Make Your Home Energy Efficient

If you’re buying an older heritage home, it won’t be quite as energy-efficient as a modern home. But there are many construction styles, each with its own set of environmental issues. If you want to know how efficient a home is, you need some key information. When buying a home, you want to understand all financial aspects of your purchase. You know what your mortgage payment will be. You know what your property taxes will be. And you know what any escrow fees will be. But no matter what kind of home you buy, you’re going to have to pay for utilities. And these bills aren’t always easy to predict.

Check Energy Efficiency Features During Your Walkthrough

When you first view the home, there are a few key indicators you can look for. These can help you gauge how energy-efficient a home is.

The largest power draw in a home comes from the appliances. The first thing you should look at is appliances because most homes are sold with some appliances. In the United States, all appliances are sold with energy labels. These will tell you the estimated yearly power draw. Ideally, you’d like to see Energy Star-certified appliances. The more modern they are, the more efficient they are. You can compare the power ratings of the appliances you have at home to the home you are viewing. Then you will get an idea of how your power bill might change.

Solar system reduces energy bill

You should also pay special attention to the thermostats. The older, non-programmable thermostats would indicate that the HVAC system is either outdated or installed inexpensively. If you see a very old thermostat, it may indicate that the HVAC system is too old to be compatible with modern hardware. Alternatively, programmable thermostats would indicate that the previous owner invested in their heating system, ensuring it was as efficient as possible. By comparing this data against your current home, you should get an idea of what to expect on a utility bill. To further clarify your estimations, there are a few questions you can ask the homeowner. 

Change your bulbs to LED

Look for features in the home that contribute to lowering your energy bill, such as skylight, whole-house fan, dual-pane windows, good insulations, solar system, LED lighting, heated floors, efficient appliances, roof type, weather strips, and such. Homes may not have all these features, but some of them would help lower the utility bill.

Ask the Homeowner

Some of the information you need won’t be available from a simple walk around. But a lot of it is easily available if you ask the right questions. The first thing you should ask is the utility bills for the past 12 months. If there is a lot of money that can’t be accounted for by the appliances you saw, that would indicate an inefficient home. You should also ask the homeowner what the R-value of the insulation is. In California, it’s recommended that homes are insulated between 25 and 38 R-Value. Your home will stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter if you have better insulation. This will save you a lot of money on utilities. In California, homeowners can get funding assistance to add more insulation to their homes. Ask your realtor about those programs if you decide to buy an older home.

Check the Energy Star logo on the appliances

You can also ask the homeowner about the types of windows that are installed. Dual-pane windows keep the home temperature in control; while single-pane windows let your energy bill escalate. Ask for any maintenance records the seller might have for the existing heating or cooling system. Not everyone will have this information. However, a homeowner who has spent time and money making their home energy efficient will.

Ask Your Realtor

If you’re working with a realtor, he or she can help you find out the information you need, and open lines of communication between you and the homeowner. Should you decide to move forward with buying this house, the home inspection report will help you get the final word on the efficiency of the home. If you are selling your home, your realtor could provide options for you to add more energy-efficiency features to your home in order to stand out amongst the other inefficient homes. Simple modifications, such as changing all bulbs in your home to LED lights could go a long way. If you are thinking of selling your house now or in the near future, call us to put you on the right path to market your home as an energy-efficient home.