7 Considerations for Climate-Conscious House Hunters

This was originally published to Forbes on July 30, 2025.

The pros and cons of owning a home versus renting one are changing along with the climate. Aspiring homeowners are already grappling with rising mortgage rates, record-high home prices and near-record rent prices, and now they’re having to factor risk from natural disasters and skyrocketing insurance costs into their decisions about where to live.

Here are seven key considerations for anyone contemplating their next housing decision with an eye toward the environment and its inherent risks.

1. How Do Natural Disaster Risks Impact The Homes You’re Looking At?

Look on websites like First Street or Redfin to check individual properties for climate scores covering flood, fire, heat, wind, and air quality risks. There are many online resources that can be used to check for environment-related risks, including government flood, fire and earthquake maps.

2. Estimate How Climate Risks Will Impact Your Home, Your Life — And Your Wallet

The climate impacts everything from your health, to your work, to your wallet. If your house is in an area with high heat or air quality risk, you are likely to spend more time inside — and less time on that new patio — when it’s too uncomfortable or unhealthy to be outside. When it comes to financial implications, house hunters should be aware that living in an area with high flood, fire and wind risk can lead to increased home insurance premiums. It may also mean extra costs to protect your home and cover the cost of repairs following a disaster.

3. Guarding Against Environmental Concerns

Houses can be hardened to withstand high winds and extreme temperatures. Yards can be landscaped to navigate flood waters and fires away from homes. Metal roofs can also reduce wildfire damage. Air filters and upgraded windows can keep unhealthy air out of your home. All these upgrades, however, come with costs.

4. Climate-Related Risks (And Their Associated Costs) Will Change Over Time

Consider how the climate has changed in the location you are looking to move over the past 30 years. How much have associated insurance premiums and property maintenance costs risen over that time? Will those costs be affordable if you own the house in 2054?

5. Environmental Costs Will Be Passed On To Renters

While tenants won’t be directly responsible for many environment-related expenses, rents will likely increase as it becomes more expensive for property owners to protect their rental investments from natural disasters. Look for long-term projections of climate risks for individual houses

6. Climate Migration May Lead To Higher Prices In Certain Areas

Prices are likely to rise in less risky locations. For example, a city like Minneapolis may see an increase in prices if people increasingly prefer its cooler climate over the heat and humidity of a southern city like New Orleans. Where there is a lack of investment to protect disaster-prone areas, home prices may fall as risks grow and buyer demand decreases.

7. Are Local Governments Protecting Properties From Future Climate Risks?

House hunters should consider actions local governments are taking to guard against future natural disasters in the location they are looking to move to, including measures like building levees, sea walls and pumping systems, or wildfire fuel load reduction.

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