Green: It’s The Color of Money
As a homeowner, you’re always looking for ways to improve your property, from painting to carpeting to creating the designer gourmet kitchen you saw in Architectural Digest. Not only will these upgrades enhance your enjoyment of your living space, they can also drastically increase the resale value. And with all of the warnings about pollution and global warming inundating the media, it couldn’t hurt to start thinking about eco-friendly alternatives when you make the move towards renovating your residence. If you’re not sure where to start, or think it will be too expensive, read on to find some green ideas that are easy to implement and priced right!
1. Why wood? Wood floors, more than carpet or tile, tend to promote an idea of luxury when it comes to home buying (although they are more difficult to care for). However, they also denude our forests, leading to global warming. Not so good. Luckily, there are plenty of green alternatives. Bamboo is one. While it may take a hardwood upwards of thirty years to grow to a useable size, bamboo forests regenerate in just three short years. It mimics the look and feel of hardwood, comes in a ton of color options, and will cost you about half of what you would pay for hardwood!
2. Energy-saving appliances. You may think this area only applies to energy-star items like the fridge or dishwasher (both great for cutting electricity costs and reducing rolling blackouts), but I would extend this category to include compact fluorescent light bulbs (can save you up to $30 over their lifetime), low-flow toilets (use less water, and you can often get money back from your local DWP if you mail in a copy of your receipt) and tankless water heaters. For those of you that don’t know, these handy devices are much smaller than regular water heaters because they don’t store water. Instead, they heat it on demand, saving up to 80% of the energy normally used! Bonus: you never run out of hot water.
3. Solar panels. This is the one area where you will spend more money initially. These are neither cheap nor easy to install. However, your return will make them more than worthwhile (especially if you live in a climate with a lot of sun). For starters, you will be powering your home for free (with the added benefit of using the cleanest source of alternative energy…no pollution whatsoever). Additionally, equipping your home with panels may qualify you for certain tax credits that will automatically reduce your out-of-pocket expense. Finally, your excess power can be sold to the utility companies. That’s right, they will pay to use your power! What could be better? Not only will your home run on eco-friendly energy, you can provide it to others at a profit! Cha-ching!
Whatever the reason you choose to renovate, whether it’s for your own enjoyment or to improve your odds of selling in a recession, you simply can’t underestimate the impact of going green. Eco-friendly homes, now more than ever, can not only help you save money, but also bring you a better return on your financial investment (not to mention restoring the balance on planet Earth).
Guest post by Sarah Harris, of Zen College Life, the premier directory for online degrees. Find out more information about criminal justice degrees.
