Energy improvements for selling your homeIt’s no secret that energy efficiency is an area of growing appeal in the real estate market. While buyers once cared solely about the bedroom and bathroom count of a house, along with its upgrade status and maybe the size of the yard, whether or not the house is energy efficient now ranks high on many buyers’ list of qualifications for the home of their dreams. As a seller, it is important to understand what energy efficiency means, what buyers are looking for it, and how to update your home to meet the new standards for efficiency.

Overall, the younger the buyers, the more important energy efficiency is to them. HomeSelfe, an app that allows homeowners to perform self-audits of their home’s energy efficiency, found that buyers between 21 and 34 years old (called either “Generation Y” or “millennials”) were the biggest corps of potential buyers, accounting for 32% of the buying market. Right behind them was Generation X, the group aged 35-49 years old, with 27% of the market. And the older the buyers get, the fewer houses they are buying. What do these younger buyers all have in common? The care about eco-friendliness and sustainability more as a group than generations past, and they want their homes to reflect that. 

There’s good reason that energy efficiency is a desirable quality in a home, and not just because better insulation and better appliances give you warm, fuzzy, Mother Earth-y tingles. An energy efficient home results in lower monthly utility bills, freeing up cash for other areas of homeowners’ budgets. It reduces the home’s environmental impact and wastefulness, which is important on a global scale. And, in a cyclical fashion, energy efficiency increases a home’s value, ensuring that buyers are making a sound investment.

What sorts of things will attract the attention of buyers looking for an energy-efficient home? Well, for one thing, HomeSelfe estimates that “green” certification on a home can increase its value by nine percent. If your home meets these certification standards, hype that up! Other energy efficient variables sought by conscientious buyers include energy efficient appliances and lighting fixtures, a cost-efficient HVAC system, landscaping in a way that gives rise to greater energy, and a neighborhood that is overall eco-friendly (one that has a recycling program in place, for instance). 

These facts should give you some ideas concerning areas of your home that you can enhance if you are looking to appeal to eco-friendly buyers. If you live in a neighborhood that is gradually becoming younger, know that energy efficiency is a great boasting point to have on your home’s list of specs, and one that will set it apart from the competition. Not only that, but by having an energy efficient home, you yourself are investing in your home’s value and doing something great for the Earth… and who doesn’t love that?