With the housing market in a downward spiral, you may have decided stay put in your current home. But if your house is energy-inefficient or outdated, it may be time to remodel. Incorporating green principals into your remodeling project has been proven to increase the value of your home. By increasing efficiency, operating costs are lowered. By using sustainable, VOC-free products, indoor air quality and overall health will be improved as well as natural resources conserved. Photo courtesy of the City of Portland.

A typical remodel involves a dizzying array of choices. Just a simple Google search on the web will net you well over a million results. So where should you start on your quest for green remodeling info? We recommend first visiting the website of the greenest city in the country; Portland, OR. The City of Portland offers excellent, non-biased information to help guide you with your remodeling project. Visit their website, www.portlandonline.com, to take advantage of the following resources:

Green Home Remodeling Guide- Why buy a remodeling guide when you can download one for FREE from the City of Portland!

The guide includes:

1. Things to Think About Before You Start

2. Green Building Methods and Materials

3. Ideas, Illustrations & Checklists

Low-Cost Green Design Measures- A detailed lists of simple, easy-to-integrate, zero- or low-cost measures to green your new construction or remodel project.

1. Integrated Design

2. Increase Energy Efficiency/ Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

3. Waste Reduction

4. Sustainable Sites

5. Recommended Green Building Checklist

6. Simple Steps You Can Take Today

Living Smart Homes- A pilot program that offers permit-ready plans from the City of Portland Bureau of Development Services. The program is intended to be an incentive to easily build well designed houses on the narrow lots in the City of Portland.

Incentives and Funding to Make Your Project a Reality

Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs)

Learn more about Green Residential Project in Portland