Emphasizing Energy Efficiency to Summertime Buyers

In the middle of the summer, it is sometimes difficult to show how comfortable your home could be in the freezing winter. If your home is especially well-prepared for the colder months, you can present it as a major benefit to buyers. Here are a few tips to set your home apart from the average.

Feature Heating and Cooling

The way your home is heated and cooled does not always occur to buyers to look for. Unless they notice that it is uncomfortably stuffy or icy cold around windows, they might not think to ask about it at all. If this is a particularly nice aspect of your home, do not hesitate to show it off. Talk about the furnace and how it's been exceptionally well cared for during your tenure in the home. Offer to show guests how it works. Make sure that they see how effectively the home stays cool during the summer, as well. Many homes use similar systems for heating and cooling, which means that a home with air conditioning that is in excellent condition is more likely to heat efficiently, as well.

Demonstrate the Home’s Insulation

The insulation in a home is one of the most important aspects of the home that buyers will probably never see unless they participate in a home inspection. And yet, the insulation is so vital to the home comfort and efficiency. Without good insulation, the home will get very cold in the winter, and owners will have to spend a lot more on heating. If the insulation needs to be improved, sellers might qualify for some economic incentives. Offer evidence of recent assessments of the insulation, and show that the home is meeting current standards for insulation based on the climate of the zone you live in.

Emphasize Heat-Preserving Home Features

Besides insulation, there are a few ways that a home can help to keep the heat in during the winter. Air leaks are one of the most common methods that a home loses heated or cooled air more quickly. The home could have leaks in the exterior structure or in the ductwork that moves heated or cooled air through the home. Duct leaks are a significant source of heating inefficiency, and many homes have this problem. Before listing a home, get all ductwork sealed and show that it was done recently. If replacing the windows, select models that are more likely to provide an extra layer of insulation.

Detail Energy-Efficient Upgrades

Energy efficiency is an important part of the home buying process for a lot of people. They want to know that the homes they purchase are more likely to use less energy and save them money on all types of energy consumption, from cooking to cooling. If planning to upgrade a few appliances, consider buying ones that have met the Energy Star rating. These particular models are certified to use about 20-30 percent less energy than comparable machines without the rating. This shows to potential buyers that your home can provide effective heating without the same kind of investment as a home that does not have these upgrades.

A home with energy-efficient upgrades and features is an investment on the behalf of both a buyer and a seller, as the seller will be offered more money and the buyer will have a home with long-term affordability in the form of reduced electricity costs. Contact specialists with experience working with energy-efficient housing features to learn what is best suited to your house.