Five lessons from GBCA’s new guide for volume home builders

1.      Sustainable homes are becoming a mainstream buyer expectation, not a niche feature.

Domain’s Sustainability in Property Report 2025, released in May 2025, found that energy-efficient homes had moved into the mainstream. Buyers are increasingly looking for homes that can help lower energy bills, improve year-round comfort and reduce environmental impacts.

You’ll find more figures in the report, but here’s a snippet of how the data tells the story:

·       Sustainable homes are increasingly mainstream. In 2025 52.2% of houses sold had energy-efficient features

·       Green homes attract more buyer interest. +13.8% more views on real estate listings

·       People care about sustainable features within the home more than ever. 8 in 10 buyers consider sustainability features as “critical” or “important”

Green Star Homes translates these buyer aspirations into real world performance and gives builders the blueprint to get there.

2.      Certify a repeatable design, then deliver it at scale

Green Star Homes was created for volume home builders. Its Designed assessment allows a builder to certify a repeatable standard design or product line, creating efficiencies in documentation and supporting delivery at scale. Individual completed homes can then progress to Green Star Homes Certified certification. You probably already provide some of the inclusions. This gives you the opportunity to review your processes once and roll out any adjustments across the business.

Like most volume builders, chances are you already provide a selection of materials, fixtures and fittings for customers to choose from. Green Star requires reviewing these selections against our submission guidelines to identify compliant products.  

The guide recommends working with suppliers to review existing selections and, where necessary, substitute products that meet Green Star requirements. Once compliant products have been identified, they can be embedded in standard specifications and offered consistently across a product line.

3. Early engagement saves time and costly redesigns later.

Throughout the guide you'll find tips and reminders that will add ease to the certification process. One tip that came up again and again in our consultation with industry is the importance of engaging with your project team early.

Green Star Homes users consistently tell us that trades and site supervisors should be involved from the outset, so they understand the project’s goals and requirements. Explain what evidence is required, who is responsible for collecting it and when it is needed. Simple training, clear requirements in site inductions and regular reminders throughout construction can keep the team aligned and confident.

4.The Green Star build stages, categories and credits explained 

Before you discover the detailed explanations of the categories and credits, you'll find the clearly outlined stages of building a Green Star Home to guide you through your sustainable build and keep you on track throughout. The infographic below provides a snapshot of each credit, its attributes and how it contributes to a Green Star Home. The guide then explains each credit in more detail, including its intended outcome, the team members involved, when it should be implemented, practical tips, key considerations and further resources.