'Green' residential properties have a competitive advantage

Solar plant at Val de Vie

"As the affordability of energy saving features improves, in coming years we are bound to see the desirability of homes which incorporate such features increase exponentially as being 'green' receives a higher ranking on the scale of considerations among home buyers," says Dr Andrew Golding, chief executive of the Pam Golding Property group.

"While it's not possible to quote actual numbers, there is no doubt that residential properties offering green or energy and water saving features as well as emergency or back-up power solutions, are at a competitive advantage in the marketplace and are becoming sought after by buyers in preference to properties that don't offer such features. In a trend which began making its presence felt some 12 to 18 months ago, we are seeing 'green' features and energy efficiency definitely adding to the saleability of a property," says Dr Golding.

GBCSA partnership

"This need not be prohibitive and is one of the reasons why we have partnered with the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) - to drive a better understanding of value in the residential property market with regard to a home's green credentials," says Anthony Stroebel, group marketing director for Pam Golding Properties and a newly appointed director of the Green Building Council of South Africa.

"Fundamentally, this has a positive impact on the running costs of any home, while at the same time serving to preserve the world's scarce resources as well as reducing the impact on the environment. Our vision is to reach a point in the hopefully not-too-distant future, where this becomes integral to a home's specifications when selling and that buyers understand the value of this versus 'less green' homes.

"We have always believed that leadership and responsibility go hand in hand. Responsibility aside, it is a great privilege to partner with the GBCSA in their capacity as the 'green' custodians of the built environment in this effort to create consciousness regarding the sustainability of our planet right where it surely begins - at home," says Stroebel.

Commercial properties

Brian Wilkinson, CEO of the GBCSA, says going green increasingly makes economic and environmental sense, as clearly demonstrated in the commercial property sector. "A huge part of the success of our journey in green building and environmental sustainability in the commercial property sector has been a close partnership with industry leaders such as Nedbank and Growthpoint, especially in terms of their credentials in this arena.

"It is important for us as a relevant movement to increase awareness and penetration so entering into the residential 'green' home sector was a natural progression for us, and Pam Golding Properties is an ideal fit," says Wilkinson.