*Archicentre’s recent online poll revealed that rainwater tanks are now a sought after housing feature. When asked the question: When purchasing a home, which one would you favour if all other things were equal? Water tank for garden watering, spa in the ensuite, or a large plasma screen, what do you think house buyers voted for?

A survey conducted by allrealestate.co.nz suggests that one in 10 people are prepared to pay up to 25 percent more for a sustainable home.

Australians’ attitudes to the houses they are living in are undergoing change. In fact, only 6.4% voted for a large plasma screen, 14.3% for a home with a spa in the ensuite and a huge majority - 79.3% of the 1006 participants - voted for a house with a water tank for garden watering.

Climate change awareness, with a lack of water and the potential steep rises in energy and water costs, is increasing the focus of home owners on the environmental performance of their homes as well as structural integrity and appearance.

Archicentre’s Mr Hallett reported that questions are increasingly being asked as part of the Archicentre Design Concept service by home owners wanting to save money on energy and water, but also wanting to create a 'green friendly environment' utilising natural resources and to design a home or renovation which in the future can be marketed as eco-friendly. Changing weather patterns, which forecast less rain but in heavier less frequent falls, means that roof design and the ability to harvest rainwater have also become an important consideration for home buyers seeking rainwater tanks in properties for sale.

Pre-purchase inspections are being used to provide home buyers with a negotiating tool where houses, especially older homes or poorly designed apartments, are energy inefficient or do not have any insulation.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics says that the proportion of homes in Australia with air-conditioners rose from 33 per cent in 1994 to 60 per cent in 2005, yet 40% of homes are uninsulated.

Insulating Australia's 2.7 million uninsulated homes would cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 90 million tonnes by 2050, according to the Insulation Council of Australia and New Zealand.

It’s not hard to work out that, as more homes become environmentally friendly, and buyers have more choice, 90 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions could result in home owners missing out on a few sales dollars when they eventually sell.

After all, as energy costs rise and the negative social impact of energy inefficiency becomes more and more unpopular, the environmental performance of a home will be reflected increasingly in the sale price.

*Archicentre is The Australian Institute of Architect’s Building Advisory Bureau.