Home health test
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Home health test
Thousands of kiwi home owners are taking practical steps to improve the health of their homes, according to statistics from a recent New Zealand home rating initiative led by Homestar. More than 11,000.00 homes have been assessed now said Krista Ferguson director for Homestar the industry and government backed rating tool for New Zealand homes.
I have taken the test and my home rated 4 out of 10. Which is an above average rating for a Californian Bungalow (1920-1940) home, the average being 3 for this sort of home.
The report tells me these homes are relatively easy to retrofit and should perform well once they have been upgraded.
I don’t suppose having an open fire helped my overall rating but lets not get carried away here, living in Cambridge with such a temperate climate I can get away with an open fire and its still their because I love it. I consider I don’t need more efficient heating we are cozy enough and it comes down to personal choice.
Much like my hot water cylinder, which is not wrapped the pipes are not wrapped either. My hot water cylinder is used all year round and especially in the winter for airing and drying clothing, it’s also great for rising my bread and pizza base, something I consider more important and unfortunately the house rating questions did not include this special attribute.
How to get a 10 out of 10 rating? From what I have read you would have to specifically build a home to the specifications outlined to get such a rating, moving into a brand new double glazed home does not automatically put you in that category.
Recessed lighting for instance does not bode well. Proximity to ammenities eg: schools, shops, bus stops, library, waste disposal, composting facilities and vege gardens at home also rate.
I highly recommend you have a look at this rating system and give it a go, see how your house compares and remember this is a nation wide rating system your home may not have everything that counts but it will help, giving recommendations for improvement some involving little or no cost but all involving saving you money.
visit: www.homestar.org.nz
Saving money, reducing waste and improving health is a high priority at this web site, for more house hold savings take a look at my healthy homes page.
