A green home? Or home (over)grown?

Did you know that President Obama’s stimulus bill put into effect tax breaks for people who make home improvements that boost their house’s green factor?

I totally didn’t know this, until I saw that article just recently.  I had had my doubts as to whether Obama’s stimulus bill was going to impact the average homeowning, hard-working American, but it appears that there are some real gems in that bill that I just had yet to discover.

For instance, according to the article:

Previously, homeowners could get a tax credit worth just 10 percent of an upgrade cost, up to a maximum of $500. Now, taxpayers who spend $800 on an efficient water heater, $1,000 on insulation, and $2,000 on windows could lop $1,140 off their federal tax bill.

Wow!  That’s awesome!  A water heater is a fairly easy and relatively inexpensive green home improvement that many homeowners can afford to make, so that’s probably the best place to start.  Windows are a bit more involved and definitely more expensive, and insulation can be a pain in the patooty if you have an old house and need to re-insulate the walls, but at least you will make back some of your investment!

Something to remember, though, is that just because you want to do green, doesn’t mean your results will be green.  Make sure you are doing everything right, whether you do that by hiring an LEED certified expert, or by taking a class or two on LEEDs yourself.  Some organizations, such as the Everblue Training Institute, offer classes specifically geared for the average do-it-yourselfer.

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