The priorities buyers set when looking for a new home constantly change. Nowadays, one of the top priorities is sustainability and overall eco-awareness of modern properties. Buyers are looking for a luxurious, spacious home that doesn’t hurt the environment as much, but also saves them energy and reduces bills. That’s why we’ve selected the top eco-friendly features of modern homes you should focus on if you’re preparing a property for sale or looking for a new home for your family.
Why having an eco-friendly home is important?
Not so many people understand the importance of sustainability in real estate. This is a topic that needs more attention in the real estate world, as choosing eco-friendly homes has multiple benefits. It can make your home more cost-efficient, but also a healthier place for your beloved family. Finally, green homes do so much for the environment leaving a minimal negative impact on our planet. Green homes are the reality of building trends and will be for the years to come.
Eco-friendly structure and materials you can find in your region
The way a house is built tells a lot about the eco-awareness of its owners. Choosing wood, stone, and other materials you can locally source leaves a much smaller carbon footprint on our planet. Locally sourced materials are a much better solution, but the options will depend on the region your property is in. So, if you’re building a home soon or plan to renovate, be sure to make wiser choices when picking materials for this project.
LEED system
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a system that rates green buildings around the world. A LEED-certified home offers a healthier lifestyle to its residents, lower bills, and leaves a minimal trace on our environment. Building a home with the LEED certification means getting a sustainable and high-performance home that will cost the same to build yet save you money in the long run.
Energy-efficient lights
A safe, cozy home has enough lights all around it. However, when we include both indoor and outdoor lighting, the electricity bill can be pretty high. That’s why choosing energy-efficient LED lighting is one of the top eco-friendly features of a modern home. LED bulbs spend far less energy than traditional bulbs, and they last much longer. This is an incredible way to reduce your energy consumption and lower your bills but still have a well-lit home.
Let’s leave the old bulbs behind – LED lights are a lot better solution for an eco-friendly home. Alt.tag: a plant growing inside a light bulb
Solar panels
This is one of the higher-end investments, but it surely pays off. Solar panels make your home dependent on a renewable energy source that cannot run out. The installation of solar panels on your roof offers multiple benefits – lower carbon footprints, saving money on electric bills, and finally, increasing your home value. If you’re looking for a way to make your property stand out among other listings in the neighborhood and sell faster, installing solar panels might be the right way to go. Solar panels can increase the value of your home significantly, so you can get more money and attract buyers a lot faster.
Solar panels are one of the top eco-friendly features of modern homes. Alt.tag: solar panels as eco-friendly features of modern homes
Geothermal heating and cooling system
Similarly to solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling depend on nature. These systems collect the consistent temperature below the ground and in that way heat or cool the building above it. This system is dependent on renewable sources, and it’s surely one of the top eco-friendly features of modern homes. It reduces greenhouse emissions by up to 70%, which can make a significant change to the way we treat the environment. Other benefits of these systems include:
- It’s more affordable in the long run
- It’s safe to use
- These systems increase the value of the property
- The simplicity of producing hot water.
Energy-efficient appliances
Buyers love to see a home that includes appliances in the kitchen or laundry room. And if those appliances carry the Energy Star label, the property becomes even more desirable. These energy-efficient appliances save money as they spend less energy doing the same operations. Be careful when you go shopping for home appliances next time and see if there’s a symbol on them that shows the product is an Energy Star one.
Garden/orchard
People worry about the quality of the groceries they get in supermarkets nowadays. Mass production has made it difficult to get healthy, organic fruits and vegetables, which makes gardens and orchards one of the top priorities on homebuyers’ lists. Growing your own food has become a luxury feature in modern households, so creating a garden or designating a space for it will surely attract more eco-aware buyers.
Your relocation can be eco-friendly, too
Moving into a home with eco-friendly features can begin with a green relocation. There are several ways to make your move more energy-efficient but also less expensive. Start by hiring a green moving team – the one that cares about spending less packing supplies, using biodiesel for their vehicles, and making fewer trips between destinations. Also, Fairfax Transfer and Storage experts recommend renting reusable packing supplies – use plastic containers to transport your belongings and make minimum cardboard waste. You can also recycle the materials and containers you already have in your home and get creative with your move to protect our environment.
A smart temperatures system
Replacing the thermostat in your home can make a huge difference. Smart thermostats give more detailed information on how your household spends energy so they can help you save a lot in the long run. You can adjust the spending on gas or electricity and waste no money this way as you’ll have precise insight into how much you spend and how much you need to run your home. Furthermore, smart thermostats allow you to control them remotely, which can be pretty convenient if you travel a lot or work long hours.
Final words
If you think about it, protecting our planet is a lot easier than it seems. More and more buyers are looking for modern homes with eco-friendly features that will combine comfort, functionality, and sustainability. So, if you’re jumping into the real estate market soon, don’t forget these features and put them on your priority list.
Meta: Know what buyers are looking for – here are the top eco-friendly home features of modern homes that are important in the real estate world.
Leave a Reply