Making improvements to your home protects the value of the equity that you have put into it. Eco-friendly enhancements are a great value-adding investment. Outfitting your house with eco-friendly features may help you get a good closing price if you ever sell your property. Likewise, making your homelife more sustainable could help you save money on utilities. Here are a few ways that you may be able to raise the value of your property with eco-friendly home improvement projects.
Replace Your HVAC System
Heating and cooling costs may make up the better part of your total energy consumption at home. Older HVAC systems are not as efficient as new HVACs with better SEER ratings. Also, HVAC units tend to have performance problems as they get on in years. Over time, age and general wear from excessive use can take a major toll on a unit’s heating or cooling capacity.
Foregoing preventive maintenance and cleaning leaves a home’s central air conditioning vulnerable to mechanical issues that result in inefficient output. In fact, an old HVAC unit might operate almost continuously and still struggle to effectively regulate the temperature indoors because the air that comes out simply does not get cold enough. This may occur because of problems with coolant, blockages in a condenser, or obstructions in an air handler’s evaporator coils.
Getting a new HVAC system will enable you to heat and cool your home sustainably and affordably. You can expect a new condenser and air handler to use significantly less electricity than equipment that is over a decade old. Ultimately, this improvement can make your house much more energy efficient and comfortable.
Insulate Your House
Insulating your house maximizes the efficacy of your home’s HVAC system. Insulation is going to keep your house warmer in the winter and also cooler in the summer.
With a good layer of insulation at the top of your home, the heated air that rises up will stay inside of your residence. Likewise, cooled air will stay in place instead of quickly traveling a crawlspace or attic and ultimately passing through the exterior of your house. When intense sun beats down on the top of your home, a protective layer is going to help prevent your home from getting extremely hot. Resultantly, your HVAC system will not have to work as hard to reach the temperature that you have set on your thermostat.
Foam is a good choice of material to insulate a residence because it is very dense. Another advantage of foam insulation is that it fits into tight spaces.
Make Window Replacement a Priority
If your house’s windows are decades old, replacing them should be near the top of your to-do list of renovations. Swapping out failing windows protects a property against water damage and also makes a home more energy efficient. Just like having good insulation is important, you need to have high-quality windows in order to fortify your home against the elements. After an upgrade to energy-efficient windows, you may see a considerable difference in your monthly electric bills. The savings that you generate can offset part of your installation costs, and you may be eligible for a tax incentive.
When you are looking for the best replacement option, consider getting impact windows. In addition to improving energy efficiency, the high-density material in this type of window can withstand extreme force. Resultantly, your property will have better protection if a severe weather event hits your area.
If you are planning on undertaking a home improvement or renovation, working with an experienced contracting company will help you get great results. Contact Horizon Homes at (919) 542-4457 for assistance with your upcoming project. Our contractors have experience helping North Carolina homeowners make their properties more sustainable and energy efficient.