Your home is your biggest asset especially if you have plans to sell your property. This is why it’s important for homeowners to keep thinking of ways to add to the value of their homes. This could involve routine home maintenance, renovations or tweaking of the decor. No matter what, every decision you make has to have an impressive return on investment for it to actually count.
One of the best ways to increase the value of your property is through sustainable green home improvements. Because being environmentally-responsible and sustainable is the future, homes with green upgrades will effectively outsell homes that lack such installations.
Moreover, making sustainable decisions will not only help increase your home’s value but also reduce your impact on the environment.
So what eco-friendly improvements will help you do your bit for the environment?
Let’s take a look at some green home improvement ideas that will add value to your home and increase your chances of appealing to potential buyers in the process.
1. Pay Attention to Your Landscaping
A substantial amount of your property’s value is connected to the land it’s built on. This means that your landscaping has to be on point with a visually-pleasing and well-maintained outdoor area. Plant some flowers and shrubs and install water-efficient landscaping features to make your yard and lawn look healthy.
Making the smallest of improvements in your garden area can do wonders for your property’s value. You can install an efficient irrigation system which is perhaps the best and the smartest investment you can make. This is highly convenient not to mention it offers significant cost-savings on outdoor water bills to potential buyers.
With a smart irrigation system installed, you don’t have to worry about leaks as these are detected early on. Studies show that homes lose more than 90 gallons of water per day by way of leaks. But with this technology as a part of your landscaping efforts, you can breathe easy knowing that there’s no water wastage.
2. Give Your Bathrooms an Upgrade
When it comes to renovation and repairs, bathrooms are often put on the backburner while other rooms are given more preference. But, revamping your bathroom will do more than just enhance its aesthetic appeal. For instance, when you replace the existing fixtures with their energy-efficient and low-flow counterparts, you can save considerable amounts of money while also reducing your overall impact on the environment.
Additionally, you can also invest in dimmer switches and lighting options that consume less energy, further adding to your efficiency.
3. Switch to Energy-Efficient Appliances
Investing in energy-efficient appliances pays off in the long run as you reap the benefits of sustainable and green installations. You can prevent hundreds of gallons of water from being wasted every year with high-efficiency washers. Switching to efficient refrigerators, dryers and light fixtures can reduce 50% of your energy consumption.
The most important investment you can make in your home is to install air and ground source heat pumps. These renewable heating technologies offer an impressive efficiency rate of more than 300%. What’s more, it provides both heating and cooling functionalities so it’s a two-in-one equipment. Moreover, you won’t be consuming any gas or oil to operate these systems which makes them highly efficient.
Before you make any major changes in your home, its best to get an energy audit done. These audits are conducted by professionals who can highlight the major point of inefficiencies in your home. Based on this analysis, you can introduce home improvements accordingly.
You can make the process of upgrading to efficient appliances more streamlined and easy with this method.
4. Install Non-Toxic Flooring
When carrying out home improvements, flooring is often overlooked. If you’ve been neglecting the flooring of your home, you have been missing out on a brilliant opportunity to be eco-friendly in your home. Adding the right kind of carpeting in your home will do wonders for your energy-saving efforts.
The right kind of flooring will do more than just act as a sound dampener. It will help regulate the temperatures in your home. The added layer of insulation helps maintain consistent temperatures in summer and winter which help cut down your energy consumption. This will be reflected in the reduced utility bills you receive.
When choosing flooring options for your home, ensure if it is labeled as non-toxic or eco-friendly. Traditional flooring options emit VOCs but carpets made out of natural fibers are a much safer option for your home and for the environment.
Green Home Improvement Ideas for the Win
At first, it might not seem like it to you but green home improvement ideas are worth the investment. You can introduce upgrades and renovations in your home at a steady pace, slowly and gradually. That way, you’ll be able to stay within your remodeling budget while adding to your home’s value nonetheless.
There’s no science behind finding green home improvement options but one thing’s for sure – investing in green technologies is your best bet.
These tweaks and adjustments will not only improve the aesthetic appeal of your home but also help you add a significant amount to your saving pool.
With these home improvements, you will be able to attain peace of mind that comes from a rather green and ethical standpoint. You achieve your goals of reduced carbon footprinting and lower your impact on the environment as well!
