The limited use of LCC for households often overlooks long-term health and financial benefits for resident

When designing affordable homes, it is crucial to strike a balance between construction costs, future operational expenses (such as energy, maintenance, and repairs), and long-term quality, all of which impact residents’ health and financial wellbeing. Life Cycle Costing (LCC) is a method that helps estimate the total costs over a home’s lifespan, integrating both initial and ongoing expenses based on design choices that affect quality. However, using LCC in design stages might lead to a focus on reducing upfront costs, potentially overlooking investments in tangible features crucial for residents’ long-term health and financial stability. This oversight could be attributed to inconsistencies  in parameter selection for inclusion in an LCC model.  For instance, due to budget constraints, housing providers might need to reduce upfront costs as construction expenses continue to rise. In such cases, photovoltaic panels, despite their long-term financial benefits for households, might be omitted to achieve immediate cost savings.