to keep extended manufacturer warranties intact.

Lastly, set aside time to do scheduled maintenance so it doesn’t pile up. By law, you will be provided with a monthly maintenance schedule by your builder when you take possession, so ensure at a minimum you are completing these tasks. Schedule your maintenance in advance and log completed work; this will not only help you remember what has been done, but it also acts as a service record for future reference.

Taking full advantage of the luxuries afforded by buying a new home doesn’t have to be an onerous task, and like everything in life, you get what you give. By making routine maintenance a habit, you can reap the benefits of owning a green home.

Location..Location..Customer Service?

This article first appeared in the Homes Extra section of the Toronto Sun, April 13-15 edition. View here.

The laws of selling real estate have been the same for generations; location, location, location. A desirable location will dictate a premium price point based on higher demand; conversely a less desirable location will have less demand and therefore be cheaper. But for new homes, should you consider customer service & brand reputation in the same regard as location and price? The answer is yes, and here’s why.

In Ontario, all new homes are built to code, and backed with a mandatory warranty through TARION Warranty Corporation. What is not regulated, however, is the level of service & communication you will receive from your builder. From construction timelines & administrative procedures to occupancy & homeowner maintenance; your builder’s customer care initiatives will have an immense impact on your ownership experience.

For a new home buyer, the real experience starts when you take possession. Keep in mind that any new home or condo will require proper operation & routine maintenance of the home’s components; both of which are mandatory to preserve the warranty & the resale value of the home. Before choosing a builder, be confident they will give you everything you’ll need to take care of it, such as initial training, product operating manuals & maintenance guides and a dedicated resource to answer your questions as they arise.

Conducting simple research will tell you a lot about a builder’s post-occupancy service. Look for things like; does the builder have a “homeowner resource” section on their website? Do they have a referral program? A quick search of the TARION Builder directory will reveal any history of chargeable conciliations, and how many. If possible, speak with current or past homeowners to get a feel for their experience. Most importantly, ask the builder questions & get responses in writing if you are determining your buying decision on the answer.

Your desired location will dictate your options in terms of who you buy from, but ultimately you have the final say in who you choose. Select a builder who focuses on post-occupancy customer service, so you can enjoy your new home for years to come.

How has the age of information changed real estate marketing?

John Amardeil is the president of BAM Builder Advertising and Marketing.With an MBA from York University and an extensive background in the new home industry, John has, since 1984, established an outstanding track record with respect to the marketing and sale of new homes in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and beyond.

John has marketed and sold well over 20,000 new homes – a track record that would undoubtedly facilitate the expeditious marketing and sale of any new home project.

The age of information has significantly changed marketing in general and real estate marketing in particular.Where we used to rely exclusively on print ads, billboards, we now get more bang for our buck with Google ads. Where we once had static brochures, we now provide homebuyers with videos, images, faster customer service, and a wealth of frequently updated information on clients’ Facebook pages, interactive websites, blogs, and Twitter accounts.

Lastly, where we had presentation centres that showed a limited amount of features and finishes, we are now beginning to use touchscreens with interactive features that provide visitors with a virtual reproduction of their dream home.

To be sure, these new technologies haven’t replaced billboards or presentation centres. Maybe they never will.

One thing is clear, though: these technological changes have allowed homebuyers to do many things that seemed improbable not too long ago.

Today’s homebuyers can, for example, purchase a home from their living room, without ever having to set foot in the presentation centre. They can pose an uncomfortable question to a builder on a Facebook page wall for everyone to see (and expect a response pretty damn near immediately), or they can ask current homeowners for their feedback on the builder.

On the surface, these changes seem bad for us. For one thing, they’ve forced us to build killer websites in addition to building killer presentation centres. They have also forced us to create online ads and to establish a social media presence (which entails learning new skills and hiring the appropriate talent).

These consequences, however, pale in comparison with the loss of control we marketers have undergone in the last few years. We’re no longer engaged in a monologue — it’s a dialogue now, one in which our interlocutors are increasingly wary of our message.

Yet I (and I think I speak for most builders and marketers) not only embrace these changes — I welcome them. Why? Because informed buyers are more likely to make a decision they won’t regret.

Moreover, these technological changes have made it possible for us to advertise for less money. Google ads in particular allow us to get registrants at a fraction of the cost we have to pay to get registrants via print ads.

This is only possible because of the highly targeted nature of Google ads. They are aimed at people who searched for relevant keywords online, whereas print ads (although somewhat targeted), may still address many people who aren’t interest in your client’s community (or aren’t even looking to buy a home in the first place).

In the end, the age of information is changing marketing at a very fast pace, introducing some great things and others that may not seem so great. This will continue to happen, whether we like or not, at a pace that will only pick up. Those who fail to adapt will be left behind. Those who do — well, they’ll have to remain inventive and willing to learn.

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