Healthy is the New Green in Building Materials

My big takeaway from the builder’s show is that healthy is the new green.  In our personal lives, sanitizers are everywhere. We have bathrooms where you don’t have to touch anything to wash and dry your hands.  

We wear devices to monitor the length and quality of our sleep and just about every other aspect of our health.  We wear noise-canceling headphones. And with the news about the Coronavirus, we will probably see more people wearing masks.

I was pleasantly surprised to see some companies, at the builder’s show,  recognizing the growing interest in health.

Homebuilders are always looking for ways to differentiate their homes without adding costs.  Production builders lose sales to other builders who offer almost the exact same homes with the same features.

If every home has granite countertops, walk-in closets and is energy efficient, how do they differentiate themselves?  They differentiate themselves with small points of difference.

Kwikset is a great example.

Some of Kwikset’s door handles are treated with an antimicrobial to inhibit the growth of bacteria.  If a builder points this out to a homebuyer, that little detail will stick in the buyer’s mind

Boos wood countertops also promoted their antimicrobial treatment at IBS.

BASF promotes indoor air quality and fewer allergens

Trane going all in for healthier homes.

Focusing on breathing easier by reducing dust, allergens, lower humidity and constant temperature levels. And my favorite, sleep better.

Delos showed how broad health and wellness can be.  They also showed how the occupants of commercial buildings have the same interests.  Wouldn’t you rather stay in a healthy hotel?

We are at the beginning of the healthy homes and movement. These companies are ahead of the curve.  There is a bit of the chicken and egg going on here.  Builders aren’t asking for healthier products because homebuyers aren’t asking for them.  Homebuyers aren’t asking for them because they don’t know they are available

Energy efficiency started when Owens Corning spent millions of dollars advertising the benefits of insulation to homeowners.  We also had an energy crisis in the 1970’s where the cost of oil skyrocketed and there were lines to buy gasoline. Consumer awareness and interest led to builders making homes more energy-efficient and the adoption of better building codes.

Today we have a lot of consumer interest in health and wellness.  But we don’t have a multimillion-dollar advertiser to create awareness.  This is going to take time and effort.

I talked with a builder who uses Kwikset.  They were unaware that they were treated with antimicrobials.  When I suggested that their salespeople should point this out to their homebuyer prospects, the builder called his sales manager and shared my suggestion.

I think this sign from the BASF exhibit sums it up nicely.  If you have a health and wellness story, you should be showing the builder how it can help them differentiate and sell more homes. 

If you don’t have a health and wellness story you should be developing one soon.  

Subscribe To My Newsletter

If you like what I say, sign up for my newsletter here and get my weekly newsletter every Sunday night.