InFluential_Magazine_May_June_2017
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
IN FLUENCE<br />
Green Living<br />
5THAT CAN HELP SELL<br />
YOUR HOME FOR MORE<br />
DEMAND<br />
REMAINS HIGH FOR<br />
ENERGY-EFFICIENT,<br />
ECO-FRIENDLY<br />
HOME FEATURES,<br />
ACCORDING TO<br />
A SURVEY BY<br />
THE NATIONAL<br />
ASSOCIATION OF<br />
HOME BUILDERS.<br />
IN FACT, THE<br />
MAJORITY OF<br />
BUILDERS NOW<br />
PUT ENERGY-<br />
EFFICIENT WINDOWS,<br />
HEATING AND<br />
COOLING SYSTEMS,<br />
THERMOSTATS AND<br />
APPLIANCES IN THEIR<br />
CONSTRUCTION,<br />
THE SURVEY SAYS.<br />
GREEN HOME IMPROVEMENTS<br />
I<br />
f you’re selling your home<br />
and hope to compete<br />
with new construction -<br />
as well as set your house apart<br />
from other resales- making green<br />
improvements could significantly<br />
pay off. “Updating your home with<br />
green features can attract more<br />
buyers and even increase your home’s<br />
sale price,” says Geoff Lewis, president<br />
of RE/MAX, LLC. “Buyers are not only<br />
looking for cosmetic upgrades,<br />
they also want improvements that<br />
will help save them money for as long<br />
as they live in the home.”<br />
Some green projects you can easily<br />
accomplish yourself, like replacing<br />
less efficient light bulbs with compact<br />
fluorescent light bulbs or LEDs<br />
throughout the house, or installing<br />
a programmable thermostat. Other<br />
improvements may require professional<br />
expertise but can result in even<br />
bigger payoffs.<br />
Here are five popular green home<br />
improvements that could help boost<br />
your home’s resale value, and save<br />
you money until you’re ready to sell:<br />
Windows: Replacing older windows<br />
with ENERGY STAR-rated<br />
high-efficiency windows could<br />
lower your annual energy bill as<br />
much as 12 percent, according<br />
to the United States Department<br />
of Energy. What’s more, ENERGY<br />
STAR-rated windows may qualify for<br />
a tax credit of 10 percent off the<br />
cost of the windows.<br />
Insulation: Most homes in the<br />
U.S. don’t have enough insulation,<br />
according to energystar.gov.<br />
Adding insulation and sealing air<br />
leaks could reduce annual energy<br />
bills by 10 percent. At the time of<br />
resale, adding fiberglass insulation<br />
in the attic could recoup 107<br />
percent of the cost, according to<br />
Remodeling <strong>Magazine</strong>’s Cost vs.<br />
Value report.<br />
Front Door: It’s a key part of<br />
your home’s curb appeal and the<br />
last exterior feature homebuyers<br />
see before entering your house.<br />
However, a front door needs<br />
to do more than look good.<br />
Replacing an older, wooden door<br />
with an energy-efficient, secure<br />
steel door recoups more than 90<br />
percent of its cost when you sell<br />
your home, according to the Cost<br />
vs. Value report.<br />
34 FLUENTIAL MAY / JUNE <strong>2017</strong>
Change language