Skills, capabilities, and experience for green home builders

Green Housing

Building a green home building business: skills, capabilities, experience

Skills

Communication skills are vital in the home building industry, particularly the green home building industry. An individual must be able to communicate why a green home has financial and aesthetic value to prospective buyers. He or she must also be able to work well with suppliers and bargain a fair deal on input goods and prices. Negotiation and time management are essential in coordinating the various actors involved in home building to do a good job, and a timely job. So is budgeting and writing an effective business plan.

Experience

An individual should be well-versed in different types of mortgages, and the home buying and building industry. This requires a background in business, real estate, and some financial training. He or she should also know about outside elements that affect supply and demand in the industry, such as seasonal changes in demand, property values, quality of schools in the area, availability of credit, and what makes a house attractive to different market demographics. A high level of comfort in dealing with the technical aspects of banking and evaluation of credit risk is essential in today's market, as a prospective buyer navigates this process and contemplates a prospective deal. So is knowledge of various, and often changing government regulations regarding the financing, construction, and architectural design of green homes.

A green home professional should be well-versed in different types of environmental science, and know what critical aspects of a home should have priority for 'greening.' It is necessary to make the homes affordable within the target demographic and genuinely environmentally efficient. A background in the government's specific stipulations as to what constitutes a green product regarding home improvements is important, as well as the technical aspects of energy efficient windows, landscaping, heating and cooling systems, and so forth that may be added to a new, existing, or rebuilt home.

Some real estate background would be necessary, to understand what makes a home aesthetically attractive to a buyer, when designing the homes and developing a market strategy. Knowledge of Internet marketing and other new venues to reach a wide demographic, since the likely consumers may not be in the immediate area, and may use technologically advanced ways of looking for niche homes would be helpful as well. The individual must be psychologically astute in using advertising to be able to overcome consumer reservations about buying a home during environmentally uncertain times.

Finally, a general business background is also essential. Maximizing value at all aspects of the supply chain is vital in building, given the numerous actors involved the construction, selling, and purchasing of a home.