Melburnians rejoice as Spring is (almost) upon us.As I look out my east facing office window I find the sun shining just that little bit higher and brighter. My mornings are now kept with the blind turned down.Thank the heavens Melbourne winter is nearly over!At the peak of winter I always wonder how other people’s homes could be as cold as mine!I have an old Victorian terrace, long and narrow which is double brick. It's beautiful in summer with great air-flow and thermal mass but horribly cold in the winter months.I can’t imagine how a family with young kids must survive!I did grow up in Melbourne and none of this is new to me but how cold my home become always seems to shock me!I’ve recently joined the deluge of people trying to secure a rental property around inner Melbourne.Obvious to say the number one question asked is “Does the home have heating?”Naturally most homes have some source of heating (some better than others) but heating a home costs money….and, those costs are skyrocketing!One thing I was pleasantly surprised to see is realestate.com.au with their new ‘Eco-friendly’ search filter.There is a clear trend, even in the rental market of consumer consciousness pointing toward ‘Eco-friendly’ features and home comfort.This is inspired by most people's back pocket and is particularly heightened this time of year when utilities bills cost us so much…. I know mine nearly quadrupled from summer!With energy prices only getting higher and people demanding more comfort, if you’re building or renovating and not considering the running costs and comfort of your home you will be left behind and live to regret it.