With all the rage about “Going Green” lately, more and more Orlando home buyers are inquiring about green features when considering properties.
There is soo many advantages to making your home a “Green Home” and homeowners are steadily waking up and joining the going green revolution regardless of whether they’re of selling or staying put.
It just makes sense. Going green increases the value of a property by making it more attractive to environmentally conscious buyers as well as lowering your monthly energy bill.
By making a few simple changes like using energy-saving light bulbs and appliances, using a tankless water heater system, and tinting your windows, homeowners can add legitimate value to their homes.
Here’s a quick list of things that you can do to make sure that your home is as green as can be for the echo-friendly buyer.
Simple Green Updates That Don’t Cost A lot Of Green
Update The Lighting. By using LED and CFL low energy bulbs you can save as much as $6.00 per year on a single light bulb! That may not sound like a lot but I bet if you count every light bulb in your house and multiply that number by 6 I bet you’ll feel differently. Also, the amount of energy being used is about 75% less than with traditional bulbs.
Install A Tankless Water Heater. Traditional water heaters store a lot of water and as a result, they have to consistently heat and reheat all the water in the tank whether it gets used or not. Tankless water heaters don’t store water and because of that, they use about 50% less energy than a traditional water heater. Also, with these water heaters, you will never run out of hot water again. The water gets heated instantly by the coils contained within the unit only when you need it.
Update The Appliances. By using “Energy Star” appliances you can save some serious green over the course of a year. Sure they cost more than traditional appliances but soon they will pay for themselves because they use anywhere from 20% to 50% less than traditional appliances. Make sure to let potential buyers know how much you’re saving on the electric bill because of the appliances.
Update The Bathrooms With Low-Flow Fixtures. By using low-flow showerheads and toilets, you can reduce household water consumption by up to 50% without sacrificing water pressure. Again, there is more of an upfront cost by switching to these fixtures but well worth it in the long run.
Install Energy Trackers. You can keep track of how much energy each appliance in your house uses or for around three hundred dollars you can have a device that will monitor the energy usage of your entire home that provides you with real-time feedback on how much energy you are using and how much you’re wasting.
There are a gazillion models to choose from these days and with the new technology, they’re even syncing them with smartphones and Ipads.
Whether you’re selling your home or planning on staying for a while, turning your home into a “Green Home” just makes sense. If you want to sell, then your home will have an added value that most other homes on the market won’t be able to compete with.
On the other hand, if this is your dream home where you plan on spending your golden years, then you can start saving big money as well as help save the planet. It’s a win-win no matter how you look at it.
