How I did it: Preparation was key.  We spent a lot of time thinking about our site and about our existing home, which we decided to rebuild using the foundation.  This helped us think about ways to take advantage of existing resources while attempting to minimize waste.
We also spent a lot of time reading about green options, ways to maximize small spaces, and how best to insulate for our climate.  And finally, we also spent a lot of time tossing around ideas with our wonderful builder.

The other key was flexibility.  Since we were "remodelling," we ended up with lots of surprises along the way.  This is where we were especially thankful for our thoughtful, intelligent builder, who was able to keep the project within budget while solving a couple fairly major obstacles.

We plan to continue greening our home with future investments in renewable energy.

Lessons & tips: Even if your home is fairly "traditional," you can do much to increase its "green-ness" by using local materials, purchasing used materials, and focussing on minimizing energy use.

Resources:

• Habitat ReStore
• Sarah Susanka's books
• system for using woodstove to pre-heat your hot water.

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Feb 18, 2010, 08:27PM PST | 0 comments | 9 cheers