If you plan to sell your Lucas, Texas, home sooner or later, you’ll want to capitalize on energy-efficient upgrades. Investing in your home’s energy efficiency will make your house more attractive to buyers and increase the sale price. From replacing light bulbs to installing a new air conditioner, discover close to a dozen energy-efficiency upgrades that can increase your home’s resale value.
Connect a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat makes managing energy easy — an attractive feature for a new buyer. Setting the thermostat to adjust the temperature automatically when you’re home, away, sleeping, or on vacation saves money on energy bills. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, homeowners can save as much as 10 percent a year on heating and cooling costs by using a programmable thermostat.
Using a programmable thermostat not only saves money over the life of your home, but it also helps conserve precious energy resources. Buyers who want to decrease their impact on the environment will appreciate this feature.
Improve Your Wall and Attic Insulation
A well-insulated home will have low energy bills and stay comfortable year-round by keeping indoor temperatures constant. Without proper insulation, your home could lose cool air during the summer and heat during the winter. A comfortable, energy-efficient home is appealing to buyers.
You can have your insulation installed professionally, or you can do it yourself. Use loose-fill insulation for insulating your exterior walls and rolled insulation for your attic floor.
Be sure to examine the R-value of your insulation to find out how well the product insulates. A high R-value means more protection from temperature changes.
Upgrade Your Windows and Doors
To prevent drafts and increase the insulating ability of your windows and doors, consider upgrades. Drafts commonly form around old windows and doors, and those drafts affect the comfort of your home.
Energy-efficient windows have multiple panes of glass with an inert gas, such as argon, between the panes to improve insulation. This composition prevents heat from entering your home during the summer and escaping from your home during the winter. Replacing your old door with a new, polyurethane foam core model increases the insulation value of your home.
Without replacing windows and doors, you can still block drafts in your home. Check for drafts by using a lighted stick of incense, waving your hand, or asking a professional HVAC contractor to complete a blower door test.
Replace Your Lightbulbs
Old, incandescent light bulbs use more energy than both compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) and light-emitting diode (LED) lightbulbs. Replacing your existing incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient fixtures will save on energy costs, and often, the new fixtures will last longer than incandescent bulbs.
Before you buy energy-efficient lightbulbs, make sure they’re compatible with your lighting system. Not all LEDs are compatible with dimmer switches, for example. Check a product’s packaging to ensure you can use the bulbs for your intended purpose. Future homeowners will appreciate lighting fixtures that don’t need special care or disposal.
Install Low-Flow Water Fixtures
Managing your home’s water consumption is environmentally responsible, and using less hot water will reduce your home’s energy consumption. Install low-flow shower heads and faucets to increase both the energy efficiency and the resale value of your home.
Once you decide which fixtures your budget will allow you to replace, you can complete this simple upgrade yourself. Be sure to look for fixtures with the WaterSense label. The fixtures with this label will help you reduce water consumption when used in your home.
Upgrade Your Appliances
If your current appliances are getting near the end of their useful lives, you’ll find the opportunity a good time to consider upgrading your appliances. Be sure to look for a refrigerator, dishwasher, clothes washer, or dryer with the Energy Star label. These appliances maximize energy efficiency, using resources responsibly and saving money on energy bills.
If your current appliances are somewhat new, you may need to decide whether upgrades are worth the cost. Depending on your budget, consider upgrading some — but not necessarily all — of your appliances.
Consider Water Heater Improvements
An uninsulated or poorly insulated water heater can be a costly part of your home’s energy bills. New home buyers will appreciate the energy savings of a properly insulated water heater. Consider upgrading to a new, insulated water heater to maximize energy efficiency or install insulation around your current hot water tank to conserve hot water energy.
Another hot water system that might interest you is an on-demand, or tankless, water heater. This unit is a more energy-efficient unit than a traditional storage tank hot water system. A tankless water heater is more costly to set up, but if you’ve already decided to replace your water heater, this model could be an attractive addition for an energy-efficient home.
For more information about attic insulation, indoor air quality, or programmable thermostats, contact Joplin’s Air Conditioning & Heating today at ,strong>888-414-4655.
