Iam new to this site, but not new to the NSBH books or concepts.

I have the blessings of time on my hands, and the ability to build or renovate houses and do very fine carpentry work.

I have found a small house in a nice neighborhood near the ocean that very much needs updating. I have considered buying it, updating it using NSBH and green construction concepts, but I am meeting skepticism from realtors and appraisers about whether I can do this kind of work and then sell the house for a reasonable return. Buyers need banks for mortgages. Banks rely on appraisers for valuing properties that they lend against. Appraisers seem to rely a lot more on square footage then they do on NSBH and green construction concepts.

If, as Ms. Susanka suggests, one builds a house 25% smaller then he would otherwise build and puts the savings from square footage reduction into NSBH concepts, can one really produce a house that the real estate market (and Banks) will see a equally valuable to the larger house? Ms. Susanka's books do not seem to address this and I find only a couple of other messages on this site that approach this question (but they do not address it directly).

The best person to consult to see if this is worth your while would be an architect. See if you can find one on the home professionals directory on this site that is in your area, and that will be able to take a look at it for you. Without being able to see it herself, Sarah can't make the determination. It's likely that it would be worth it, but realtors and appraisers have no experience with NSB or architecturally designed houses, so wouldn't be a good reference.

Thanks for posting.

Marie

Appraisals are so subjective that a definative answer would be difficult. I own a 1906 house that has appraised from "well below" $280,000 to $390,000. It is a matter of taste and viewpoint (and incentive, I suspect).

That being said, my opionion is that although square footage is a strong contributing factor in valuing property, it is the only factor when you have a lazy appraiser. Features, location, comparisons (a tough one, but perhaps you can get some) all play a part in establishing a resale value. And then you have your potential buyer. I, for one, would pay more $ for a house that had the NSB features/layout than a McMansion. So would others.

Good luck, I hope that you can justify building a NSB house!

DJM