More buyers and home owners are ranking energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly home features high in surveys.
When placing your home on the market, be sure to give your agent a list of all the 'green' energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly features you have in your home. These features do make a difference for buyers, and may cause your home to sell faster and for more money.
You can also realize considerable savings on your monthly utility bills.
Here is a list of some easy steps you can take to make your home more 'green'.
- Swap out the light bulbs for LED light bulbs, which can be 80% more energy efficient and last as much as 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
- Have a programmable thermostat that can save you about $180 a year in energy costs, according to Energy Star.
- Trade in your old water heater for a heat pump hot water heater that can be more than twice as efficient as standard electric resistance tanks.
- Add aerators to faucets and shower heads to limit the amount of water that is used.
- Add Energy Star-qualified ceiling fans that can be 50 percent more efficient than conventional units.
- Use Energy Star appliances for savings in monthly utility bills.
- Replace old faucets with low-flow faucets to save water.
- Replace old windows with dual-pane energy-efficient windows.
Read more about what 'green' features are important to buyers: ‘Green’ Is Important for Buyers - Green isn't just popular for St. Patrick’s Day: more home buyers say green features are influencing their purchasing decisions. [NAR Daily News]
