How to Green Your Home Without the Stress

Spring is in the air – the geese are coming back, and with more than 3 hours of sunlight a day, you’re ready to don your beloved flip flops and hop in the hammock!   But do you secretly dread confronting your household ‘to do’ list? This Spring, avoid those stressful jobs with a green helping hand! Visit www.GreenPros.ca – A fresh online directory where you can connect with leading green home professionals like Ecological Homes, Geo-Flo Energy Services and Shelterbelt Architecture!

Andrea Jones, founder of eco home resource Raising Spaces shares that, “home building and renovation projects can easily elevate household stress levels and lead to burnout. This is especially true for eco and health conscious do-it-yourselfers, since the extra challenge of researching more sustainable products and building methods is time-consuming and challenging.” With Green Pros, you can now skip the stress, avoid expensive mistakes and find the right professional for your home and values, inside and out.

The Green Pros online directory is your quick link to the most environmentally-conscious skilled professionals Edmonton has to offer.  Whether ‘living green’ has been your life-long motto, or you want to start off the season with fresh ideals, Green Pros is here to assist you with the daily grind and raise the bar on your home rejuvenation.

But how is a homeowner to truly know whether a Green Pro is truly sustainable? “It’s a valid question,” says Jones. “And even though I’ve been an active member of the local environmental community for 15 years, it’s not up to me alone to make the call.” Every Green Pro listing outlines a company’s specific eco features – the practices and products that speak to how that company practices sustainability.

Listings also include a credentials section where members list their industry association memberships, certificates, training, and professional designations. As a third quality check-point, Raising Spaces encourages homeowners to submit ratings and reviews of Green Pros to offer constructive feedback and testimonials based on their experiences with them. “The opportunity here is to empower homeowners to be active participants in building the green economy. It’s not about being critical or negative, but rather offering companies the feedback they need to raise the bar on service and sustainability,” says Jones.

Edmontonians searching the online ‘Green Pros’ directory will discover skilled eco professionals with the categories of:

• Building and Design: Quickly link to straw bale, natural, and ultra efficient home builders and advisors. Consult with LEED and sustainable building professionals and educate yourself on non-conventional, natural building options currently available.

• Energy, Envelope, & Heating: Connect with expert energy auditors, insulation companies, alternative energy providers and specialists in getting off the grid.

• Exterior Work:  Show off your green curb appeal. Our database is blooming with professionals ready to help you harvest rain water, divert reno waste from the landfill and convert your yard to a lush no-mow oasis.

• Installers and Sub-Contractors: Find an eco-conscious contractor to prevent your DIY from becoming a headache.

• Interiors & Décor:  Professional eco designers and decorators specify non-toxic paints, furniture, window coverings, and energy efficient appliances to help you renovate, decorate, and optimize the value of your eco home.  Green Realtors and Stagers can also assist in the evaluation, sale or purchase of a green home.

• Lifestyle & Household Management: Green Cleaners and other domestic service providers will allow you relax in a home cleaned without the use of harsh chemicals.

Choosing to hire a Green Pro is about making a conscious decision to support a growing industry and simplify your lifestyle with a smaller ecological footprint. Whether your Spring-time plans include landscaping, decluttering, building or renovating, Green Pros will help you relish what the coming season has to offer – balmy weather, leisure time, and the potential to live greener and healthier.

Jones welcomes homeowners to join Raising Spaces on Saturday March 27, 2010 at 7:30pm at City Hall downtown Edmonton as they launch the Green Pros home services directory during Earth Hour celebrations: “Join the festivities, turn the lights out, and take the next step to green your home!”