Have you ever thought to buy a villa in Italy? If so, have you hesitated about whether it should be in Italy or another European country? Have possibly worried about the language?

Well we went through all these thoughts when we first pondered the move. We got our globe out and immediately ticked off the places we didn’t want to go to. We then went to an international property fair and from that ticked off a whole load more places and under without really realizing it, Italy came out top of the list in all the areas we prioritized. We had been on holiday a number of times and always loved it so we came, we looked, we bought, we moved and we have had eight wonderful years here and intend having many more. Here are the five reasons why:

The weather. It is warm most of the year, hot in July and August and can cold in winter but the cooler weather is welcomed and refreshing.

The people. They are warm, charming, considerate and delightful. They love it when you try and speak their language and they are so patient in helping you along. They will go out of their way to assist with whatever the problem may be and they do it with such grace.

The medical care. If you come from a European country, your care is covered and operates very similarly to the British National Health System. If not from Europe, you will presumably have medical insurance. Once in the system, our experience has been that the medical staff are thorough, helpful, patient, give you as much time as you need and waiting times are reasonable.

The country and its history. It is so stunningly beautiful with a diversely interesting history which is to be seen everywhere and which means you will never be bored. Whether it is the ancient towns, art, the ruins or artifacts of the Etruscans or the Romans, the traditions which are regularly played out, there is always somewhere wonderful to go and something to see.

The food – of course. The only way I can express it is to repeat what Marcella Hazan says in her book entitled ‘The Classic Italian Cookbook’ and that is ‘Nothing significant exists under Italy’s sun that is not touched by art. Its food is twice blessed because it is the product of two arts – the art of cooking and the art of eating. Not everyone in Italy may know how to cook, but nearly everyone knows how to eat. Eating in Italy is one more manifestation of the Italian age-old gift of making art out of life’.

And so here we are and for these reasons and many more, we love our life here. Buying a villa in Italy was one of the best decisions we ever made.

There is really no evidence to really prove if going green actually adds value to your home. According to certain specialists, installing energy- and water-saving technology to your home does in fact add value to your property. It also adds more value to those who are interested in purchasing these kinds of homes. You are more likely to sell your home in a higher price and also are more likely to be in demand. There will be more people who are likely to want to purchase these homes than regular ones. The more these homes are in demand, the more people would want to have them. This means the purchase price for this kind of property would increase.

There was a study done in Australia which determined that most office buildings with very high green star ratings are rented more often, which means they are able to profit more. The property in itself is considered high in value. This trend is spilling unto residential properties as well and many homeowners are finding out that they too can benefit from this revelation by having a high green star rating on their homes.

Even though you can profit more on properties with high green rating, it is also good to know that it is beneficial to the environment as well. The fact that it is not only beneficial to you financially makes it an ideal investment. It is also good to know that it will help in how the environment is treated. It is basically great for two reasons. This is definitely a win-win situation. Those who care about the environment will most likely purchase these types of homes since they know they will be helping the environment in the long run. Preserving and giving back to Mother Nature will be worth every cent to them.

The fact that the cost of electricity and water is increasing nowadays will definitely be a good idea to own home like this. It will lower the costs since it is a home or property that saves energy and water. It is not only beneficial to the environment but it will also lower the cost of living when it comes to utility expenses. If you choose to own a home like this, it will most likely save you money over the years even though it will cost you a lot to buy one. Look at it this way – purchasing a home with high green rating will benefit you in the long run because you will be saving money with lower costs in water and electricity which is two of the major things people need to survive. With the cost of living going higher and higher, it helps to have a home that will lessen the costs when it comes to the essentials.

It is true that going green will in fact add value to your home. Why not spend on a home that will not only save you money in the long run but also help the environment while you are at it. Green homes are fast becoming a necessity in this day and age where earth’s resources are becoming scarce if we don’t start to conserve today. Some say green homes and buildings are the future and this is the best investment a person can make for their family, the earth and future generations.

Going “green” does not refer to a color but rather to an attitude about the environment. Its scope is wide as there are many ways for humankind to negatively impact the environment. In a nutshell, it is really all about the sound utilization of resources and preserving natural elements. On a daily basis, people may or may not knowingly participate in going green through simple activities such as using recycled paper bags instead of plastic bags and turning lights off when not in use.

Benefits

While going green may seem like a campaign for environmentalists, it has tangible benefits when implemented in a commercial office setting.

Appeal – Deciding to create an environmentally sound workplace can boost a company’s appeal to both employees and clients. It may not be obvious, but due to growing environmental and energy concerns, a large percentage of the population feels very strongly about this subject. A green office space can help gain the approval of individuals who support such a cause.

Spending – Another tangible benefit of going green is to help reduce company spending by improving efficiency in the usage of resources as well as energy. Things like using recycled paper, using natural lighting and turning computer monitors off when away are a few things that could eventually lead to expense reduction.

Environment – Last yet equally important is it helps the environment. No matter how it is looked at, most resources are non-renewable such as fossil fuel which is still the most common source of generating electricity. While there are some renewable sources such as trees, it take decades to restore one tree. Utilizing resources wisely can lead to more efficient usage of non-renewable resources and sustainability for the renewable ones.

Green Practices

Improving building efficiency requires proficient utilization of energy-consuming appliances, lighting and water.

Appliances – Most appliances today such as televisions, computer monitors and air-conditioning units are equipped with energy-saving features that can automatically shut off when not used for a certain period of time. Upgrade older appliances since technology is much more energy-efficient than decades or even years ago. If such an option is not possible, the most effective way of saving energy is to simply turn off appliances when not in use.

