Why Buy Resilient
Consider the benefits of resilient home construction and location
- Two homes can be built identically, but one may have higher risk of disaster because of its specific site or location.
- Decorative features are desirable, but resilience features increase safety, durability, and peace of mind.
- Resilient features provide financial benefits through losses avoided and insurance savings.
- Economic analysis shows that increased consumer awareness of resilience options leads to increased market value for resilient homes.
Some communities may have a higher risk of disasters than others. The next section “The Home Selection Process” will give you tools to learn more about the disaster history and potential in locations across the United States.
The relative strong or weak construction of surrounding homes can affect potential damage to your home in a disaster. For example, windborne debris from a weak neighboring home can damage your home.
But even at the neighborhood level, some locations may be more resilient than others. For example, waterfront homes, homes in the wildland-urban interface prone to wildfires, or homes close to earthquake fault lines can have a higher risk of flooding, storm surge, wildfire, or earthquake damage, respectively. But other considerations can mean more or less resilient properties, as well. For instance, one lot may be higher in elevation than the surrounding area, making it less likely to flood than the other lots. Additionally, homes in areas prone to landslides or liquefaction may suffer more damage than homes on stable soil.
Half the challenge is choosing the location; the other half is finding a well-built home. The more vulnerable the location, the more attention must be given to how the home was built.
For example, Californians may be at risk from earthquakes and wildfires. This guide will provide tips on how to search for prospective homes built with earthquake-resistant methods that make it more likely to survive and fire-resistant materials that make it less likely to ignite. The same can be said for homes at risk for flooding. Homes that are elevated higher than floodwaters can protect people and belongings.
After determining the natural disasters in the area where you are house hunting, you can identify ideal construction solutions. For example, homes in tornado-prone areas may include a tornado shelter or tornado safe room. If the shelter or safe room is constructed consistent with FEMA guidance or tested and approved to meet the International Code Council 500 standard, it can provide near-absolute protection in tornadoes up to 250 miles-per-hour. Another example is the use of impact-resistant garage doors in hurricane-prone areas, as the garage door is typically the first component to fail during severe winds. Homes in flood-prone areas should be constructed above the expected flooding level. This guide will identify many of those construction solutions.
No matter where you buy, it is essential to consider homes built or upgraded using the latest model building codes and standards as codes are continually improved with research and scientific insights. Codes provide life safety and offer construction methods that address disasters like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and even winter freeze.
Builders and communities that adopt and enforce current model codes recognize that a small upfront investment in better building methods provides homeowners with greater long-term value because the actual cost of homeownership is much more than the purchase price.
When calculating the true cost, consider energy efficiency, durability to avoid frequent or unnecessary maintenance, and disaster-resistant features that prevent losses from severe weather and earthquakes. Resilience features can make a home more desirable to prospective buyers and increase your home’s real estate market value as the economic case for resilience is not just about the losses you avoid or insurance savings you enjoy. A study by economist Kevin Simmons found that homes with tornado safe rooms in Oklahoma real estate markets enjoyed a sales price increase of 3.5% or an average of $4,200.