Want to sell your home quickly? Going green could help
From painting the front door to renovating the kitchen, homeowners make all kinds of changes when they’re thinking of selling.
But which are best? According to a report by PRDnationwide, the answer may be ‘going green’. Sustainable buildings outperformed conventional properties in a number of areas, including utilities savings and greater median sale price.
Why sustainable is synonymous with ‘sold’
The study, which looked at over 200 houses that had been bought and resold between 2004 and 2014, had some impressive findings about those with sustainability features.
Green properties not only took up to 13 fewer days to sell, but also boasted a 10 per cent higher median sale price than homes without such features.
Buyers are prioritising eco-friendly factors, which means sellers should too. The survey highlighted the following key benefits of sustainable properties:
- Higher savings and lower maintenance,
- Fewer days to sell,
- Higher resale value,
- Informed decision making,
- Reduced construction materials and emissions,
- Improved lifestyle and comfort,
- Higher median price.
Tips for going green and making the sale
How you go green will largely depend on time frame and budget. Fortunately, there’s a huge variety of ways to make your property more sustainable:
Quick fixes
- Install a smart thermostat – By automating your home’s temperature, smart thermostats can significantly reduce energy consumption.
- Replace bulbs – Swap out incandescent bulbs to lower-burning bulbs to save on electricity.
- Fix leaky pipes – Before listing your home, reach out to a plumber to ensure you’re not wasting water through leaky pipes.
Tip: Swap out incandescent bulbs to lower-burning bulbs to save on electricity.
Minor renovations
- Enhance your landscaping – Gardening has a number of environmental benefits, including improving air quality.
- Replace windows and doors – Replacing old windows and doors with weather-tight alternatives is another way to reduce heating and cooling costs.
- Install low flow toilets – Dual-flush, gravity-fed and pressure-assisted toilets all save water and money.
Tip: Replacing old windows and doors with weather-tight alternatives is another way to reduce heating and cooling costs.
Big changes
- Install solar panels – Although a larger initial investment, solar panels deliver long-term energy savings.
- Reinsulate your roof – While windows and doors can make a big difference, you should insulate the whole shell of your house to truly go green.
- Create an open plan home – With such homes, rooms enjoy greater light and can also serve a number of purposes.
If you want your green renovations to translate to a sale, it’s important to find an agent who will communicate the sustainable features of your property in both the marketing and at open for inspections. At Nelson Alexander, our team can not only help with this, but also suggest which renovations will help you get the most bang for your buck.
To find out more, reach out or drop into one of our offices today.
