So, the biggest decision at the moment is whether or not we are going to go through the Chicago Green Home and/or LEED Home certification process. Matt probably touched on this subject in previous posts, but it is turning out to be a much bigger deal than we had anticipated. For one, the architect will charge more for going through the process than if we skip it, because the plans are much more complex for the certifications as is required. And, adding in additional items to make the requirements of the certification will be more expensive. In general, doing the Green Home and/or LEED certification costs more. Much more than we thought that it would, unfortunately.
The question of the day is… Is it worth it? We were planning on doing most of the energy conservation projects/upgrades anyway, so this process isn’t too much different from what we were planning on doing. But, how much value DOES it actually bring to the table? We dug around to see if we could get concrete numbers on how much more valuable a home is with the certifications vs. not, but the best that Matt could find was office building comparisons. This particular type of building with a certificate is just too new to get an accurate sense of the value that it would be adding to our home. Will buyers want LEED certified homes in ten years? Or, is this just a fad that will mean little to nothing in the too near future? We don’t know.
For now, we continue to get quotes from architects and dig through the internet to find out more information on what we are signing up for. Because, in the end, we are doing this to make money – not spend it on unnecessary procedures.
March 9, 2012 at 5:14 pm
I just wish that we had more info to make a better educated decision…
March 13, 2012 at 7:32 am
The increased cost for the architect for going through the Chicago Green Homes Program should be nominal at best. There is not much stuff to add to the plans beyond what is already required anyways.
Also, you can prep the plans with the minimum elements required to achieve the Green Homes status, and thus keep the arch. fees in check and save money on the permit fees. Adding the minimum now, doesn’t mean you can go above and beyond it later.
Regarding LEED for Homes – I think I shared my opinion with you on that program…