Greening Your Home: Is It Worth It?
Often when we see major shifts in upgrades to the housing market, it is easy to wonder if it is a lasting change or something that won’t be worth the money and energy that goes into the project. As more homeowners begin investing in environmentally friendly upgrades, many may wonder if it is really worth it to make their home go green. Will those upgrades add value to their home or just cost money? But going green is one area where investing some money into your home can truly be worth it.
One of the first things to consider when you think about making your home greener is where your home may be leaking energy. Getting a tight seal on your home helps to keep the air that you pay to heat and cool inside your home. If your doors, windows and insulation are not in good condition, your home may be wasting energy. Replacing the windows, insulation or doors can also be done without a major remodel or construction project in your home.
Making sure that there are no gaps in your home’s insulation will help to protect it from losing air. Homeowners should also pay attention to where the sun hits their home during the hottest points of the day. By modifying these areas with thermal curtains and reducing the amount of sunlight coming into your home, your home will remain cooler. These simple upgrades can save you significantly on your heating and cooling costs, and are easy enough that you can even do some of the work yourself.
It also helps to consider the age and efficiency of your washing machine, air conditioner, and other appliances to see if they may be wasting power or water. If your air conditioner and heater are not operating efficiently, they may be costing you more to run, and wasting power. LED energy saving light bulbs can save significant energy when used throughout your house. Replacing these machines saves on utilities, and many are appliances that you could easily take with you if you decided to move.
Once you have identified and upgraded areas of your home that maybe less energy efficient, you should see immediate results, with cuts in your monthly energy and water usage bills. It does not take long for homeowners to re-coop the money they spend making their home greener. These changes will also help you to cut down on your carbon footprint and the impact your home makes on the environment.