Top Tips For Successfully Building A Green Home In Las Cruces

Jim Graham
November 13, 2021


Building a sustainable high-performance home in Las Cruces, New Mexico, requires detailed planning. While building a sustainable home doesn’t necessarily cost more than a code-built home, green building materials are not as readily available as regular home building materials. So, it’s best to do your research and be organized to ensure a successful sustainable home build project.

Here are our expert tips to help you successfully build an eco-friendly and sustainable Las Cruces home:

Set a budget

This is may sound very obvious, but it’s important to state early on that building a home can be the most expensive investment you will ever make. The more you have prepared before the construction, the better because things can change as the home building progresses.

Be wary of straying too far from your budget to avoid turning the whole project into a nightmare. A lot of homeowners experience running out of budget mid-build, and by the time they have enough funds to proceed to the next stage, some parts of the construction have deteriorated.

By organizing and planning the construction of your new Las Cruces green home before the project commences, you can concentrate on the important things and are less likely to get sidetracked by things that can blow the budget! Decide on countertops or floor finishes later after you have considered the basics of the home structure, as well as the external finishes.

Find a building lot appropriate for a green home

Without the right lot, it’s hard to build a sustainable home on a reasonable budget. Part of building a new green home is taking into consideration consider how your home will be heated, and how much insulation is needed because they all need to be included in your budget.

Here are things you need to consider when choosing a lot for your new green home:

  • Insolation – this refers to how much sun the lot gets, and at what time of the day. Does the lot mostly stay in the shade throughout the year? This might be an advantage in a warm climate, but this can be a disadvantage in places with colder climates because it doesn’t allow for passive solar heating.
  • Distance from urban centers – To reduce your carbon footprints and truly live a greener life, choose a lot that’s close to everywhere your family needs to be.

Hire a green architect or home designer

When planning to build a functional sustainable home in Las Cruces, you will need to hire a green home designer or architect to help you with the plans. As mentioned earlier, your home is one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make, so it’s best to hire someone with sufficient knowledge and experience in building sustainable homes.

That said, one of the first things you should ask a prospective home designer is whether you can see their portfolio. You can also ask if the project came in on budget, and by how much it was over if not.

Hire skilled builders

It’s common for some people to think that they can save a lot when they take on the task of building a sustainable house themselves. Besides the experience and the initial fun, there is no financial reward that comes with trying to build your new sustainable home on your own.

Take for example, drywalling. You’ve never done it before, but it seems pretty easy. A trained handyman can finish the job in a day, but it may take a week for you to DIY it. You end up losing a week of productivity at your job or business, and you end up regretting your choice. By trying to save 5 bucks, you end up losing 20.

If you’re planning to build a sustainable home in Las Cruces, New Mexico, or the surrounding areas, Sun and Earth Construction can do the job for you. We are experts in sustainable home build, with almost 40 years of track record in bringing innovation, integrity, and skills to designing and constructing sustainable buildings in Southern New Mexico.

Choose the right green building materials

When building a green home, it’s crucial to choose high-performing environmentally-friendly building materials. You should already have a building team in place by the time you start choosing the materials so you can discuss the building materials they prefer, and negotiate or compromise with them if necessary.

That said, during the process of selecting builders, you should ask them about how they choose materials. Also, before hiring a Las Cruces sustainable home builder, make sure that they are open to well-researched suggestions and options that don’t break the budget.

The building materials you choose will be a big factor not only in the cost of the project but also in your new home’s indoor air quality, as well as the durability of the house structure and its interior surfaces. It will also have a big impact on how much maintenance you may need to do for your home in the future.

As the homeowner, you have the final say on materials selection. This is because several factors can affect the material preference of builders, including familiarity, or even demand from local materials reps.

Some homeowners tend to just agree to what the general contractor wants, but doing so may compromise the durability and functionality of your new green home. Don’t let this happen! When discussing materials with your builder, ask them to explain their preferences, and then do your research so you can come up with an informed decision.

Check the websites of material providers to learn their products’ chemical composition, as well as how to properly apply or install their materials.

Before signing a contract with your sustainable home builder, make sure that you have finalized the product selection, and that everything is written in the contract. This can help prevent a builder from choosing less-than-average materials to raise their profit margin.

Wait for your sustainable home to be completed before moving in

If you move into your new green home build before it’s completed, finishing it will be more difficult. Not only will it drive your builder crazy mad, but it will also mean you will live in a mess filled with dust and debris. You will also tend to postpone getting things done, until the day you put up your house for sale and realize you didn’t finish some parts of the house.  

If you are renting, make sure that your stay lasts beyond your target completion date. Several unseen factors can arise and cause unexpected delays, so if a builder tells you that your house will be completed on August 1st, don’t plan to move out of your apartment by the end of July. You should always have a timeline buffer should be so you don’t get stuck in a hotel for months.

Also, it’s best is not to bring any item into your new house until the last light bulb is installed and all the coats of paint are dry.

Sustainable Home Builder in La Cruces

At Sun and Earth Construction, our goal has always been to make the world a better place for future generations, which we can achieve with creativity and hard work. When we build your home, we use the proper materials, methods, and design to ensure its functionality and sustainability.  

Sun & Earth Construction can help your dream Las Cruces home come into reality, and we can also provide expert opinions and advice should you need our help with the design plan. To get started, contact us today at (575) 521-3537. You may also visit our office located at 3314 East St., Las Cruces, NM 88005.

