Do you want to improve the saleability of your home and add value at the same time? Well property expert Laura Henderson says the best way to achieve both is with energy efficiency upgrades. She talks about the benefits of home improvement in her latest book: Tricks and Mortar: The Little Book of Property Wisdom.
This advice is backed by the Energy Saving Trust who claim homeowners are now willing to part with up to £10,000 to improve the energy efficiency of their property and become more eco-friendly. Doing so embraces the green lifestyle and can speed up the process of selling your home in the future.
So how can you improve home energy efficiency? Take a look at some of the Laura Henderson’s best tips below:
Double glazing
If you’re looking to make your home as energy efficient as possible, single glazed windows definitely get the thumbs down. Your best bet is to invest in quality double glazing to retain heat in the home and ensure your energy bills are slashed. What’s important to avoid is cheap uPVC double glazing, because this is bound to decrease the value of your home. To add most value, look towards wooden double glazing. Whilst this won’t be cheap at around £200 for a standard window, it will certainly add value to your home and reduce bills every year.
Wall cavity insulation
If your home was built after 1920 the chances are it has cavity walls. This is effectively two skins of brick with a cavity between them. Insulation is used to fill this gap and is a relatively inexpensive process that’ll save you a wealth of money. A professional can pump insulation into your wall cavities and the work will only take a few hours, but once complete you’ll retain a lot more heat in your home. This will help you to reduce heating bills significantly, especially in the winter months.
Replacement boilers
Did you know that your boiler accounts for around 60% of your annual energy bill? It often goes unnoticed, providing you with the heat and hot water you need throughout the year. But many homeowners still have highly inefficient boilers, working at just 70% and even less. If your boiler is older than 10 years, consider a modern A-rated replacement and save up to £310 a year on heating bills.
LPG boilers
LPG is also known as a rural fuel, producing the fewest carbon emission compared to other forms of heating. LPG heating is very popular in areas not accessible to the gas grid and many experts believe it to be the fuel of the future. If you need a boiler replacement it’s time to consider an eco-friendly approach with LPG heating or biomass.
You’ll quickly see a big difference in your energy bills and there are even grants available to help cover the installation costs of biomass boilers.
Solar panels
This is by far the most popular renewable energy source in the UK, largely because of a range of Government backed financial incentives. There are two types of solar panels available for domestic use: those which generate electricity and those which provide heat. Solar PV is more common and whilst the installation cost may be higher than other options, you’ll see a brilliant return of investment with electricity savings, feed-in tariff payments and the export tariff.
Heat pumps
As well as solar panels, heat pumps are growing in popularity too. They’re becoming more common in new build homes and work great with underfloor heating and large radiators. With a heat pump you can make massive savings, up to 40% of your annual bill. There are two systems to consider: an air source or ground source heat pump. Ground source heat pumps collect heat from the earth with a loop of piping whist air source pumps extract heat from the air down to temperatures of -16 degrees to use in the home.