As the time goes by, our society is becoming increasingly aware of all the environmental issues affecting the Earth. The concepts of renewable energy and sustainable development are slowly but steadily making the transition from the topics being discussed exclusively in the science community to the tangible solutions whose implementation we continue to see in reality. It is only natural then, that this trend would make its push into the field of basic human needs, and truly, energy-efficient homes are becoming less of the thing for the privileged, and increasingly a highly sought out commodity on the real estate market.
The fact that energy-efficient homes are more affordable than they were ever before, however, does not mean that their price is on par with the non-efficient segment of the market. As a matter of fact, some reports say that making your house energy-efficient can increase its value by as much as 38%. And yet, in spite of this obvious price gap, the demand for this particular kind of housing solution does not seem to wind down. But, why are homebuyers ready to pay this added value?
Majority of today’s buyers are becoming aware that these homes were built with quite a few distinct benefits the yesterday’s alternatives do not have. From their perspective, these houses have the obvious advantage because they are able to pay themselves off and remain very economical through years to come. The fact that they are supposed to reduce the environmental impact in the process is not to be neglected, either. The question remains, are these expectations grounded in reality?
The simple answer would be yes, but only when the owners are implementing enough energy-efficient solutions to make these houses truly sustainable, say at a Perth-based double glazing business. For instance, the obvious benefits of energy-preserving windows cannot be fully exploited if the house is not properly insulated, and the house doors are left to chance, we learn Also, you should pay attention that your home features a lot of natural light sources, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, and, preferably, some renewable power source. The price of these investments is equally proportional to the returns they make in the long run.
Although the environmental issues are slowly reaching the global awareness, there are some areas where energy-efficient homes make more sense, and therefore feature the adjusted market price, like for example areas with very hot climate. It is also, interesting to observe that the areas with most registered electric vehicles also correlate to areas with the most energy-efficient home upgrades. Still, all the indicators show that such examples are only the exception and that the vast majority of global homebuyers value energy-efficient homes more than those labeled as non-efficient, regardless of their background.
It should be obvious, though, that sheer will to make the change is not enough if there is no support from the local and national authorities. Energy efficient homes are making the largest parts of the real estate market in the areas where homeowners are receiving a certain amount of funds in rebates and other similar benefits if their homes are being labeled “green”. These moves can make a major contribution in making energy-efficient homes more wide-spread, and their position on the real estate market more accessible.
Eventually, it should be obvious that the buzz surrounding the “green homes” is very grounded in reality, so regardless whether you want to upgrade your home, raise its price before you put it on the market, or buy a new one, earning the green label seems like a very smart choice. All you have to do is to check if your local authorities are offering some kind of incentive for taking these steps to make your investment even more worthwhile.
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