Why Energy Efficiency is Becoming More Important to Home Buyers
If you are an estate agent, you are already aware that what people want out of their home differs. Each generation looks for something slightly different from the previous one.
These days energy efficiency is increasingly becoming important to buyers. It is not always easy for people to find cheap home heating oil, or a low–cost electricity or gas tariff. Therefore, what they really want is a home that is energy efficient.
People are increasingly realizing that buying a home that consumes less power is the best way to keep control of their bills. The more the cost of electric, gas, wood and heating oil rises the more important energy efficiency becomes to property buyers.
It is important that everyone involved in the buying process understands this, and adapts to the changing expectations of potential buyers. This will help to move the property faster and improve the chances of securing a good price.
New properties
When selling a new property start by finding out if it has any type of energy certification. You need to familiarise yourself with the terms of the scheme. That way you can explain how much a potential buyer can expect to save on their fuel bills. It is worth pointing out these savings are ongoing and that as prices rise, so does the amount saved. People kind of know this, but it is not something that is at the forefront of their minds when they are looking around a property. Therefore, it never does any harm to remind them of the facts and translate things into cash terms.
It is also important to point out features that help to keep the cost of heating, or cooling, the property as low as possible. Most buyers will not notice that the living room is south facing, or realise that the skylight in the kitchen means they can leave the lights off for longer.
Older properties
All of the above applies when you are selling an older property. However, there are a few more things you need to bear in mind and point out.
It is important to prepare the seller for the fact that buyers are likely to ask about the cost of heating the property. If the current homeowner keeps their thermostat at a high temperature it is worth their while mentioning this fact when they discuss the cost of heating with a potential buyer.
Before putting the property on the market it is worth the seller taking the time to address any draught issues. Filling in gaps around windows and doors will make the house look better as well as ensure that prospective buyers do not notice any draughts when they are viewing the property. If the seller is including white goods, which have a particularly good energy rating, during the marketing process, it can be worth mentioning this too.
If you would like to learn more about marketing environmentally friendly homes all you need to do is to click this link.
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