What makes a home green? Eco-friendly features to help save energy and money

If home is where the heart is, Aussie hearts are going green. New Proptrack research for September reveals more than 55% of surveyed Australians believe energy efficiency is an “extremely important” quality in a house – up 17% from last year.

And it’s no wonder. Repeated coastal flooding and skyrocketing energy bills have many craving relief not just for the environment but for their wallets. 

So if you’re considering going sustainable with your place, or taking out a green home loan, here are some eco-friendly options.

Any Australian will tell you the sun shines hard here. Unsurprisingly, Proptrack’s research revealed the top green item of interest is solar power (71%). In the last twelve months, 90% of energy-efficiency-related searches on realestate.com.au were for properties with solar panels.

Other items on Aussies’ green home wish list include:

• Double-glazed windows.
• EV charging station.
• Hydronic heating.
• Sustainable or local building materials (like mudbrick).
• Effective insulation.
• Efficient lighting.
• Draught proof with good ventilation.
• Rainwater tanks.
• Position and size of windows.
• Passive house design*.
  
• NatHERS energy star rating of 7 or above.
• Greywater systems. 

These features limit a home’s environmental impact by conserving energy, recycling waste, and reducing the overall carbon footprint. They also redirect resources and funding from exploitative industries like fossil fuels – voting with your dollars.

Plus, a new report from QBE finds that adding energy-efficient features could add between 5% - 10% to your home's value, which may 'future-proof' your investment.

*Per Australian standards, passive housing design includes airtight construction with an ACH50 rating of at least 0.60, minimised thermal bridging, continuous insulation, efficient and thorough ventilation, and solar optimisation.

Residents in different states and territories had unique green home preferences in Proptrack’s survey. Most searches for EV charging stations, mudbrick builds, double-glazed windows, and hydronic heating came from Victoria, while Queenslanders dominated solar power searches. Western Australians were the most interested in passive housing design.

Most property listings these days advertise green features. In the ACT, it’s mandatory to disclose the energy star rating when selling a house.

On realestate.com.au, the suburbs with the most energy-efficient (7.5+) ratings include:

• Brunswick, VIC.
  
• Bakers Creek, QLD.
  
• Southbank, VIC.
  
• Nedlands, WA.
  
• Brunswick East, VIC.
  
• Forrest, ACT.
  
• Banya, QLD.
  
• Rouse Hill, NSW.
  
• Coombs, ACT.
  
• Adelaide, SA.
  

Despite ‘having the most’ energy-efficient listings, only 7% of advertised Brunswick properties over the last year met the 7.5+ rating criteria. The minimum rating for new builds in Australia is 6, while the national average is around 6.2. The ACT has the highest national average at 6.9.

RELATED: CommBank's new Green Home Loan Offer rewards properties rated 7+

Greenness isn’t one size fits all, too. Solar can be a gamble since winter sun varies based on climate, while prevailing winds, proximity to trees, and elevation can all impact energy efficiency (as well as construction and home insurance considerations). 

“‘Five great ways to never spend any money on your household heating’ is a beautiful lie,” one mechanical engineer explained to Mozo.

“The ugly truth is, ‘Let’s look at the spaces you need, the environment you’re building in, the tools you have, your budget, and the rules of your local government, all balanced with the timeframe you have and the longevity of your design, all to come up with a house you’ll probably need to change a little bit anyway as your needs change.’”

Climate change is one of the main culprits behind the intolerable cost of living. Hefty energy bills, insurance premiums, and petrol and grocery prices often stem from environmental exploitation. Australians may crave greener homes, but according to Proptrack’s survey, more (75%) want affordable necessities.

Nearly 45% of survey respondents also cited a desire to live in a better-designed home in general. But construction has slowed, dragged down by the climbing cost of materials. Many builders have found themselves running over budget for a job they accepted years ago. Until inflation comes under control, green change may come slowly.

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Green housing may also be a moot point in many parts of Australia. The Climate Council estimates that 4% of housing across 40 federal electorates will be classified as ‘high risk’ by 2030 due to natural disasters like flooding and bushfires, effectively making them uninsurable no matter the build. Nearly half of those properties are in Queensland.

However, these real consequences of climate change make it vital to keep doing what we can. If a new property isn’t possible, green renovations like window replacements, solar installations, and greywater tanks can be viable options. And as demand for sustainable housing grows, so too will the supply.

Looking for a green home loan? Here are several sustainable options.