Sustainable construction

Make your next building project or renovation efficient, comfortable and sustainable

Builder with tradies looking over building plans onsite

More and more builders, developers and trades are launching into sustainable construction by designing and building structures that minimise their negative impact on the environment and maximise their positive impact on society and the economy.

This is because of increasing customer demand for highly efficient properties, which bring a higher market value. Sustainable construction also reduces operating costs by using resources more efficiently and minimising waste. Reducing the overall environmental footprint will result in a low-impact home that is comfortable, efficient and healthy to live in.

At Green Moves, we’re here to help you figure out how to build sustainably. Whether you need advice on the choice of materials or how to design an energy-efficient building, we’re here to help.

What does ‘sustainable construction’ mean

Sustainable construction is building and constructing buildings in a way that’s good for its occupants and the environment. This includes thinking about everything from how the building is designed and constructed, to how it’s used and even deconstructed and recycled at end of life.

This means as builders, developers, architects and tradespeople, you’ll need to consider the materials you use, how efficient the building will be, and how the impact it has on the environment and community will affect the building’s long-term sustainability.

By using renewable materials and constructing efficient buildings, you’ll help the environment, improve your project value and increase revenue.

What’s so good about sustainable construction

Buildings that are sustainable in design and construction are more efficient and cost less to run. Research shows that sustainably constructed buildings have higher market values and sell faster. For builders and developers, this means higher potential revenue.

The national building code regulates the minimum level of efficiency of newly built homes. Going above and beyond provides additional benefits to the owner and occupant.

With the increasing cost of living, extreme weather conditions and climate change, buyers and renters are looking for more efficient buildings to live and work in. Sustainable buildings are more comfortable, efficient and cost-effective to run.

Builders who prioritise efficiency and sustainable construction practices, have a positive brand image and reputation with clients, employees and the public. This can lead to increased business opportunities and higher revenue.

As demand increases for sustainable buildings and renovations, builders who prioritise sustainability can future-ready their business and enjoy long-term success.

Sustainable construction helps reduce a project’s carbon footprint and the negative impact on the environment by reducing waste, energy and water usage.

How Green Moves can help in 3 easy steps

Builders looking at plans
  1. We’ll work with you and your team to make your building project as efficient, healthy and sustainable as possible. We can also give you information on marketing opportunities on the benefits and features of sustainable buildings and construction.
  2. For your residential construction projects, we can provide a Residential Efficiency Scorecard Assessment, off-the-plan for new builds. We can also provide the same assessment for existing buildings and renovations, giving a ‘before’ and ‘after’ assessment. Before and after assessments allow you to quantify the benefits of the upgrades.
  3. We add in the proposed changes and work out what can realistically be done to get you the best Scorecard rating. We would work through the potential upgrades with you so we only include the practical features.


We review the findings with you at the end of the assessment and you’ll get a report on the recommended changes as well as what Scorecard rating is possible on your project.

What you’ll get out of partnering with us

  • A well-informed new build or renovation
  • Knowledge of what features will offer the best value and what to include in your new build or renovation
  • Confidence that you’ll maximise the comfort, and cost to run the home you’re constructing or renovating
  • A report with the prioritised recommendations so you have something to refer to as your project progresses
  • If you choose a Scorecard rating baseline, you’ll also get a before and potential after rating for the project

Don’t just take our word for it, take a look at the house that Graeme built. The case study outlines what was involved in the build and the amazing results, with no gas or water bills and very minimal electricity costs.

Watch the video below featuring one of our new build Scorecard clients.

How much does it cost

The exact cost depends on the project requirements and service provided.

However, a single three-to-four-bedroom home build consultation including a Scorecard rating (before rating, list of opportunities and after rating) costs approximately $850.

Apartments and commercial projects are costed separately.

Why choose Green Moves

Our team have years of experience in residential efficiency. We’re fully accredited assessors and understand well how important home comfort and cost efficiency is.

You’ll find a full range of sustainable home solutions from our list of services. From basic guidance to fully tailored solutions, we’ll work with you to make sure you get the best advice and service.

We don’t take any fees or commissions from providers so you can trust that all the advice and recommendations you receive are completely independent. We pride ourselves on our easy-to-understand reports and practical advice that is also financially viable.

You’ll love how easy it is to deal with us. We believe in being honest and open and always strive to communicate clearly with you. You’ll always find our friendly team approachable and helpful.

Find out what people we’ve worked with say about us

We are leaders in building high performances houses in Australia, based in Wodonga and have worked with Danielle and Green Moves to help us maximise the sustainability and energy efficiency of the new homes we build.

We’ve found her expertise and experience highly valuable and she has a helpful, practical and realistic approach. She has certainly added value to our developments and readily shares her knowledge. Collaborating with Danielle has also helped us to achieve a 10 Star Scorecard rating for the new homes in our recent development (a first for new build homes in Victoria) and helped us promote it.

Her commitment and professionalism has truly helped us achieve the level we are working at. She has had a direct influence on us leading the market. 

I can recommend working with Danielle and am sure she will add value to any project.

Brendon Collins OAM

Director Elmwood Living

We had the pleasure of working with Green Moves on a major home renovation in Melbourne. Danielle’s expertise in sustainability and energy-efficient solutions was absolutely vital to ensuring that no opportunity to improve the future comfort and energy efficiency of the home was overlooked. She not only has deep technical knowledge and experience, she is also very practical and her advice is based on an honest and realistic assessment of costs and benefits. We enjoyed working with her and were very impressed with the value she added and the beautiful, efficient and comfortable home we achieved together.
We highly recommend Danielle and the Green Moves team.

Sue Davidson

I had plans drawn up to renovate 2 small homes that were semi-detached in Barkley St, Elwood. After meeting Danie at the MBA Expo in July I asked her to review the plans with an eye on energy efficiency and sustainability to ensure we made the homes as efficient as possible. She visited the development site and returned to our home and reviewed the plans with us. She easily read the plans, understood the details, identified north orientation and symbols and was able to identify some key issues that will be easy to resolve before the building starts. Danie also identified potential issues for the upcoming energy rating and advised on items involved with Section J (specifically insulation) of the building code and the new energy restrictions for lighting.

We were very happy with the advice and guidance given and would recommend Green Moves to anyone who is considering building or renovating to create a sustainable home.

Gail S.

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