Green Home Improvement Tips
The environmental revolution has been taking over the world in recent decades, and nowadays we find many wonderful reasons to lead eco-conscious lives. Tenants and homebuyers are eager to find and invest in properties that boast green upgrades and were designed with sustainability in mind. These are the properties that attract the most affluent buyers and never fail to dominate the online listings, simply because they bring many benefits to the modern homeowner.
With lower power consumption and higher conservation, all the way to clean energy production and passive features that support the environmental cause, green properties are becoming increasingly popular with the millennial demographic. So, if you're wondering how to boost the value of your property and sell it to the highest bidder, rest assured it's through eco-friendly and sustainable upgrades.
Future-proofing your property is one of the best ways to attract the best buyers, and it's a great way to elevate its real and perceived value. With that in mind, here are the five green upgrades you should introduce right now to boost the value of your property.
Introduce water conservation around the house
Wasting precious natural resources is considered a crime among younger generations of renters and homeowners, and people are not about to invest in your property if you're not committed to water conservation. Drinking water is already becoming scarce around the world, and the millennial demographic in particular is extremely cautious about their water use in their homes.
So, your first order of business is to introduce water conservation features around your property. Water conservation is one of those improvements that will easily boost your home's value, and you can start with the bathroom. Install low-flow toilets and showerheads, as well as faucet aerators.
In the kitchen, install aerators as well, but focus on appliances that minimize water consumption, like a smart dishwasher. Invest in a water-saving washer and boiler as well. If the property has a sprinkler system for the lawn, make sure to upgrade to a newer system that conserves as much water as possible.
Invest in passive conservation throughout
Of course, it's not just about water conservation, it's about maximizing conservation in general. The new generation of homebuyers hates wastefulness, and there's nothing that can deter a buyer more nowadays than a wasteful home with overinflated heating or cooling bills. People don't want to overuse the HVAC system because it racks up the bills, but also because they know it's detrimental to the environment.
With that in mind, the only thing you can do to appeal to the green homebuyer is to invest in passive conservation. Start with the windows and opt for double-glazed models that prevent heat loss in the winter and keep the space cool during the summer.
Invest in floor, wall, and roof insulation as well to bolster the effects of heating and cooling throughout the interior. When you're investing in property, one of the best things you can do to future-proof the home is to invest in quality insulation, so don't skip this step.
You can’t go green without solar
One of the best ways to elevate the value of the property in the decades to come is to invest in clean energy production. With the new generations of homebuyers being so eco-conscious, they want to find the properties that allow them to generate clean energy to conserve natural resources and alleviate the stress off the municipal power grid.
Some countries like Australia, for example, are even incentivizing investors and owners to invest in clean energy. In these regions, you can always find good deals online on solar panels for sale that allow you to invest in solar on your own terms. You can use these deals and incentives to create a cost-effective transition plan to solar energy and install these systems on your property quickly.
Generating clean energy will not only raise the value of the property and future-proof your investment, but it will also attract the most affluent buyers.
Upgrade to energy-efficient appliances
It should go without saying that clean energy alone is not enough to transform your property, because you also need to minimize the waste of energy throughout the home with the right appliances. Upgrading old appliances to newer models with a high Energy Star rating is a great way to increase the value of the home and make the house ready to sell to the highest bidder. Make sure to shop around for the most efficient appliances and check their overall energy-saving potential for your property.
Use smart tech and scale the lighting
Last but not least, introducing smart technology goes a long way when you're trying to sell a property at a high price. Smart homes are all the rage nowadays, not just because they're convenient and functional, but because they allow the owners to take control of their spending and resource utilization.
Transforming the property into a smart or semi-smart home is one of those functional improvements that will elevate its value, and you can do it easily with some smart thermostats, smart lighting and appliances, and IoT. Use IoT-enabled devices throughout the property to allow the new owners to control their homes from their smartphones and optimize their energy and water use.
Wrapping up
Investing in green transformation is not just important for the environment, it's important for you and the future owners of the property. Invest in these upgrades to attract the best buyers and make your property a real gem in the competitive real estate market.
About the Publisher
Bo Kauffmann is a residential real estate agent with over 18 yrs experience in helping buyers and sellers achieve their goals. Inducted into the REMAX Hall of Fame in 2010 and receiving the REMAX Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, Bo has sold over 500 houses and condos in the Greater Winnipeg market. He is an accredited buyer representative (A.B.R.) and a Luxury Home Marketing Specialist.
Bo provides exceptional service to First-Time Home-Buyers, Seniors looking to downsize and Home Sellers of all ages.
He can be reached easily By E-Mail or call/text him Call/Text Here
Never miss an episode of our real estate podcast. Install our FREE Podcast App available on iOS and Android. For your Apple Devices, click here to install our iOS App. For your Android Devices, click here to install our Android App. Check my videos on Youtube
