According to a recent study by Elevate Energy in Chicago of 18,000 homes, energy efficient improvements may sell your home faster. Properties with energy efficient upgrades go under contract faster and close more often than homes without those upgrades or that do not have those upgrades disclosed. It’s easy to get an energy audit for your home through Florida Power and Light; it’s free and they will come to your home and let you know what changes would make your home more energy efficient. It’s smart to make your energy efficient improvements long before you list the home so you have the benefit of those improvements as well.
Here are some additional tips that would also work to make your Naples home more energy efficient while you live in it and more marketable when you go to sell the home:
1. Seal around windows and doors. Seems pretty logical but over time, the seals can deteriorate or become compromised so it’s a good idea to check that annually.
2. Make sure that your ducts are sealed. This can be done by the homeowner or a licensed air conditioning company to make sure that the air conditioning isn’t escaping into the attic.
3. Insulate the attic. There are many options from blown insulation (not my favorite as it can be messy) to foam insulation (an excellent option but expensive) to rolled insulation (the most reasonably priced). Whatever option you select, it’s important to have enough insulation to keep your home temperatures where they need to be and keep your energy costs low.
4. Get a programmable thermostat. Your local home improvement store will have many options, like the Nest or others. What’s great about these is that they can be programmed for your lifestyle so that you don’t have to think about turning the thermostat up or down any more. Also, many of them come with an app and can be programmed remotely as well.
5. Replace your windows. If you’ve got an older home, new, energy efficient windows may be an option. Of course, if you don’t have hurricane protection on your home, the windows will need to be hurricane windows in order to be up to code.
6. New water heater. This can really save you on your energy bill but you may need to have an electrician work in conjunction with your plumber to ensure that you have enough electricity to support the new heater.
7. New light bulbs. We’ve changed out our halogens for CFL and LED lights and not only is our bill lower but our house is cooler as a result. Halogens emit a lot of heat and then you have to pay more to cool the house down.
Hopefully these suggestions will help you save some money and when it’s time to sell your Naples home, we’ll help you maximize your improvements and get the most money for your home.
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