Lighting – Illumination is a crucial element in any office space; it is also one of the most wasteful ones. When changing light bulbs, choose CFL bulbs that are the most efficient in terms of light intensity per watt of electricity. Another way to improve efficiency is to use natural lighting. If an office space is fortunate enough to have large windows, using natural light along with artificial light to get the right intensity could be ideal for working while decreasing energy consumption.

Water – Improve water efficiency by using auto shut off faucets for sinks, waterless urinals, and low-flow toilets. While these upgrades have a high initial cost, such an action will be beneficial over time by reducing the amount of the water bill.

In conclusion, going green is not just a fad; it should be part of everyone’s lifestyle – even at work. It is possible to implement office changes that can have a great environmental impact. While some steps may require an initial investment such as upgrading to energy-efficient appliances or waterless urinals, it is a wise investment that will benefit a company financially and most importantly preserve the environment!

There are many things residents can do who live in an apartments to be green and help the environment.

The one thing that makes renting better than home ownership is that it is easier to live close to your job. The closer you live to work, the less pollution is generated getting to and from your job. And with shorter commutes you get more time to be with your friends and family. Try to find an apartment that is located near transit stations (bus, train, light-rail, airport). You can also look for apartment that provide eco-friendly resources like extra recycling bins, native plant gardens, uses low VOC paint, is smoke-free, and other resources.Look for an apartment that is near local shops so you can walk to the store to get groceries, food, and other common items.

The most obvious things renters can do is to reduce, re-use and recycle. If your building does not have a recycling program, look into starting one or find the nearest recycling drop center. Get to know your neighbors so if you have items you no longer need you can see if they would want it. You can also do simple things like

utilizing reusable bags,

buying and using eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products,

remove yourself from junk mail lists

put recycling containers by your mail box

use Fen Shui in your apartment

start a building club so everyone can get to know each other

There are also many things you can do to impact your energy bill, including:

If you’re not using a light, turn it off as you leave the room. Plus, try using energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs that help reduce your electric bill and provide light many times longer.

When using air conditioners in the summer, be sure to only keep the unit on when you’re home or when absolutely necessary.

Another great way to lower your electric bill and save energy is to unplug your electrical appliances when you’re not using them. Or, plug your appliances into a power strip and the turn the power strip off when the appliances aren’t in use!

Refrigerators do use a lot of electricity. Be sure not to set the temperature in your refrigerator too cold.

Can you compost in your apartment? Yes, make a worm compost bin. You can even work with the owner and landlord of the building to install low flow water devices. Another important thing is to let your landlord know when there are water leaks, or if your apartment is too hot. They can then fix these items, helping our environment by not wasting its resources.

Many central control irrigation systems provide the kind of flexibility and control options that result in water savings under the right circumstances. By “right circumstances”, I mean that a professional, knowledgeable water manager is running the system. Following are three examples of how a properly run central control irrigation system can function for the long term.

One such instance is on a property located in the state of Washington. This property is a residential development that caters to homeowners 55 years of age and older. Development started around 2000 and, as of 2010, is pretty much completely built out. From day one, central control was installed to run the irrigation system.

The equipment on the property consists of one CCU, six irrigation controllers, four flow sensors, and 160 irrigation valves. The method for communicating to this CCU is a telephone modem.

For several years, this way of communicating to the CCU worked very well and without a hitch. Then in 2009, it changed. The property manager made some kind of administrative mistake that caused the phone provider to disconnect the phone line to the CCU. Without a live phone line, the water manager had no way to communicate, control and monitor the system nor any of the irrigation water.

However, given the system’s flexibility and the water manager’s expertise, a solution was found and implemented. Instead of relying on a phone line, the water manager acquired a wireless modem. This device operates on a cellular network meaning there was no need for a wired connection going into the CCU. Along with some adjustments on the irrigation software located at its home office, the water manager reestablished control over the irrigation system and the property owner did not have to fuss with any of it.

A second example is a property where a central control irrigation system has been actively put to use for multiple years is a commercial office park located in the state of Oregon. This property, developed in the 1980s, consists of 15 acres of landscaping around more than a dozen buildings and along more than a mile of streets. The irrigation system consists of one CCU, eight irrigation controllers, five flow sensors and 120 irrigation valves.

Now with any electrical system that has been in constant use for 20 plus years, especially one largely located outside of buildings, there are occasional issues that have occurred. These issues included slugs and bugs causing damage inside of irrigation controllers, power loss taking place outside of the irrigation system and a litany of irrigation breaks caused by lawn mowers, motor vehicles, wear and tear and vandalism. Throughout all of these events and issues, tens of millions of gallons of water, scorching heat and freezing winds, this central control system continues to function due to proper management and maintenance.

A third example is a mixed-use property located west of Portland, Oregon. This site includes local and national retailers and grocers located at street level. Above these tenants are condominiums and on the same block are brownstone-style homes. As a part of the various management agreements for this development is a process by which monthly expenses are assigned to different tenants on the property. Among the expenses broken up is water used for irrigation.

Having the right combination of hardware, software and management goes a long way toward helping the property manager with this process. As a part of its irrigation system duties, the water manager analyzes the amount of water measured by the flow sensors and also takes a water meter reading on-site. With this information in hand, the water manager then breaks it down for the property manager to apply the figures as appropriate to the monthly tenant billings.

Since irrigation water use is best applied when it is a function of weather, the volume of water from month to month can vary quite a bit. Because the central system can record and store this kind of information and that a knowledgeable, proactive water manager is running the irrigation system, the property manager gets accurate and timely information.

In all three examples, the central control irrigation system continues to function very well over a long period of time because the property managers and owners place a high value on water use and a professional water manager is running the irrigation system.