Upstate North Carolina has one of its first totally green homebuilders. This is new in itself, but what I found more interesting was that builder indicated the homes will not cost you more. In this economy, that is what many consumers want to hear.
These green neighborhood near downtown Greenville, called the Elements, is for multi-families something you do not see as often as single-family, green communities. Here are some of the features of these new homes:
• All the trim on the walls comes from trees that were cut down on site.
• Increased insulation resulting in a savings between 30 and 50 percent to code built homes
• Water retention in concrete – All of the water that comes onto the property is stored in the concrete and then filtered throughout the grounds.
• Each homeowner has their own plot to grow their own vegetables
• Have 100% recycled carpet on the floors and paint that is free of volatile organic compound
Why am I featuring a homebuilder such as this?
I always like to bring attention to someone who I believe is doing something well. This builder positioned its green homes as being truly sustainable and being better for people’s health. It is not that often that I see companies making the connection between green and health. This connection is what greener consumers understand the most and will recognize and embrace a community such as this that gets it too. I really loved the idea of the plot to grow their own vegetables. If you read an earlier post I talked about how more people are trying to save and be greener by planting their own gardens.
What this builder did could be done by other builders and companies, the idea of not just going green inside, but outside as well. To listen to the brief interview, you could tell quickly that they understand the purpose of building sustainable homes and what it did for the communities and they were invested in the communities themselves. This is the type of message you need to get out to your customers and prospects if you expect them to believe your media or marketing hype and not just make it hype, make it reality.
Helping You Understand and Profit from Consumer Health and Green Trends
Colette Chandler
