In order to create a more energy efficient home, you will want to start with some of these easy upgrades. They will not only create a lower energy cost environment, but they will also add to the overall value of your home.

Low Flow Water

By upgrading your bathroom with a low flush toilet as well as a low flow shower head, you can rack up saving right away by using less water. This is also a home upgrade that works to help the environment as well by curbing how much water you waste in a single day. For more tips on how to conserve water at home, check out this handy guide. 

According to the mass save energy program, Installing a low flow shower head really simple and can be done in just a few minutes.. The trick with low flow shower heads is that they mix air bubbles into the water, so that you don’t lose your water pressure as well as you don’t miss out on a standard shower experience.

Add a Ceiling Fan

Ceiling fans are ideal for helping circulate air around your home. In hot summer months, you can cut down on how much air conditioning you need to use to cool the home if you have the ceiling fan on.

With the air being circulated, it can create a cool breeze in a room that helps lower the temperature 3-4 degrees, meaning that you don’t have to set the thermostat as low to feel comfortable. Ceiling fans also move the cool air around, so that stuffy rooms can feel the cool air circulation as well.

Installing a ceiling fan isn’t too difficult and can be done in about an hour. To keep this DIY replacement streamlined you will want to keep your tools organized so that you can easily grab what you need without having to stop and search for it.

Finish Off Rooms

This refers to any room in your home such as the basement, garage or attic that is still showing the basic wall without any insulation or drywall. Adding baseboards, crown molding, or trim might seem overwhelming, but it will pay off in the long run.

With just a few entry level power tools to work with, you can end up with a new finished space that adds value to your home in the long run.

If you don’t have any unfinished areas, but you still want to take on a larger project, consider switching up your wall paint colors. Add in an accent wall to draw the eye or cheer up a room with bright colors.

Smarten Up Your House

Trendy and budget conscious, adding in items such as a smart thermostat and smart appliances you are able to better monitor your energy usage. When connected to apps, your smart home devices can give you energy reports as well as some tips on how to save energy to lower your monthly bill.

Smart bulbs as well as voice assisted devices can also schedule your lights to turn on and off automatically. This way you don’t have to worry about accidentally leaving a light on all night or you can schedule lights to turn on and off while you are away from home, so that your house doesn’t look empty.

Replace Your Windows

Older windows can be responsible for over a quarter of your cooling and heating loss. You can caulk your windows and seal them in the winter to reduce open air flow from the cracks or you can start to replace your windows with energy efficient ones. 

While this can be a big out of pocket cost, it will pay off in the long run with keeping your home a more even temperature as well as cut down on how much power you will need to heat and cool your home during the summer or winter months.

Categories: Real Estate