More UK homeowners want to live more sustainably and are actively looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and incorporate more sustainable living methods and technology.
While you can make small changes that will all add up and contribute to a greener way of living, there are also more extensive options that can help you to make a more significant impact as well as improve your property value and appeal to buyers should you sell up in the future or a move is on the cards; a survey by Redrow found that the demand for more sustainable housing in the UK has been massively underestimated while a different survey found 80% of first-time buyers and 73% of second-time buyers would consider or prefer to look at more eco-friendly properties.
What are your options to make your home work for you, be greener and help boost its value, too?
Insulation
Insulation is by far one of the best ways to help you boost sustainability and impact your home’s value. Effective levels of loft, floor, wall, tanks, pipes, and window insulation mean you can reduce energy wastage and make your home more energy efficient. To take this one step further, you can find a company that supplies eco-friendly insulation materials made from the likes of hemp, wool fibre, cotton, cork, sheep wool and even recycled plastic materials. Good loft insulation in a detached house can save you around £450 per year, and with an average cost of £1,200, you will start to recoup your investment after year 3.
Install solar panels
Solar panels are becoming increasingly popular now that they have become more affordable. With energy prices continuing to stay high, they make a lot of sense for households wanting to save money on their energy bills, while also making their home greener.
With the right solar company, you can find solar panels that suit your budget as well as the aesthetics of your home. There are even green improvement incentives that can help make the cost more affordable, allowing you to stretch out your payments over time. Solar panels will help benefit you now, and help increase the value of your home – making it even more appealing to buyers in the future.
Heat Pump
If your heating system needs upgrading, why not look at getting a heat pump installation? A well-designed and installed heat pump can save money on your yearly heating and cooling bills. While air conditioning isn’t standard in UK homes, the recent spate of hot summers has shown that there is a need and a demand for this at certain parts of the year. Air source heat pumps can provide you with efficient heating and cooling while saving you money on running costs throughout the year compared to traditional heating methods. According to Green Match, this can be as high as £1,110 per year.
Smart Upgrades
Technology has evolved to a point where it can be effectively used within the home to help save money. Most people these days have some type of smart device in their home, even if it’s just a smartphone or an Alexa or Google device. By taking this one step further and using smart home hubs to control aspects of your home, you can make changes to how you use energy and live your life. This can be smart heating controls to turn lights on and off, using smart appliances to help you monitor usage better and reduce waste to bring your energy bills down.
Smart homes are also popular with buyers, with 35% of buyers saying they would be more likely to make an offer on a home if it was equipped with smart technology; this number rises to 86% for millennials, and Compare The Market found that over half of Brits looking to buy property would pay more for smart connected home meaning you can recoup costs on resale value should you end up selling.
There are many ways you can make sustainable changes in how you live your life and how your home operates. These three suggestions are great places to start.
