by Tim O'Connor

Created on: February 05, 2009   Last Updated: February 14, 2009

Even in a slow economy, there's good news about the value of home improvement projects. According to Remodeling Magazine's 2008-2009 Cost vs. Value Report, remodeling professionals believe renovations nationwide held their value better than homes.

The National Association of Realtors recently reported that home prices declined 7% in 2008, while homeowner investments in remodeling dropped by only 2.8%. Now that may sound like a loser, but take a moment to think about it. Material and labor costs are currently lower than they've been in years. Consequently, your positive return on investment for a wise remodel now is nearly a given.

But, take heed. If you're planning to remodel soon, pick renovations that will pay off.

In the final analysis, your return on investment is a gamble; so, how do you hedge your bets? Think green of course.

You've heard the conventional wisdom: establish curb appeal, re-do or add a bathroom, re-work the kitchen, and spruce up the flooring. Perfect, this is good advice. But, if you want to lower your energy costs, increase the health benefits of living in your home, improve the value of your house, and contribute to solving the impending problems of climate change, do it the green way.

When it comes to curb appeal, think about using trees and landscaping to reduce cooling loads, or modifying landscaping to provide solar access. Reduce your lawn area and provide porous pavement. Design your landscape to minimize chemical use.

In the bathroom, your greatest opportunities come from managing incoming and outgoing water. Use the highest performing faucets, shower-heads, and toilets. Your walls should be designed to handle high humidity. Use highly efficient and quiet exhaust fans. The bathroom is a great place to invest in durable surfaces that are aesthetically pleasing and functionally sound.

Modern kitchens provide tremendous opportunities for greening your home. Energy efficient lighting, appliances, and plumbing fixtures with Energy Star ratings are readily available. Green interior finishes can optimize form and function while minimizing environmental impact.

For flooring, consider using certified reclaimed wood or wood made from rapidly renewable materials such as bamboo. Also, think about the durability, life cycle, and toxicity of the flooring, as well as whether the floor can be maintained with low toxic cleaning chemicals.

For more information, do an Internet search for green contractors and green building techniques on any of the remodeling and home improvement social networks. Think green money.

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