9 Eco-Friendly Home Features to Check for When Buying a House

Homeowners are becoming more eco-conscious by the day. From installing water-efficient appliances to solar panels, home buyers are looking to incorporate greener options into their home designs. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, you’ll need to shop for the following.

How to Find a Realtor Who Can Help You Pick the Perfect Home

Finding the right home won’t be easy without a great realtor by your side, but you need to make sure your agent specializes in the eco-friendly home market. On sites like homeandmoney.com, you can search agents based on their certifications, experience, and niche specialties.

You can also try searching for a Green MLS, which features energy-efficient homes being sold worldwide. Remember that any agent with the acronym LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) next to their name is accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Your LEED-certified agent can help you find an environmentally friendly home, but what features will they consider eco-friendly?

Here are 9 things your property needs to be considered “green.”

1. Eco-Friendly Building Materials

Green building materials have a low environmental impact, so look for properties made out of salvaged or reclaimed wood and recycled items. Precast concrete, straw bales, bamboo, and recycled steel are also considered eco-friendly and can reduce your dependency on oil and gas.

bamboo as a construction material

2. Energy-Efficient Walls and Roofs

Cellulose insulation, made from recycled newspapers, is more energy-efficient and safe for the environment. Ideally, you’ll insulate your entire home, including the roof, basement, and ceilings, to keep heat from escaping. If you’re buying an old house, you’ll have to replace the insulation.

3. Solar Panels Instead of Gas

It’s in your best interest to find a home with solar panels already installed on the property, as it’s cheaper and less disruptive than buying them yourself. Make sure to ask your agent when the panels were installed, how they operate, and the amount of energy they generate annually.

4. Low-Energy and Dual Pane Windows

Low energy and dual pane windows can reduce energy waste. Both provide extra insulation, which keeps your home warmer for less. If possible, consider installing dual-pane windows with a low-energy protective shield, as it’ll protect you and your home from harmful UV rays.

5. Eco-Friendly Landscaping

If you are looking for home curb appeal, search Round Rock Texas homes. Maintaining the grass on your lawn wastes a lot of water, so try to find a backyard with synthetic grass or wood chips. Another good option is a lawn filled with native plants that don’t need to be watered by the owner.

solar-based landscape lighting

6. Water Efficient Plumbing and Appliances

Water consumption is a major problem in the United States. However, you can reduce your water usage in the home by installing water heaters that lead to less waste. Low-flow faucets, toilets, and showerheads are another great option, and so are WaterSense labeled appliances.

7. Energy-Efficient Lighting

It’s easier and cheaper nowadays to install energy-efficient lighting in the home. Homeowners can use LED lights, but that isn’t the only factor that will reduce your energy usage. Motion sensors, smart lighting, and large windows can help you waste less energy every single day.

Reasons to Convert to LED Lighting

8. Underfloor Heating

Radiators are inefficient compared to underfloor heating. Wet underfloor heating systems are the most efficient, especially when paired with a modern condensing boiler. Underfloor systems can also be coupled with solar thermal and air source heat pumps.

9. Energy Star Appliances

The blue logo with a start next to the word “energy” indicates that the appliance is energy efficient. There are plenty of products that could be Energy Star certified, like dishwashers, ceiling fans, washers and dryers, refrigerators, windows, skylights, doors, and more.

How Will Housing Marking in College Towns Fare Post-COVID?

Distance learning and COVID-19. This combination is every parent’s worst nightmare. It creates the perfect storm of stress, madness, and desperation. But, parents are making the best out of a terrible situation because education can’t be put on hold due to a global pandemic.

The real question is what if you have kids in college? The question many people have is regarding COVID-19’s impact on college towns.

HomeLight’s Q3 survey reveals that the coronavirus has left college towns in a tough spot. Local businesses such as bars and restaurants rely heavily on college students to keep business afloat. However, 2020’s fall semester has proven to be more detrimental than some would expect.

housing-college-towns

University towns become ghost towns

Many colleges and universities have shifted from in-person learning to distance learning and sent their students home. The result of the mass exodus has rendered many of these towns a proverbial ghost town.

According to insights from top agents who participated in HomeLight’s Q3 2020 survey, this student housing market in these cities are predicted to increase from 5.2% during the 2019 fall semester to 7.4% in 2020’s fall semester. Unit vacancies have increased by 1% during that time and because of this, property owners will have no choice but to lower their rental fees just to get people through the door.

Some towns are unaffected

Although some major universities said they were discontinuing in-person learning in favor of remote learning, there are universities who are keeping in-person classes. In these towns, landlords are likely to see an influx of rental applications if/when on-campus housing closes.

Real estate investing is on shaky ground

For real estate investors, buying rental properties in college towns seems like a gold mine – especially if the rent is going to be cheaper than an out-of-state student paying for room and board on campus. For example, the average monthly rent for Ann Arbor, Michigan is about $1,600 and room and board at University of Michigan is $11,996.

Now, room and board at the university may be cheaper, but when you factor in other living expenses, it could add up quickly. However, if four students rent a 4-bedroom apartment that costs $3,300 per month… Each student would pay $825 per month or $9,900 per year, which is quite a bit cheaper, especially when you factor in that the students aren’t staying on campus the entire year.

Inventory fluctuates

Thirty percent of real estate agents that participated in the survey state the rental vacancies in their area have either stayed the same or are starting to decline. Even though the housing market in a particular area may differ from others, 81% of agents said their inventory is at an all time low, despite the fact that many landlords are selling their rentals.

The truth of the matter is this, COVID-19 has affected almost every aspect of our lives and the housing market in university towns remains on shaky ground. As more students and faculty contract the virus, universities are closing their doors and students are going home. Even students who live off campus are leaving the area and are going back home to save money.

Local businesses in university towns are suffering due to a lack of patronage. Unless schools open back up in a safe manner, who knows what the 2020 Spring semester will fare. Will students return to university? Will real estate investors start investing again? Will the economy pick back up?

There are just so many questions that cannot be answered right now. But, we’re keeping our fingers crossed and are hoping for the best.