How could making your property 'green' benefit you?

Rightmove have recently published their first ever Green Homes report focusing on 'What does the future hold? Their exclusive report considers the impact of greener home initiatives on sellers, buyers, landlords and home-owners.

It pulls together millions of Rightmove data points, government stats, a study of 9,000 home movers and expert opinions to ask…where are we now? And where could we be heading in the future?

We've outlined our key takeaways as below:

• More home hunters are looking on Rightmove for 'green' features
• There's a correlation between higher (EPC) ratings and higher property prices
• B rated properties became the fastest type of property type to find a buyer
• The difference between a low and a high EPC rating could mean mega-savings on energy bills each year

You can download the full report here.

We've recently adopted Vibrant's market-leading EPC+ report which provides homeowners, sellers and landlords with better understanding of their property’s impact on the environment, how they can achieve better energy efficiency and, ultimately, how they can make ‘greener’ choices. Alongside its environmental benefits, the report provides customers with clear, achievable options to save on their bills and add value to their homes.

The report from Vibrant is the first of its kind in the housing industry, detailing a property’s current and potential EPC rating, the CO2 produced by the property each year and the CO2 savings that could be achieved. It also drills down to finer details, including what improvements are recommended to achieve a higher rating, how much they will cost and how much bills could reduce as a result, as well as information on various sources of funding that may be available.

See below our round up of green features to help improve the EPC rating of your property: 

1. Insulation: This is a key component of sustainable building and creating a greener home. Improving the thermal performance of your home will not only help to dramatically reduce your bills, but also your carbon emissions too. There is also now a wide variety of natural, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional insulation materials, which often contain high amounts of problematic chemicals and additives. Sheeps wool, cotton, cork and recycled plastic are all excellent insulators and are renewable, non-toxic and biodegradable too.

2. Water conservation: Installing systems to help you conserve water is an easy way to reduce your consumption and cut down energy usage. Rainwater harvesting systems can be used for watering your garden, washing the car and even for toilets, saving gallons of water. Low-flow taps and shower heads, plus water efficient appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines, can also help you save water without even realising.

3. Renewable energy: Over reliance on fossil fuels is having a major impact on our environment, and switching over to renewable sources is something we should all be investing in. Solar panels, biomass boilers and heat pumps allow you to generate your own energy in a cost effective way, reducing your reliance on conventional sources. Although these technologies can be more expensive, they will pay for themselves over time with the energy savings made.

4. Smart technology: Making your home a smart home can reduce your home's energy consumption without you having to do a thing. These technologies are now becoming increasingly affordable and effortless to install. Smart thermostats can regulate the temperature in your home and adjust this based on your daily routine, turning the heat off whilst you're at work and back on before you're due home. Similarly, smart lighting can turn off lights you've forgotten you left on or be programmed to your routine

5. Energy star appliances: An Energy Star label on an appliance means it's been rated as energy efficient by the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA). These products can help you save energy without having to sacrifice features or functionality.
   
   

Want to know what home improvements could benefit your property? 

If you're interested in finding out what property improvements would be cost effective for your home to save money on bills and increase the property selling value, please contact your local branch today.