(BPT) - What your home is worth to you is one thing; what it’s worth to someone else may be totally different. If you want to boost the value of your home for yourself and in the eyes of others, one of the best ways to do that in today’s real estate market is to make green home improvements.
Going green can mean a lot of things, and it’s easy to start with small changes like switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs and unplugging appliances when they’re not in use. Not only will you be doing good for the environment, you might end up saving on utility bills and, ultimately, increasing your home’s value when the time comes to sell.
kAmvC66? AC@;64ED 2C6?’E 2== ?646DD2C:=J :? E96 5@\:E\J@FCD6=7 42E68@CJ[ 2?5 >2<:?8 2? :?G6DE>6?E E@ 92G6 E96 3:886C ;@3D 5@?6 C:89E H:== A2J @77 :? E96 =@?8 CF?]k^Am
kAm“xE’D :>A@CE2?E 7@C 9@>6@H?6CD E@ 4@?D:56C 4@DE\D2G:?8 677:4:6?4J AC@;64ED 2D A2CE @7 E96:C @G6C2== 9@>6 C6?@G2E:@? A=2?D[” D2JD #t^|p) rt~ |2C82C6E z6==J] “p?5 2 EC2:?65 C62= 6DE2E6 286?E H:== 36 23=6 E@ :56?E:7J E96 AC@;64ED E92E 4FE 4FCC6?E 6IA6?D6D 2?5 A2J A@E6?E:2= 5:G:56?5D H96? J@F’C6 C625J E@ D6==]”k^Am
kAmv6EE:?8 DE2CE65 ?@H – 6G6? :7 E92E ;FDE >62?D A=2??:?8 – :D 2 8@@5 :562[ A2CE:4F=2C=J :7 J@F’C6 E9:?<:?8 23@FE D6==:?8 :? 2 76H >@?E9D’ E:>6] %2=< E@ 2 C62= 6DE2E6 286?E 23@FE H92E :>AC@G6>6?ED 2C6 A@AF=2C 2>@?8 A@E6?E:2= 9@>63FJ6CD[ 2?5 4@?D:56C E96D6 :562Dik^Am
kAmY x?DF=2E:@?i #68F=2E:?8 E96 9@E 2:C J@FC 9@>6 =6ED :? 5FC:?8 E96 DF>>6C 2?5 =6ED @FE :? E96 H:?E6C 42? 92G6 2 D9@CE\E6C> :>A24E @? J@FC 962E:?8 2?5 4@@=:?8 3:==D] %@ 7:?5 @FE H96E96C J@F ?665 255:E:@?2= :?DF=2E:@? :? J@FC 2EE:4 @C H2==D[ @C56C 2? 6?6C8J 2F5:E] !6C92AD J@F 4@F=5 36?67:E 7C@> 255:?8 3=@H?\:? :?DF=2E:@? E@ J@FC H2==D] x7 J@FC 2EE:4 :D F?7:?:D965[ :E’D A2CE:4F=2C=J :>A@CE2?E E@ >2<6 DFC6 E92E :E’D 2AAC@AC:2E6=J :?DF=2E65 E@ 2G@:5 H2DE:?8 6?6C8J]k^Am
kAm Y (:?5@HDi r2F=<:?8 2?5 AFEE:?8 FA 6?6C8J\D2G:?8 H:?5@H 7:=> :D 2 8C62E DE2CE[ 3FE 2 >@C6 5C2>2E:4 492?86 >:89E >2<6 2 H@C=5 @7 5:776C6?46 :7 J@F H2?E E@ >2<6 2 D2=6] #6A=24:?8 J@FC 6I:DE:?8 H:?5@HD H:E9 9:89\677:4:6?4J G6CD:@?D 42? 36 2? 6IA6?D:G6 AC@A@D:E:@?[ 3FE E96 C6EFC? @? J@FC :?G6DE>6?E 42? 36 5C2>2E:4[ A2CE:4F=2C=J :7 J@F’C6 9@A:?8 E@ 2EEC24E 3FJ6CD]k^Am
kAmY {2?5D42A:?8i (9:=6 A=2?E:?8 :D?’E 2=H2JD A@DD:3=6 :? E96 4@=56DE >@?E9D @7 E96 J62C[ AFEE:?8 E@86E96C 2 A=2? 7@C 6?6C8J\4@?D4:@FD A=2?E:?8D :D 2 8C62E :562] r@?D:56C 255:?8 EC66D E92E H:== 3C:?8 D9256 E@ E96 DF??:6DE DA@ED[ =:<6 E96 H6DE D:56 @7 J@FC 9@>6[ E@ 4FE DF>>6CE:>6 6=64EC:4 3:==D] %C66D E92E =@D6 E96:C =62G6D :? E96 72== H:== =6E =:89E :? 5FC:?8 E96 H:?E6C[ 2D @AA@D65 E@ 6G6C8C66?D H9:49 H:== 3=@4< :E E9C@F89@FE E96 J62C]k^Am
kAmY (2E6Ci %2<6 E96 7:CDE DE6A 3J EFC?:?8 5@H? E96 E6>A6C2EFC6 D6EE:?8 @? J@FC H2E6C 962E6C] u@C >@C6 D2G:?8D[ 4@?D:56C C6A=24:?8 @=56C 962E6CD H:E9 6?6C8J\677:4:6?E >@56=D @C 6G6? D@=2C H2E6C 962E6CD] p55:?8 :?DF=2E:@? E@ J@FC A:A6D 42? 2=D@ >2<6 2 5:776C6?46 :? 9@H >F49 6?6C8J :D FD65 E@ 962E H2E6C]k^Am
kAm|@DE 9@>6@H?6CD AFE 2 =@E @7 677@CE :?E@ >2<:?8 E96:C 9@>6D 2EEC24E:G6[ H6=4@>:?8 DA246D] (:E9 8C66? FA52E6D[ J@F 42? >2<6 J@FC 9@>6 ?@E @?=J >@C6 4@>7@CE23=6 2?5 >@C6 6?6C8J\677:4:6?E[ 3FE 2=D@ >@C6 2AA62=:?8 E@ 3FJ6CD] p55 E96 A@E6?E:2= 6?6C8J D2G:?8D 2?5 E96 A@DD:3=6 3@@DE :? 9@>6 G2=F6 2?5 J@F 92G6 6G6? >@C6 C62D@?D E@ 3C:?8 J@FC 9@>6 :?E@ E96 8C66? 286]k^Am
kAmu@C C64@>>6?52E:@?D 23@FE >2<:?8 J@FC 9@>6 8C66?[ E2=< E@ 2 <?@H=658623=6 C62= 6DE2E6 286?E] vC66? 286?ED 2E #t^|p) 92G6 2 4@>>:E>6?E E@ DFDE2:?23:=:EJ 2?5 DA64:2=:K65 <?@H=6586 E92E J@F 42? E2A :?E@ H96? >2<:?8 :>AC@G6>6?ED] %@ =62C? >@C6 @C E@ 7:?5 2? 286?E :? J@FC 2C62[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]C6>2I]4@>^QmHHH]C6>2I]4@>k^2m]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`ehgfU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`ehgfU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am