Today, Steve and I walked through Lowe’s discussing what we need to do to the townhouse in order to bring it up to the standard of our neighbors–not to keep up with the Joneses, really, but so that our unit is comparable to others for sale or for rent. When I bought it in August 2004, I never intended to live here this long. Damn real estate market! Despite being nearly $35k underwater, we need to update the place desperately. We plan to live here for another 3-4 years, then turn it into a rental. That means whatever upgrades or projects we do must be durable. And in my mind, it also means it must be green.

Steve says that if choice A is green and B is not, and the items are comparably priced, he’d go with A. But if A is pricier than B, he’d go with B. “Both things are already in a warehouse somewhere, so it doesn’t matter if we buy green or not because the things are already made,” he argued. “I’m not going to spend an extra 2 grand on a cork floor just to make a statement or be trendy.”

“I’m not trying to make a statement or do what’s trendy,” I retorted. “I’m trying to do what’s right.”

I’m not crunchy green by any means, but I do my part as I can. In 2007, I traded in my beloved Volvo for a low-emissions Honda Civic. I eliminated bottled water from our household about 3 years ago. I have used fewer than 4 dozen plastic shopping bags and produce bags  in the past 2 years, and those I have brought home I’ve reused a few times. I’ve decreased my use of plastic baggies, and wash and re-use them unless they’ve had raw poultry in them. We haven’t recycled at home because, as a resident of unincorporated Arapahoe County, no one will pick up from my house. However, I’ve just arranged with Laurel, who lives in Denver proper, to bring our recycling to her house. We’ll see how that works. If we had a bigger yard I’d compost; Steve put his foot down when I talked about putting a worm farm in the basement. I use earth-friendly household cleaners with the exception of Clorox bleach, and I’ve finally found a line of cosmetics (Tarte) that contains zero petroleum products and actually has excellent quality. I buy some organic produce and meat. And for the most part, we’re using compact fluorescents.

Steve does none of this stuff because it doesn’t matter to him. I can’t make it matter to him either.

Since being environmentally responsible is a growing value of mine, I feel strongly that we shouldn’t put more plastic into our house (carpet), and that we should use renewable-source flooring (bamboo or cork) even if it is more expensive. I don’t want to rip out the counters (another landfill issue), but prefer to find some way to resurface them–maybe recycled glass or concrete that uses the existing counters as a base. And replacing the windows–which are horribly inefficient and drafty–may not help us get more rent, but I’m sure that between the current federal government rebate and the energy savings we’d pay for them over the next several years … even if the current windows and skylights are “fine.”

I’m not sure how we can be more green as we finish the basement, which is a must because 90% of the units have finished basements which currently puts us at a disadvantage. That project will be the most expensive, because I insist that we pull permits and hire a licensed electrician. It will be a simple finish: a bedroom, a great room, and a shelled-in bathroom unless we can figure out how to finish a bathroom for about $1500. Having the third full bathroom will make a difference down the line for renting and resale, so investing in a sink, toilet and shower down there may be worthwhile.

As I’m sitting here envisioning these projects, with no money in the bank and no real ideas–outside of second jobs for both of us since there is no equity to pull out of this place–for how we’d finance the $15k to $20k we’re talking about, it’s easy for me to insist that renters and buyers will give preference to our unit if we include green finishes, or that the extra money it would cost to use green products is worth it. I wonder if, when faced with writing a check for $6k for 2200 square feet of flooring vs $4500 I’ll change my mind and go with oak floors, the cheapest option. The green things I’ve been doing have not been noticeably more expensive (with the exception of the cosmetics, ouch!). Will I stick to my guns when real money is on the line?