Should I Make My Home More Energy Efficient?

Should I Make My Home More Energy Efficient?

Should you do repairs or improvements to your home that add to the home’s energy efficiency? Is it a good idea to go from a 85{16e476496f5f3a73cb19f20a476d08f8bca71b0bf9338242f1d2bf6ed337f382} to 90{16e476496f5f3a73cb19f20a476d08f8bca71b0bf9338242f1d2bf6ed337f382}, or 90{16e476496f5f3a73cb19f20a476d08f8bca71b0bf9338242f1d2bf6ed337f382} to 95+ efficiency furnace? Should you go from a tank water heater to a tank-less? To what degree are new windows good enough? When building a home, should you go from 2×4 to 2×6 walls? All of these have varying degrees of value and return on investment.

Return on investment is key. If you look at replacing single-pane windows from the 1960’s with double-paned windows, that will have a higher return on investment than if you replace windows from the 1990’s that are already double-paned. Making your 1990’s double-paned windows “low-e” will only give minimal savings. Unless it is necessary, replacing windows will not have a strong return on investment.

What are your long-term plans? A tank-less water heater looks good on paper, but it is a long-term return on investment (10 to 15 years). Going from an 80{16e476496f5f3a73cb19f20a476d08f8bca71b0bf9338242f1d2bf6ed337f382} to 95+ furnace is great if you’ll be in the home for 3+ years. If not, going to a 90{16e476496f5f3a73cb19f20a476d08f8bca71b0bf9338242f1d2bf6ed337f382} would save you $1,000 now and be just as good. Will you be in the home long enough to recoup the investment?

If you plan on moving in less than ten years, the tank-less water heater is unlikely to add value to your home. Going from a 90{16e476496f5f3a73cb19f20a476d08f8bca71b0bf9338242f1d2bf6ed337f382} to 95{16e476496f5f3a73cb19f20a476d08f8bca71b0bf9338242f1d2bf6ed337f382} furnace will not add value to your home. Yes, your utility bills might be a little lower, but if you want to sell the home soon, it will not pay off. Appraisers may not take into account the extra money that you put into energy efficiency. On the other hand, if you are building, it is worth it to do as many energy efficient improvements that you can afford.

When you consider, “should I make my home more energy efficient?”, it is important to find out what is good enough, will maintain value and not price yourself out of the market. Contact Spica Real Estate today to discuss an energy efficient plan for your home.

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