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Building a sustainable high-performance home in Las Cruces, New Mexico, requires detailed planning. While building a sustainable home doesn’t necessarily cost more than a code-built home, green building materials are not as readily available as regular home building materials. So, it’s best to do your research and be organized to ensure a successful sustainable home build project.

Here are our expert tips to help you successfully build an eco-friendly and sustainable Las Cruces home:

Set a budget

This is may sound very obvious, but it’s important to state early on that building a home can be the most expensive investment you will ever make. The more you have prepared before the construction, the better because things can change as the home building progresses.

Be wary of straying too far from your budget to avoid turning the whole project into a nightmare. A lot of homeowners experience running out of budget mid-build, and by the time they have enough funds to proceed to the next stage, some parts of the construction have deteriorated.

By organizing and planning the construction of your new Las Cruces green home before the project commences, you can concentrate on the important things and are less likely to get sidetracked by things that can blow the budget! Decide on countertops or floor finishes later after you have considered the basics of the home structure, as well as the external finishes.

Find a building lot appropriate for a green home

Without the right lot, it’s hard to build a sustainable home on a reasonable budget. Part of building a new green home is taking into consideration consider how your home will be heated, and how much insulation is needed because they all need to be included in your budget.

Here are things you need to consider when choosing a lot for your new green home:

  • Insolation – this refers to how much sun the lot gets, and at what time of the day. Does the lot mostly stay in the shade throughout the year? This might be an advantage in a warm climate, but this can be a disadvantage in places with colder climates because it doesn’t allow for passive solar heating.
  • Distance from urban centers – To reduce your carbon footprints and truly live a greener life, choose a lot that’s close to everywhere your family needs to be.

Hire a green architect or home designer

When planning to build a functional sustainable home in Las Cruces, you will need to hire a green home designer or architect to help you with the plans. As mentioned earlier, your home is one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make, so it’s best to hire someone with sufficient knowledge and experience in building sustainable homes.

That said, one of the first things you should ask a prospective home designer is whether you can see their portfolio. You can also ask if the project came in on budget, and by how much it was over if not.

Hire skilled builders

It’s common for some people to think that they can save a lot when they take on the task of building a sustainable house themselves. Besides the experience and the initial fun, there is no financial reward that comes with trying to build your new sustainable home on your own.

Take for example, drywalling. You’ve never done it before, but it seems pretty easy. A trained handyman can finish the job in a day, but it may take a week for you to DIY it. You end up losing a week of productivity at your job or business, and you end up regretting your choice. By trying to save 5 bucks, you end up losing 20.

If you’re planning to build a sustainable home in Las Cruces, New Mexico, or the surrounding areas, Sun and Earth Construction can do the job for you. We are experts in sustainable home build, with almost 40 years of track record in bringing innovation, integrity, and skills to designing and constructing sustainable buildings in Southern New Mexico.

Choose the right green building materials

When building a green home, it’s crucial to choose high-performing environmentally-friendly building materials. You should already have a building team in place by the time you start choosing the materials so you can discuss the building materials they prefer, and negotiate or compromise with them if necessary.

That said, during the process of selecting builders, you should ask them about how they choose materials. Also, before hiring a Las Cruces sustainable home builder, make sure that they are open to well-researched suggestions and options that don’t break the budget.

The building materials you choose will be a big factor not only in the cost of the project but also in your new home’s indoor air quality, as well as the durability of the house structure and its interior surfaces. It will also have a big impact on how much maintenance you may need to do for your home in the future.

As the homeowner, you have the final say on materials selection. This is because several factors can affect the material preference of builders, including familiarity, or even demand from local materials reps.

Some homeowners tend to just agree to what the general contractor wants, but doing so may compromise the durability and functionality of your new green home. Don’t let this happen! When discussing materials with your builder, ask them to explain their preferences, and then do your research so you can come up with an informed decision.

Check the websites of material providers to learn their products’ chemical composition, as well as how to properly apply or install their materials.

Before signing a contract with your sustainable home builder, make sure that you have finalized the product selection, and that everything is written in the contract. This can help prevent a builder from choosing less-than-average materials to raise their profit margin.

Wait for your sustainable home to be completed before moving in

If you move into your new green home build before it’s completed, finishing it will be more difficult. Not only will it drive your builder crazy mad, but it will also mean you will live in a mess filled with dust and debris. You will also tend to postpone getting things done, until the day you put up your house for sale and realize you didn’t finish some parts of the house.  

If you are renting, make sure that your stay lasts beyond your target completion date. Several unseen factors can arise and cause unexpected delays, so if a builder tells you that your house will be completed on August 1st, don’t plan to move out of your apartment by the end of July. You should always have a timeline buffer should be so you don’t get stuck in a hotel for months.

Also, it’s best is not to bring any item into your new house until the last light bulb is installed and all the coats of paint are dry.

Sustainable Home Builder in La Cruces

At Sun and Earth Construction, our goal has always been to make the world a better place for future generations, which we can achieve with creativity and hard work. When we build your home, we use the proper materials, methods, and design to ensure its functionality and sustainability.  

Sun & Earth Construction can help your dream Las Cruces home come into reality, and we can also provide expert opinions and advice should you need our help with the design plan. To get started, contact us today at (575) 521-3537. You may also visit our office located at 3314 East St., Las Cruces, NM 88005.