What sustainability means in the home building sector
What you'll learn
- What makes a home sustainable.
- The benefits of selling sustainable homes.
- Tips for framing sustainability with your clients.
Successful conversations about sustainability can happen when you understand what it means. Once it’s broken down, sustainability isn’t nearly as lofty as it might sound. Selling and living in sustainable homes benefits everyone. We’ll start by clarifying what sustainability means in the home building sector, so you can later learn how to work it into the conversation.
What is a sustainable home?
There are many features that make a sustainable home. Things like energy efficiency, renewable energy, water efficiency, material selection, waste avoidance during construction and resilience are all important factors.
When we talk about sustainability in the home building sector what we’re really discussing are sustainable homes. Sustainable homes can provide great benefits to the people who live in them.
Sustainable homes are:
- resilient to climate
- comfortable (warmer in winter, cooler in summer)
- healthier to live in
- affordable long term
- better for the environment.
Sustainable homes enhance your client’s comfort and health by maintaining a consistent temperature and improving air quality. Pairing natural light with the right insulation, they require less energy to heat and cool, making them cheaper to run.
Clever design and building orientation makes them more resilient to climate and weather extremes. It’s these benefits of a sustainable home that make their positive impact on the environment all the more desirable.
Why selling sustainable homes is important
Alongside the benefits for the environment, selling more sustainable homes is better for your bottom line. Thanks to sustainable features having a positive impact on liveability, they can increase your commission margins alongside client satisfaction. Leverage the unique value your companies’ features provide by finding out what makes your sustainable offering different from other companies.
You’re on the front lines of the change we need to create. Consumers aren’t clear on the benefits of sustainable features for themselves and the environment. You have the skills and expertise to help them make better decisions and after reading these guides, you’ll have the knowledge to shift their behaviour towards a more sustainable future. Not only will you take part in creating a positive impact on the environment, but you’ll introduce your clients to the many benefits of sustainable living along the way.
How to guide your client’s understanding
Bring it up early
Avoid selling sustainable features as an add-on later in the process. Being up front with clients about the benefits of sustainable homes or energy efficiency will help them include these features in their budget from the beginning.
We conducted research with home buyers to understand how open they are to sustainability and how best to discuss it with them. Home buyers who were in the process of finalising their build were frustrated sustainable design features hadn’t been brought up earlier. “The thing is, you're not told about that (sustainability) until the day you go for your colour selections... And by that time you have already gone to a lender and you have a specific amount of purchasing power."
Focus on liveability over sustainability
Research shows that Australians want sustainable homes, they just don’t use the word ‘sustainability’ when describing their desires. Instead, they talk about finding a home that is comfortable, healthy for their family and affordable; all things that a sustainable home can deliver. We’ve got a guide dedicated on how to sell liveability over sustainability.
Back it up with sustainable design principles
Once you share an understanding of why sustainable homes are valuable, focus on the features that will help them achieve those benefits. Talk your clients through the decisions they can make using something visual, like an annotated floor plan. You can use it to talk about design principles, like the importance of house orientation, insulation or even window fittings. You can expand your knowledge on these topics in our collection of guides on sustainable design principles.
