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My grandparents have downsized…twice! The first time was when they moved to Florida from New Hampshire about 20 years ago. Then they downsized again a couple years ago when they moved back to New Hampshire to share a home they built with my aunt and uncle. Since they are so experienced with downsizing strategies for…

Reason 4: Your Home Will Pay You Back Over Time Over the span of a thirty-year mortgage, your operational savings could be as high as $200,000.00, compared to an identical house built to minimum energy codes at the same time. Sustainable strategies really do make a difference! Yes, there might be an initial 10 percent…

Reason 3: Every Room Your House Can Be as Warm or Cold as you want it to be in a zero energy home.  Sometimes when I think back about the old way of heating a home and what we can do now, I marvel at the changes, progress, and the options that we can offer you…

Reason 2: Your rafters won’t snap at you when it’s really cold and your windows won’t ice up Perhaps your ideal retirement home is an old farmhouse you saw in a brochure about Vermont living. In summer there are wildflowers and wildlife all over the place. How charming and attractive! In winter the four foot…

Reason 1: Your floors won’t squeak.  It is possible to like squeaky floors for a variety of reasons. If you do, we can build your zero energy home with that feature. Check all the reasons that apply to you:  __ When you’re sleeping, squeaks can alert the family dog that there might be a cat burglar…

If you’ve discovered net zero construction in Vermont, you realize you’ve discovered the most efficient living space on the planet. With the unpredictability of utility costs coupled with foreign energy dependence, net zero is the smart choice for both today and the future. What Does it Take to Build a Net Zero Home? Building a…

If you’re thinking of building a high-performance home, and you want the best “bang for your bucket of bucks,” prudence suggests that you consider the advantages of going high-tech, even perhaps aiming for a net-zero home. “Net-zero” describes a home in which the renewable energy sources that are incorporated into the design produce the equivalent of…

The question isn’t so much, “How can we save money and still get an affordable zero energy home, but “where” can we save money?” Since we start building with a foundation, then it’s logical that the cost of a foundation is a good first place to start looking for places to save money. This blog will…

To keep any house affordable, efficiency during the construction process is key. A high-performance wall assembly is no exception. There are multiple ways to construct a high-performance wall, but which one makes the most sense from a cost standpoint when building an affordable zero energy home? Spray foam insulation has a higher R-value per inch than almost…

When Tom and Sarah purchased an 1870 farm house and barn in West Windsor, Vermont, in 2003, their farm was already famous. For example, they were told by several locals that “Good Morning, America” had once used the barn as a backdrop for one of their programs. And a 500-piece Rose Art Encore! jigsaw puzzle…