Choosing a new home is one of the biggest decisions we make in life.
With a multitude of considerations to make, from location to cost, it’s important we buy with confidence. As we collectively strive to make greener decisions and reduce our impact on the planet, sustainability is now one of the most crucial elements to get right.
At Stewart Milne Homes, we design and build homes with sustainability measures woven into their fabric. We are consistently evolving our environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments, and last year we were proud for our efforts to culminate with a significant step up on the ‘NextGeneration Benchmark’ – the annual sustainability standard of the largest 25 housebuilders in the UK. Our improvement of 15% took us up seven places compared to 2021, putting us in the top two in our peer group.
Looking ahead, our 2023 sustainability strategy continues to underpin our goal to become a net zero carbon home builder by 2045, including making 100% of our homes energy efficient. We are already well underway with this and we remain committed to working with local communities and residents to ensure that the neighbourhoods we create are both people and planet-friendly.
That goes for construction too, as we progress with introducing modern methods of construction (MMC) to all new developments where materials and house kits are developed using off-site advanced methods. This creates up to 80% less construction waste and up to 80% less site traffic1, which when combined make significant differences. We also source environmentally friendly materials wherever possible, again striding towards 100% of this being recycled by 2045.
Our developments are also designed around plentiful green space, promoting biodiversity and places for nature to flourish, subsequently improving air quality and spaces to enjoy walking and cycling.
There are also seismic benefits for homeowners of energy efficient homes, with the opportunity to enjoy green mortgages now offered by a range of lenders who reward customers with exclusive rates or cashback incentives. Stewart Milne Homes are now applicable for green mortgages, given their industry leading EPC rating of B or above.
As well as access to green mortgage deals, there is financial gain for homeowners through reduced energy bills and access to sustainable sources, such as EV charging points and recycling facilities at home. Typically, new build home buyers are collectively saving more than £500 million a year in energy bill and reducing carbon emissions by more than 500,000 tonnes2.
That equates to an annual saving of around £2,000 on household bills in houses and a £2,640 in flats and whilst that money is better in your pocket, you can also be assured that your carbon impact is significantly lighter.
Ultimately, Stewart Milne Homes understands that a home is more than just bricks and mortar. It is imperative for homes to match your wider lifestyle and we are proud to continue our people-shaped ethos which promotes health, wellbeing and sustainability.
References
1 - thelandsite.co.uk
2 - house-builder.co.uk