Eco-friendly home features are highly desired by buyers because of their environmental and financial benefits. As people focus more on promoting a greener lifestyle, they want energy-saving products in their homes. When it’s time to sell your home, eco-friendly home features could help it sell faster and for higher resale value. Today’s buyers want these six eco-friendly features in the home they purchase. Some of these are fairly common in the modern home, but others are only found in highly specialized homes.
Energy Star Rated Appliances
Homebuyers want homes with Energy Star rated appliances because of their enhanced performance with reduced energy usage. High-efficiency appliances not only reduce utility costs for the homeowner but also look great.
Programmable Thermostats
Homeowners have more control over their home’s climate with programmable thermostats. According to NAR’s 2019 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 85% of buyers consider heating and cooling costs to be a significant factor in their home search. Programmable thermostats can help cut costs and reduce energy waste by homeowners customizing it to meet their specific needs.
Solar Panels
With buyers being more conscious of clean energy, homes equipped with solar panels are at the top of their lists. Solar panels not only allow homeowners to generate clean energy themselves, but it is also a more affordable option than relying only on the utility company for electricity.
Recycled Materials
Reusing materials rather than producing new makes less of an environmental impact when building and finishing homes. Reclaimed materials, such as barn wood, have been all the rage recently because of their unique textures and eliminating the need for the material to be wasted. Buyers searching for eco-friendly features will appreciate the use of recycled materials in a home.
Radiant Floor Heating
Most often found in upscale bathrooms, radiant heating uses less energy than traditional heating methods. The installation of radiant heating requires electric coils or water tubing under the floor, so it can be an expensive upfront cost. However, this efficient technology leads to lower energy expenses. Radiant floor heating pays off in the long run from lower energy costs to pocketing more at closing with this upgraded, desirable feature.
Geothermal Systems
More efficient than traditional HVAC systems, a geothermal system uses the ground’s cool temperatures (in the summer) and warmer temperatures (in the winter) to cool and heat a home. Extensive drilling is required when installing a geothermal system because it transfers heat from the earth into your home to regulate temperatures. The installation of geothermal systems are more expensive than traditional heating/cooling systems but is a surefire way to impress eco- home buyers.
Eco homes are in high demand because of their many environmental and financial advantages. If you are searching for a home with eco-friendly features in Southwest Virginia or Northeast Tennesse, contact our agents to help you find a home that meets all your needs.
Source: https://magazine.realtor/sales-and-marketing/sponsored/quickenloans/top-6-eco-friendly-home-features-buyers-want?AdobeAnalytics=ed_rid%3D6446824%26om_mid%3D3165%7CRealtorMagNews_2020_09_14%26om_nytpe%3DREALTOR%20MAG%20NEWS