The owners of a McMansion shared on Reddit apparently value vehicles. The sprawling lakefront home is bookended by massive two-car garages that are themselves the size of most people's abodes.
The photo, pulled from Facebook, doesn't provide many details on the whereabouts of the "beyond perfection" property. But perfection seems to be a subjective opinion, according to Redditors.
"They also bulldozed that forest to make way for an empty lawn," a user commented on the post in the r/f***cars subreddit.
It's hard to determine how planet-unfriendly the lakefront property is from the photo alone. If the four garage bays are full of electric vehicles, the owners are preventing thousands of pounds of heat-trapping tailpipe exhaust per ride annually by avoiding gas-guzzlers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That's in addition to the $1,500 in gas and maintenance costs being eliminated each year. The home could also be loaded with the latest tech, including heat pumps, smart thermostats, and induction ranges, cutting energy expenses and even more pollution.
The photo doesn't have evidence of solar panels, but adding a system to the abundant roof space could save another $700 yearly, after expenses, according to a government study.
EnergySage is a free online service that can help owners of McMansions and other homes unlock incentives and tax breaks and compare quotes, saving up to $10,000 on installation.
McMansions are often criticized for having wasted space in extremely high vaulted ceilings and cavernous rooms, along with being cheaply built with cookie-cutter designs. The lost, empty spaces can be a burden to heat. The U.S. Department of Energy reported that heating your home accounts for about 29% of your utility bill. So every extra air pocket counts.
A more extreme example of excess is Jeff Bezos' $165 million Beverly Hills mansion, which has a stories-high hedge fence surrounding the property. The home was originally built by Jack Warner, a founder of Warner Bros., in the 1920s. The giant hedge was reported nearly a decade ago to have sucked up 27,000 gallons of water a day during the summer when philanthropist David Geffen owned it.
It's in stark contrast to the ultra-efficient tiny-home lifestyle, which utilizes every inch of space with sustainability in mind. Efficient rental cabins in Quebec have even combined exercise with electricity generation via a human-sized hamster wheel as part of the thrifty design.
The good news is that energy-saving tech — solar panels and modern appliances — works in homes of any size, cutting planet-warming pollution that's linked by medical experts to asthma, dementia, and a growing list of other health risks.
|
💡Solar quotes you can trust
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers in your area. To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
The Cool Down may receive a commission on signups made through links on this page, but we only promote partners we vet and believe in. For more cool tips like this one, check out our solutions marketplace here.
|
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
That's true even if two-thirds of the home is a place to park cars.
"Totally bizarre property," one Redditor commented.
|
Do you think America is in a housing crisis? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 🙁 
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
