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Selling a home in Today’s market

By
Real Estate Agent with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers

Demand for energy and water efficient home is growing each day. The educated buyer looks for features such as water saving toilets, Energy Star appliances not only to save money on the utility bill, but also to be ‘IN', as this is the right thing to do. You no longer have to be a ‘child of the 70's' to show that you care for our resources and help to conserve water and energy. With Energy cost rising, going green is finally starting to make sense economically. And if we can save the planet at the same time, all the better!

It doesn't take a major remodeling to incorporate energy and water efficient technologies in your home, but a home (especially a older home) listed with these features most likely has an advantage over others, not listed with these features.

Here are a few inexpensive solutions to consider:

Replace regular light bulbs with CFL's (Compact Fluorescent Lights).  CFLs provide 75-80% energy savings. Also, for every CFL used, there are as many as eight less incandescent light bulbs ending up in landfills. A single CFL can save $30-80 more than it costs. Plus, a CFL bulb lasts 8-13 times longer than an incandescent bulb (think about all these hard to reach places where changing a light bulb is a major hassle). By the way, Home Depot has announced that all locations are now accepting CFL's for recycling.

Sealing air leaks by caulking and adding more insulation to your home is also a great do-it-yourself project. The biggest leaks are usually found in the attic and basement.  If you are planning to replace windows, choose ENERGY STAR qualified windows for better performance.

Use low VOC paint.  According to the EPA, Indoor air is three times more polluted than outdoor air and is considered to be one of the top 5 hazards to human health. Paints and finishes release low level toxic emissions into the air for years after application. The source of these toxins is a variety of VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds). New environmental regulations, and consumer demand, have led to the development of low-VOC and zero-VOC paints and finishes. Most paint manufacturers now produce one or more non-VOC variety of paint. These new paints are durable, cost-effective and less harmful to human and environmental health.

Install water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators. Water-saving shower heads or restrictors are inexpensive and easy to install.  

Also, all household faucets should be fit with aerators. Aerators are small devices that attach to the faucet to reduce water flow to 2.0, 1.5 or 1.0 gallons per minute at normal pressures. While they reduce the amount of water used, they also often make the flow more forceful and provide more effective wetting and rinsing.

Install High Efficiency, Dual Flush toilets. These can save 72% (approx. 18,000 gallons) of annual water usage compared to the traditional 3.5-gallon flush and up to 40% (approx. 4600 gallons) compared to today's standard 1.6-gallon single flush toilets. Many counties currently offer rebates for replacement of inefficient toilets http://www.ecotransitions.com/rebate.asp. Any buyer of a home will appreciate brand new toilets!

If you plan on installing new flooring, consider Bamboo instead of hardwood. Whereas hardwood trees can take 15 to 80 years to reach harvestable height, bamboo reaches its maximum height in less than a year, and becomes dense enough to harvest within four to six years. Like grass, it quickly regenerates (it grows up to 3 feet a day) and can be cut without harming the plant, meaning the world's bamboo supply won't be swiftly depleted. If you are looking to replace carpeting, consider Recycled-content carpet. Other flooring options are natural linoleum, recycled-content tile and natural carpets made form grasses, cotton, and wool, with minimal treatment.

If you plan on purchasing new appliances, look for ENERGY STAR products.

These are just a few ideas on how to stand out and attract more buyers in today's market.  

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