Your Eco-Friendly Home: Buying, Building, or Remodeling Green [Paperback]

Sid Davis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 12, 2008

With thousands of new eco-minded houses being built, and the real estate market becoming more attuned to home-buyers' interests, demand for ecologically efficient living spaces is still exceeding the supply. Yet few resources exist for those wanting to build, buy, or remodel their own home to use less energy and be environmentally sensitive. This practical, reader-friendly guide gives readers all the guidance they need to easily become ecologically responsible homeowners.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...easy to understand book for both readers who are interested in making small changes, or who want a completely sustainable home.”

Foreword magazine

“For anyone with questions about ways to buy, build or remodel a home so that it meets more environmentally friendly standards, this book provides the answers.”

Long Island Newsday

“…addresses practical considerations of how to find and finance eco-friendly real estate as well as use environmentally sound materials and techniques to make homes more efficient.”

Home Maintenance Club

“This guide gives you all the general home building, buying or renovating information you need…but Your Eco-Friendly Home then takes you a step further, explaining how to make your home as green as possible while keeping your budgetary and other individual needs in mind...this no-nonsense book…points to a wealth of resources and green websites to help you towards your eco-friendly journey.”

www.lowimpactliving.com, review by Green LA Girl

"I can certainly see myself referring back to the book as a resource and a launch point to help weigh my options. I like this book because when I finished it, I left knowing more than when I started, but also feeling a little more realistic in both my home buying and my green home aspirations.”

Treehugger.com

“Davis's latest book guides buyers who are searching for eco-friendly real estate down the right path in a market that offers little or no resources…The book is a must-buy for those home buyers or owners wishing to go-green”

Gay Real Estate USA

“Clear, understandable language brings readers up to speed on green real estate concepts that could otherwise be tricky for beginners.”

The Sierra Club’s Green Life Blog

Book Description

More and more people are becoming interested not just in living green, but particularly in living in a home that’s ecologically sound. With thousands of new eco-minded houses being built, and the real estate market becoming more attuned to home-buyers’ interests, demand for ecologically efficient living spaces is still exceeding the supply. Yet few resources exist for those wanting to build, buy, or remodel their own home to use less energy and be environmentally sensitive. Your Eco-Friendly Home shows readers how they can:

find, finance, and buy eco-friendly real estate • work with eco-conscious agents and brokers • use environmentally friendly materials and techniques for interiors and exteriors • make their homes and landscaping more efficient • take advantage of tax incentives for going green

This practical, reader-friendly guide gives readers all the guidance they need to easily become ecologically responsible homeowners.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM (November 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814410375
• ISBN-13: 978-0814410370
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #693,887 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sid Davis (Farmington, UT) is the owner of Sid Davis & Associates, a real estate firm. He is the author of The First-Time Homeowner's Survival Guide (978-0-8144-7372-6), A Survival Guide for Buying a Home (978-0-8144-7196-8), A Survival Guide to Selling a Home (978-0-8144-7274-3), Home Makeovers that Sell (978-0-8144-7373-3), and numerous articles in Today's Homeowner , Construction Management Today, and The Los Angeles Times.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Not quite what you would expect., December 1, 2010

By 

Gray Bird - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Eco-Friendly Home: Buying, Building, or Remodeling Green (Paperback)

I checked this book out while doing a college research paper on green building and design. While some of the information in this book may be useful, the book is not much different than any real estate book. The book is written by Sid Davis who is a realtor and not an expert in green building. I would suggest other books written by more credible sources. The title is intriguing yet the content is marginal.

3.0 out of 5 stars Superficial overview, February 17, 2010

By 

E.M. "kayaksmurf" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Your Eco-Friendly Home: Buying, Building, or Remodeling Green (Paperback)

This book tries to cover too much ground and ends up doing so poorly. Much of what is here would already be covered in any basic home buying book. I was hoping for something a little more helpful than an overview of the bid process and a reminder to read contracts carefully. Perhaps the most useful take-home point is to find a real estate agent, builder, or contractor who knows the green building field. That point is well taken, but I would still prefer a treatment that doesn't essentially assume you'll rely on those professionals for most of your information. After all, that's not why I bought the book! There are a few useful sections, but overall not enough to justify the shelf space for me. I would recommend going with a more in-depth title like The Homeowner's Handbook to Energy Efficiency: A Guide to Big and Small Improvements, Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature (Natural Home & Garden), and/or one of Daniel Chiras's books like The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine addition to any home improvement or real estate-oriented collection, March 15, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Eco-Friendly Home: Buying, Building, or Remodeling Green (Paperback)

YOUR ECO-FRIENDLY HOME: BUYING, BUILDING OR REMODELING GREEN explores the basics on how to find, buy, maintain and sell a 'green' house. Over 100,000 of them have been built in the past ten years, and real estate insider Sid Davis examines the expanding green real estate movement and how to develop a home system that is green. A fine addition to any home improvement or real estate-oriented collection.