Home buyers are increasingly asking questions about utility costs, energy efficiency and the effect on real estate value. Realtor Magazine reported in a recent study that among buyers age 43-53 years old, the single most important feature in a prospective new home purchase is improved energy efficiency. As sophisticated homebuyers become more concerned about lowering monthly costs, can real estate professionals afford to overlook this important trend? #1 Most important real estate home buyer feature - Realtor Magazine survey
Solar energy is one option to reduce your utility bill and increase the real estate value of your home. The Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy reports that hot water heating accounts for one-fifth to one-quarter of an average U.S. household’s energy usage. Installing a solar hot water heating system can reduce your hot water heating bill by 60 percent to 95 percent, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars a year. Invest in a solar hot water system for $3,000 to $6,000 and, in some cases, you might recoup the costs within only four to six years. The savings can continue year after year putting money in the bank while increasing the real esate value of your home. Published in Motherearthnews.com- Indexed on Oct 7, 2003
Energy savings can increase the appraised value of your home. The federally sponsored secondary mortgage markets of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHA now allow appraisers to capitalize the flow of energy savings in an energy efficient home and add the capatilized value to the market value of a home in the appraisal. FHA recognizes the value of energy savings
94% of new home buyers believed energy features are important in their buying decision. Energy features ranked in importance above such popular features as wall-to-wall carpeting, dishwashers, and fireplaces. 78% of real estate appraisers believed that energy efficient homes were worth more - approximately 5% more. (Source: South Carolina Electric & Gas) Home buyers place a dollar value on real estate energy efficiency
The value of a home increases by an average of $20 for every $1 decrease in annual utility costs according to a 1998 study commissioned by Environmental Protection Agency as reported in the Appraisal Journal - Real Estate Appraisers weigh in on energy efficiency Appraisal Journal Article on real estate Market Value of Energy Efficiency
Among buyers age 43-53 years old, the most important single feature in a prospective new home purchase is improved energy efficiency according to a recent study cited in Realtor Magazine. More and more home buyers are asking questions about utility costs and energy efficiency. As sophisticated homebuyers become more concerned about lowering monthly costs and their impact on the environment, can real estate professionals afford to overlook this important trend? #1 Most important real estate home buyer feature - Realtor Magazine survey
Fluorescent light fixtures one of the great secrets for saving on real estate utility bills says the National Association Of Realtors. Florescent lights are great for kitchens, workshops, laundries, recreation rooms and home offices. Florescent lights are one of the best kept secrets: they are about three to four times as efficient as incandescent lighting and last about 10 times longer. Lower your Durham real estate utility bills
Simple actions, say the team at ENERGY STAR, can save significant dollars. Savings on utility bills can add value to your home when you put it on the real estate market. Just replacing the bulbs with ENERY STAR qualified lighting in five of the fixtures you use most can save up to $60 per year in the average home, according to the real estate specialists on the ENERGY STAR team. Check out other ENERGY STAR fixtures and suggestions for additional savings at the ENERGY STAR web site. Advice from the real estate specialists at ENERGY STAR
How energy efficient is your home? Would you like to find out? And would you like find out how much you could save on your enegry bills by taking some steps to improve your home's energy efficiency? The Alliance to Save Energy is offering a FREE online Home Energy Checkup. Remember, lowering your energy bill will increase the real estate market value of your home. So you can save money each month; increase the value of your real estate when you sell your home; and feel good about being kinder to the environment. FREE Online Home Energy Checkup
Twenty Things You Can Do to Conserve Energy to lower your utility bills: If you may be putting your home on the market in the next few years, one way to add value to your home on the real estate market and dollars to your bank account today is to lower your utility bills. Whether you live in an all brick home in RTP or a two-story home in Durham or Chapel Hill you can lower your utility bills with these twenty suggestions from PowerScorecard. Make your Durham home more Energy Efficient
Interested in making your home more energy efficient? The US Dpartment of Energy is providing a collection of computer software programs for home owners and real estate agents in Durham and elsewhere to analyze the energy efficiency of your home - some are demo versions and some are full programs free for downloading. A home energy analysis is important at any time and especially if you are preparing your home for sale. Department of Energy Home Energy Efficiency Software list
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