| A recent “new home buyer” survey found there is a high rate of customer satisfaction among those who have purchased “green” homes — and that 63 percent of buyers are motivated by the lower operating and maintenance costs that come with energy- and resource-efficient homes. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and McGraw-Hill Construction, which conducted the research, released preliminary results of the findings at the 9th Annual NAHB National Green Building Conference in St. Louis.
These “green” home owners say they are extremely happy with their investments, with 85 percent saying they are more satisfied with their new green homes than with their previous, more traditionally built homes. According to the survey about 40 percent of the respondents who had recently completed home remodeling or renovation work reported that they used green products or materials.
The research also found that:
The new green home owner is affluent and well educated, in his/her mid forties and married, and also more likely to be from the Southern or Western states.
63 percent report lower operating and maintenance costs as the key motivation behind buying a green home.
More than 60 percent of those surveyed say that consumer awareness, additional costs and the limited availability of homes are obstacles to green homes gaining a bigger market share.
Survey results will be published this summer in the next issue of the McGraw-Hill Construction SmartMarket Report series and be available at www.builderbooks.com. | 
