Environmental awareness isn’t just a major talking point these days – it’s also a major selling point. If you’re listing your real estate investment on the market, taking some steps to make your home eco-friendly could wind up earning you a lot more green when it comes time to close the sale. Here are five ways you can start making your home more environmentally responsible.
1) Bag Old Bulbs. When you’re trying to make your real estate investment greener, the first step to take is to replace any old incandescent light bulbs with the newer, environmentally conscious fluorescent ones. These bulbs are not just better for your real estate investment’s “green” street cred – they’ll also last exponentially longer than their predecessors.
2) Switch out Appliances. There are lots of low-water-consumption washing machines and dishwashers on the market these days, and since you’re likely to replace your old appliances before selling a home anyway, why not go green? Environmentally friendly appliances are covered with decals advertising them as such, and buyers are sure to take notice.
3) Plant a Vegetable Garden. You can’t convince buyers that you’re going green if you can’t point to the real thing. If you don’t have a garden already, then hurry up and plant some vegetables. A vegetable garden isn’t just aesthetically appealing – it promotes sustainability and broadcasts your awareness to the neighborhood.
4) Install a Water Collection System. If your gutters need to go, then consider replacing them with a water collection system. This system uses angled gutters to feed all outgoing rainwater into a container much like an industrial drum. This collected water can then be used in place of a hose whenever you need to water your plants and wash your car.
5) Use Healthy Paint. Even paint has gone green these days, and if you’re selling a house, a new coat of VOC-free paint is a great way to raise your property value. Although environmentally friendly paints cost a few dollars more per gallon, they’re a great way to add another star to your home’s environmental report card.
Going green isn’t always cheap, but if you’re selling your home in an environmentally conscious area, investing in eco-friendly technology could add thousands to your property value. If you follow these easy steps, you’ll turn your real estate investment into a green machine in no time.
