Buyers who have been looking at homes for sale in Pasadena lately see a myriad of flips coming on the market. Many of these homes have been deconstructed and rebuilt. A huge step forward for the flippers. And, many of these and other Pasadena homes have been updated in an environmentally conscious manner.
The California Green Buildings Standard Code 2010, otherwise known as CALGreen Code, came into effect on January 1, 2011. The code specifies mandatory measures in relation to the planning, design and development of residential homes in California. You may love the idea of living in more environmentally friendly surroundings while contributing to a greener Pasadena. If you also happen to love the location of your current house, moving may not an option. On the flip side, you may have found your dream location and the only thing wrong with it is the actual house.
LEARN MORE: California Buildings Commission: The California Green Buildings Standard Code 2010
Could the answer be to build a new greener home? Quite possibly. Demolishing an old house and sending it to landfill is probably one of the least environmentally friendly things you can do. A better option that is considerably greener and rapidly growing in popularity is to deconstruct a house. According to Bob Falk, co-author of “Unbuilding,” the 50,000 U.S. houses that are torn down each year contain more than one billion board feet of salvageable high-quality framing lumber in addition to varying amounts of finish materials.
READ MORE: The Washington Post: Deconstructing an Old Home Can Give You Building Blocks for a New One
Opting for Pasadena home deconstruction means you get to keep whatever materials you wish to reuse. The rest can be donated to a local nonprofit who can sell them on to building contractors and other homeowners at a reduced rate. Donated materials are tax deductible and in most cases, the tax-write off will more than cover the costs associated with a home deconstruction project. Habitat for Humanity San Gabriel Valley can help with deconstruction projects and welcome donations of items of resale or recycle value. Reclaimed materials are sold at ReStore at 770 North Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena with proceeds going toward the construction of new Habitat homes in the area. Deconstruction and ReUse Network also provides many resources to help you with a deconstruction project.
The old adage “time is money” accounts for the primary reason that houses are demolished as opposed to deconstructed. While it undoubtedly takes more workers more time to salvage reusable material as it does to demolish a house outright, the potential tax rebate counteracts this argument. So it seems that helping the environment and reducing waste is not only noble but also easily achievable and financially rewarding.
Want more Green Tips? Read these articles:
Simple Steps to Green your Home and your Wallet.
Interested in more information about Pasadena and surrounding cities, check out our City Guides below:
And, if you are interested in fun activities to do in Pasadena, take a look at our 365 Things To Do in Pasadena® page.
Thinking of selling your Pasadena home? Interested in finding out the current market value of your single family home, condo or investment property? Then call Irina Netchaev at (626) 629-8439 to discuss what is happening in today’s Pasadena Real Estate Market.
