As the national economy continues to rebuild itself, the industry for custom built and custom designed homes keeps growing. Many people choose to design and build their own homes because it lets them literally create the house of their dreams.

Another unexpected advantage of opting to create your own new custom homes plans rather than buying a pre-owned house? They are actually very eco-friendly — in several different ways!

Here are the top three surprising ways that custom built homes can be great for the environment:

Custom built homes have all-new appliances.

Did you know that 99% of existing homes in America are considered “sick” — in other words, they waste energy because they are damp, draft-ridden and full of dust? Unlike buying a previously-owned home, you get to choose the greenest appliances for your home that you want when you build a house of your own design. From your refrigerator to your dishwasher, you can get appliances that will use as little energy and water as possible.

Custom homes are built to modern-day energy codes.

Compared to the municipal energy codes of even a decade ago, today’s energy requirements are much more strict — and your custom built house will be built to adhere to these new standards.

Custom homes are energy-efficient on a holistic level.

Custom built homes don’t just have energy-efficient appliances. With custom build homes, you can choose the most eco-friendly building supplies, from wood that comes from sustainable forestry initiatives to metals and other materials that are renewable.

What are your thoughts on adding a little more green into your next home? Share with us in the comments below. More research here.