Going Green to Sell your Home
How to make your home cleaner and greener
Gradually over the years, there has been a conscious shift towards eco-friendly house designs. Homes that are designed to minimise the impact on the environment. Homes that are clean, green and earth friendly.
Are you contemplating selling your home? If so, then think about how you can make your home “greener”. This will expand your audience of potential buyers. Which in turns gives you a better chance of the home reaching its highest value.
Solar Power
In relation to reducing your home’s impact on the earth, there can be no better alternative than solar panels. Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity which can be used to run appliances – thereby reducing the amount of energy that needs to be purchased from the grid. Generally speaking, it’s important for homes to choose a solar system sized appropriately for their situation – meaning that they can use at least 30% of the energy it produces directly.
There are three different types of household solar systems for generating electricity, they are grid-connect systems, off-grid systems, and hybrid systems. Household solar systems generally start as small as 1.5kW and can range anywhere up to 10kW and more depending on the size of the property and roof space available.
Sustainable Appliances
Start thinking medium to long-term and invest more now to get the most energy efficient appliances and fixtures. You will reap the environmental and financial benefits for years to come. Both the water 1 star to 6 stars and energy 1 star to 10 Stars rating systems use a combination of a star rating system and an energy/water consumption estimate to determine the efficiency of the appliance or fixture.
Energy labeling.
It is mandatory for all of the following electrical products sold in Australia to have an approved energy label.
- Air Conditioners
- Clothes Dryers
- Dishwashers
- Refrigerators and Freezers
- Televisions
- Washing Machines
Water labeling.
All of the following water products sold in Australia must have an approved water label.
- Dishwashers
- Flow Controllers
- Showers -1 star to 3 stars
- Tap Equipment
- Toilet Equipment
- Urinal Equipment
- Washing Machines
Insulation
Insulation is designed to resist the passage of heat in various forms from one side of the material to the other. There are 3 effective kinds of insulation.
- Resistive insulations that resist conducted heat flow;
- Reflective insulations that resist radiant energy flows, and
- Insulations that combine the benefits of both types – these are usually the most effective overall insulations thermally.
Overall, insulation in the right place, and installed correctly, contributes a net-benefit to the performance of the building. Many insulation products will save more energy than it takes to make them in just weeks or months, as well as delivering higher levels of comfort
