Best Green Ways to Increase Your Property’s Value

Increasing a property’s value is something that everyone hopes to accomplish during their lifetime. The place in which one owns is usually the biggest asset of a person’s life. Therefore, one should treat it dearly by taking steps to improve its condition over the years. Over the past decade, there has been a huge drive towards achieving sustainability in all facets of our lives. Simply put to be sustainable or “green” means to satisfy your present needs in a way that does not compromise the needs or resources of future generations. More importantly to put this into the context of our home, to be sustainable means to be as efficient as possible and not waste all the resources required for the proper operation and maintenance of it.

In the following paragraphs, some of the more direct and easy ways to increase your property value in a sustainable green manner will be explained.

Selecting the right material for sustainable roofs

Yes, there are eco-friendly roofing and the material plays the biggest part of it. In North American houses, roofs are one of the most important and expensive features that need proper maintenance every few years or replacement every 20 to 100 years depending on the roof you have, according to Bartlett Roofing Boise. Thus, when looking for an eco-friendly roofing most property owners aim for the most cost-effective roofing material, but often times neglect durability and do not think outside the box of how selecting the roofing material can not only improve durability, but also increase your property’s value through other indirect cost savings as a result of having an environmentally friendly green roof.

Some examples of great roofing materials that have a direct effect on both durability and sustainability are posted below: 

1. Cool Roof

It is important to have a white-colored reflective roof, especially when living in hot climates. A light-colored roof does a good job of reflecting and not absorbing UV rays, which can really heat up your home and thus increase your air conditioning bill.

2. Metal Roof

Although metal roofs cost a little bit more than regular roofs, this cost is offset by them being long-lasting, up to 50 years and fire-resistant compared to traditional roofs made out of shingles and wood. Metal roofs are also good for those in dry areas who really want to harvest water from the rain. Another important feature of metal roofs is that they are 100% recyclable at the end of their lives and homeowners can usually get some money back when selling their metal roof for scrap.

3. Recycled Shingles Roof

Recycled shingles come from materials such as plastic, wood, and rubber which can be easily repurposed and reused as shingle materials. Recycled shingles are cheap and are usually the greenest roofing material. They are very durable having a lifespan of about 50 years. The sustainability in this type of roof comes from the low energy used and low pollution in the manufacturing of the recycled shingles.

4. Green Roof

Green roofs are roofs with a vegetative layer that is grown on the rooftop of a house or building. These roofs have grown significantly in the past few years. Green roofs improve your property aesthetics, they reduce energy usage due to the thermal efficiency of the soil and also reduce air pollution. Green roofs can also capture stormwater and return it back through evaporation.

Other green home remodelling ideas that will increase its value

Not every remodeling or renovation type will increase your home’s value when it comes time to sell. The push towards sustainability might make your home a bit different from the others and in general if one can find cost savings within sustainability it will make your home very competitive in a buyer’s real estate market.

The following green home remodeling ideas are what can make a home buyer give you more money when it comes time to sell. 

• Upgrading Landscape and Curb: The very first thing someone sees when they pull up to your home is the lawn and landscaping. A great luscious green landscape with a proper garden with painted outer fences and walls and adding native plants that reduce water costs and solar lights can drastically make your home greener and improve its appeal to a potential buyer.
• Replacing Old Windows: Windows are some of the most expensive things in a home that need replacing every 20 years. However, they are one of the most important features that can save you a lot of money through a reduced energy bill. Old windows tend to leak a lot of air as the sun and environment degrade them over time. It is important to replace them with a lighter colored Energy Star rated windows to keep the cold or warm air inside. It is also important to add additional windows to the not so lit areas of your home to brighten it up with some naturally occurring sunlight and get rid of the nonessential lighting within your home.
• Low-Flow Faucets and Toilets: These are some of the cheapest things that one can replace in a home and have big savings in their water bill. New faucets and toilets are designed to be as water-efficient as possible by incorporating water with air through an aerator which maintains water pressure.
• Solar Water Heater: It is said that water heating usually accounts for up to 20% of a home’s energy bill. Therefore, in places that see a lot of sunlight installing a solar water heater can do wonders to lowering your energy bill. Not to mention installing solar panels on your roof might be expensive, but you can save plenty of money through government programs implemented to buy back the energy that you capture enabling one to save a lot of money and reduce carbon emissions.
• Energy Efficient LED Lighting: Replacing all old light bulbs with LED light bulbs can help a home save roughly $1000 over a 10-year period according to USA Today. LED light bulbs convert electricity into light through the use of a semiconductor. LED light bulbs are much longer-lasting than traditional light bulbs.

Therefore, it is important to not think of green home renovations in terms of costs but it is important to think of them as improving the durability and long term evaluation of your property for the better in a changing world.