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Energy efficient homes are selling for more than regular homes on the market right now, however, you need to consider if paying the extra money is really worth it.
When you are looking at house that is labeled as energy efficient you need to actually make sure that the home stands up to the claim. Any builder, seller, or real estate agent can claim that a home is energy efficient but that does not mean that they are. For example, when looking at homes in my home town, my husband and I stumbled on a home that was labeled as energy efficient. We were so excited to go and see it, but it turns out that it was only labeled as energy efficient because it had all energy star appliances. While the appliances were certainly a bonus, the house was not energy efficient. Technically speaking, a home should be thirty percent more energy efficient than a regular home to be certified as energy efficient. A home can meet this cecertifications can be met in a variety of ways ranging from building upgrades with high performance windows and heating and cooling systems or it can have things like solar panels. However, if a home can be certified and listed as energy efficient the home will typically sell for around fifteen percent more.
So what you need to consider when purchasing a home is whether or not the extra price tag on an energy efficient home is worth the extra cost. Energy efficient homes will save you a great deal on your utility bills but there are many things that you can do yourself to a regular home that will make the home energy efficient. When deciding to buy a home, it all comes down to cost. If upgrading a regular home to match the energy efficient upgrades of another home that you are looking will cost more than the difference between the two homes, then it is smart to buy the home. However, if the reverse is true make the upgrades yourself.
