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The Holistic Homes PodcastAuthor: Christine Cimabue Holistic Construction Consultant
Welcome to The Holistic Homes Podcast, the place for homeowners who are considering a new build or renovation and are ready to take the power of their homes health into their own hands. Building failures are happening everyday, Yes! even in new construction. I dont want that for you, so Im here as your holistic construction resource to guide you thru it all. Im your host Christine Cimabue, and Im a licensed contractor and holistic construction consultant. Everyday I hear stories about people moving into their dream home, only to realize months later that faulty construction is negatively effecting their health. This situation breaks my heart and I believe in empowering people to speak up in every step of the process. This podcast is where real, confident and stress free healthy home building begins! Best of all, you dont have to learn how to be contractor to effectively communicate your healthy home vision to your contractor or design team. Ill show you how! Join us as we chat about everything from mold prevention to the effects of different lighting on your health. What should you be asking your contractor? What's the best performing building materials? and how to spot red flags during construction? Were walking through it all together. So whether you're interested in understanding the health risks in modern builds, creating a healthy bathroom, or finding the right contractor for your holistic home build, Ive got you covered. It's time to create a safe and healthy home that aligns with your vision. Tune in to the Holistic Homes Podcast and start your journey towards your dream healthy home. Language: en Genres: Alternative Health, Education, Health & Fitness, How To Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Building a Healthy Home: What Actually Drives Cost | Ep. 20
Episode 20
Wednesday, 18 February, 2026
Build a healthier home with aligned professionals nationwide using our free Holistic Homes Directory 🏡🌱 https://holistichomesdirectory.com/ Want to apply to be listed in the Holistic Homes Directory?DM me APPLY on Instagram 📩 https://www.instagram.com/holistichomes.bychristine If you think building a healthy home is just a small upgrade from a standard build, you may be underestimating the real financial decisions in front of you. I’ve seen families focus on chandeliers and tile while ignoring the attic, basement, and exterior walls — the very places that determine whether your home stays dry or slowly turns into a mold problem.Today, I’m sharing what it actually costs to build a healthy home — where the numbers increase, what drives those costs, and how to make strategic decisions before construction even begins.In 2025 alone, I’ve consulted on projects across multiple regions where build costs ranged from $300–$600 per square foot — and what shocked most homeowners wasn’t the range itself, but what those numbers actually included. Most baseline builder quotes are driven by finishes, not performance. And when we start upgrading critical systems — like converting a ventilated attic to a fully sealed and conditioned attic — I routinely see that line item increase by 30–40%. Exterior enclosure upgrades, rigid insulation, rain screens, and robust basement waterproofing can raise specific scopes by 20–30% depending on the starting point.I walk you through what really moves the needle in cost: attics, exterior wall assemblies, and basements. For example, shifting from a standard ventilated attic to a sealed and conditioned attic often means essentially building two roof systems. That’s more labor, more material, and more technical precision — but it dramatically changes performance. The same applies to exterior walls. A code-minimum house wrap is not the same as a multi-layered, water-managed wall assembly with rigid insulation and a rain screen.The biggest mistake I see is homeowners allocating budget to interior finishes while leaving the exterior enclosure at baseline code minimums. Swapping out a chandelier in five years is easy. Re-excavating your foundation to fix failed waterproofing is not. A healthy home budget isn’t about spending more everywhere — it’s about spending intentionally where it matters most.In today's episode, we're talking about:Why cost per square foot ranges feel so frustrating (and what they actually mean)The real cost increase of sealed and conditioned attics (30–40%)How exterior wall upgrades can shift budgets 20–30%Why basements and waterproofing deserve more attention than finishesHow to strategically shift budget from interiors to performanceConnect with me: Instagram
