It's been my experience that if given the choice between a USD 50k granite and Viking kitchen, or USD 50k worth of energy-saving upgrades, the kitchen wins everytime.
Hakan Falk wrote: >So, it is the building code and inspection regime that does not work. >With a good building code and inspection regime, the basic standard >is set to meet the needs of the buyer and the state, It brings a leveled >play ground for the contractors, who cannot afford to not meet the code, >but price differences are then smaller, > >Hakan > > > >At 06:38 PM 8/6/2007, you wrote: > > >>It's not so much the construction that I think gets shortchanged, as >>the design. Most construction workers I've met, even illegal >>immigrants getting pretty bad pay, take pride in their work, and they >>wouldn't build a crappy house on purpose. However, if it's designed >>with only R-25 insulation and no low-e windows, that's what they put >>in there. It's the design decisions where I think that eventual owner >>is getting cheated. Code is good for making sure houses don't fall >>down, but they are not very stringent for energy efficiency or such... >> >>And to some extent, you can't completely blame the developers, because >>they are only building what people want. People, when they are >>looking at a new house, don't even ask about the efficiency -- so, >>yes, if the buyers were more informed, the builders would have some >>motivation to address those concerns. >> >> >>On 8/6/07, Jeromie Reeves <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> >>>On 8/6/07, Zeke Yewdall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> >>> >>>>On 8/5/07, Andres Secco <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>>>> In planning a house, an apartment building, even a >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>shopping mall, >> >> >>>>>>>one >>>>>>>should not even CONSIDER water quality that is available. ??? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>In a house, the designer, builder, contractors, NO they should not >>>>>>unless the building owner wants them to. Why should it be the >>>>>>responsibility of anyone except the land owner, or the person >>>>>>commissioning the house? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>Very few houses in the US are built under direction of the eventual >>>>landowner or person who will live in the house. They are built by >>>>developers who's only goal is to make money. Not provide housing. >>>>Since the buyer is unknown, and probably not that well educated on >>>>details on construction, they can cut alot of corners and usually end >>>>up building houses that really should be bulldozed the minute that are >>>>completed. Insulation... why put that in -- no one thinks about that >>>>till they get their first heating bill. Efficient appliances? Water >>>>quality? Same thing. The average potential house buyer will no >>>>notice their lack until it's too late, so don't bother spending money >>>>there. Fancier countertops will be noticed by the potential buyer up >>>>front, so that's a much better place to spend money in the >>>>construction. >>>> >>>> >>>I agree that happens. There are some HUD houses in town where I have >>>clients and the work there was sub standard. The guy I bought my house >>>from is a framer and I can promise the house he works on do not get >>>short changed. Sure the primary contractor on the job wants to make >>>money (just like most of us) but he is not a crook. The building >>>inspector makes sure things are to code and not a crappy job. They >>>inspect at many stages of the building process. The guy who was on the >>>job when the HUD houses were built has since been let go. IMO they >>>should have made the contractors rebuild the HUD homes but people were >>>lazy from top to bottom.In my experience a majority of construction >>>companies are not thieves. My friend that does home evaluations picks >>>up on short cuts and the price of the house will reflect it. Anyone >>>who is buying a home should have a independent inspector/evaluator. If >>>they do not they have only them selves to blame. Its not like this >>>information is secret, any realestate company should be able to get >>>you in contact with a few.[my opinion] I think this comes back >>>primarily to people being lazy. >>> >>> >>> >>>>_______________________________________________ >>>>Biofuel mailing list >>>>Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >>>>http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org >>>> >>>>Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >>>>http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html >>>> >>>>Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives >>>> >>>> >>(50,000 messages): >> >> >>>>http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>_______________________________________________ >>>Biofuel mailing list >>>Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >>>http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org >>> >>>Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >>>http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html >>> >>>Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives >>> >>> >>(50,000 messages): >> >> >>>http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>_______________________________________________ >>Biofuel mailing list >>Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >>http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org >> >>Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >>http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html >> >>Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): >>http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ >> >> > >Hakan Falk >http://energysavingnow.com/ and http://villaslujo.com/ >Tel. Spain +34 972 32 05 89 >Mobil. +34 609 30 47 35 >Tel. Sweden +46 (0)40 692 82 10 or 693 60 92 (skype) >Mobil +46 (0)70-520 68 44 >Skype user hakanfalk >MSN [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >_______________________________________________ >Biofuel mailing list >Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > >Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > >Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): >http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
