Build an Eco-Friendly Home: 13 Creative Steps to Go Green

Posted on June 28, 2021 by sharonpaxson

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Tips on How to Build an Eco-Friendly Home

Build an eco-friendly home to support the environment. There has been an increase in the popularity of environmental issues across all parts of our lives, which also applies to home construction.

Taking the green option when constructing your new home will reduce your carbon footprint and could reduce your living expenses too.

Constructing an eco-friendly home does take a bit more planning, but the results can give you the sustainable home of your dreams. Your new home can be energy efficient and save money on energy bills. We look at 8 things you can do to build a more eco-friendly home.

Choosing Eco-Friendly Building Materials when you build an eco-friendly home

Choosing materials in the construction that are sustainable building materials certainly helps improve the environmental credentials when you build an eco-friendly home.

Recycling materials is also an excellent option that should help reduce the cost of the build and have a positive environmental impact. One excellent suggestion is to consider building a shipping container house because of the impact on the environment by utilizing shipping containers as a structure.

It is a good idea for home builders to pick eco-friendly building materials, as these green features are considered upgrades with a home. When buying new construction houses, it is a good opportunity to include eco-friendly building materials in the design process.

New construction home buying is a viable option when buying a home. Many buyers will go directly to the builder when considering purchasing new construction.

It is often possible to remodel homes that are fixer-uppers using recycled materials, for example. If you remodel, be sure to recycle items such as insulation, beams, and bricks.

When recycling isn’t possible, eco-friendly materials can be used. This will mean making sure that the wood used in the home has had as little processing with chemicals or heat as possible.

Using wood from sustainable sources is also something you will likely want to check. Utilizing eco-friendly building materials will create a green home.

Creating an Energy-Efficient Home

Creating an energy-efficient home will reduce energy consumption while still creating a comfortable living area. Choosing to fit solar panels or even wind turbines to power your property partially will reduce energy usage from traditional sources.

You can also fit energy-saving features, like light sensors, to save power. Reusing old electrical appliances will keep your costs down and reduce the environmental impact of your new home.

use Solar Panels when you build an eco-friendly home

Solar companies will tell you that these solar panels increase a home’s value; however, there can be complications with selling the home if the panels are leased. There are different reasons why solar energy is so advantageous for a homeowner. Solar panels have become a trendy option for generating power for the home.

There are financial benefits to utilizing solar panels, such as savings through lowering the electricity bill. Other benefits include the fact that people are trying to reduce their carbon footprint and being green. They prefer not to rely on the grid for energy needs.

Solar panels are photovoltaic cells and convert the sun’s light and energy into electricity. One advantage of solar panels is that the panels provide you with guaranteed power as long as the sun is shining. There are some drawbacks too. Utilizing solar panels is a creative way to add equity to the home.

Buying Energy-Efficient Appliances

Newer electronic appliances tend to be more energy-efficient than older ones. Check the energy consumption rating of the device. Though buying new appliances will increase your costs, the reduced energy efficiency use will gradually recoup some of the extra expense. New appliances do also have the advantage of adding value to your home when you sell.

Energy-efficient appliances include Energy Star, which is designed to help you save money and resources.

Washing machines and dishwashers utilize significantly less water which helps to save the planet. The appliances are more efficient and are energy savings. Keep in mind that dishwashers would be included if selling. However, it is always a good idea to include what you want in the purchase agreement.

Smart Thermostats

The biggest reason to upgrade to a smart thermostat is for energy cost savings. This is a pretty easy way to save money. The thermostat will maintain the temperature of your home when you build an eco-friendly home. When utilizing a smart thermostat, it’s easy to schedule your HVAC to run less while you’re out for the day and ultimately reduces energy usage.

Smart programmable thermostats are connected with the wireless internet. Some apps can be utilized on your smartphone to program and maintain the temperature of the home. This allows the home to maintain a consistent temperature versus having an air conditioner work hard to cool the home back down. This will save energy costs.

If you have a vacation home, it is good to have smart home technology, including a thermostat.

Your thermostat can program alerts to let you know if the interior temperature has changed significantly, so you can monitor whether or not your HVAC is working properly and make adjustments as needed.

Another benefit of a smart thermostat is that they are easy to install and program. All you need to do is turn off the power to the existing thermostat and remove the old thermostat.

Connect the new smart thermostat and follow the programming instructions. Connect the wires to your new thermostat, install the new thermostat faceplate, restore power, and follow programming instructions as prompted.

Efficient Lighting

Make sure LED bulbs are fitted throughout the home as canned lighting. They are considered fixtures in real estate. LED lamps use far less power than traditional bulbs and need replacing less frequently too.

Eco-Friendly Home Features

Choosing to use eco-friendly technologies in your home construction is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

Reducing your carbon footprint is good news for the environment. Choosing to have underfloor heating installed instead of heating ducts will add value to your home, along with making it more sustainable.

Eco-Friendly Toilets

Traditional toilets use more than 100 gallons of water on average each year. You also spend money on cleaning products that may be harmful to the environment. There is also the cost of toilet paper which is expensive.

You may consider utilizing a composting toilet. It will reduce your water usage, cut back on cleaning products, and save you money.

If you don’t want to go as far as a composting toilet, there are some toilets available with a dual flush system, so you can select to use less water when appropriate.

Reducing Water Usage

Making better use of water in the home will reduce the amount you use. While you can save money on your water bills by being more careful when you flush the toilet or run the dishwasher, you can also select more efficient appliances.

When you are choosing a dishwasher or other appliances, some may use more water than others. Check the product specifications before you buy.

Tankless Water Heaters

A great way to conserve resources is to convert your existing water heater to a tankless model.

A tankless water heater is an upgrade for any home. Tankless water heats will last longer, use less energy, offer endless hot water on demand, and reduce utility bills. They have reduced maintenance, increased energy efficiency, lower utility bills, and more.

Tankless water heaters will heat the water directly without utilizing a storage tank. The water heaters heat the water when the water travels through a pipe. Tankless water heaters deliver a consistent supply of hot water, and basically, it is hot water on demand.

Energy-Efficient Windows

These windows prevent your heated or cooled air from escaping from your home. Heat will generally rise and will escape through loose windows or through the roof.

Energy-efficient windows will help to reduce heat loss. Most energy-efficient windows are dual paned or triple-paned, depending on the location.

If you reside in an older home, upgrading your windows will add value to the home and will be more energy efficient. Use sustainable materials when you decide to remodel or build an eco-friendly home. Energy-efficient windows provide increased insulation and will reduce your home’s energy usage.

At the same time, they help to make your home more comfortable. Windows do have a tint on them to reduce the sun heating the interior of the home. Many windows or glass have Low E or low emissivity tint to reduce the amount of infrared light.

Growing Your Own Food in Your Backyard

If you plan your backyard with raised beds or a planting area for vegetables, you can even grow your own food. This is a great eco-friendly method that saves you money and provides nutritious, healthy food for your family throughout the year.

When growing your own food, you can utilize raised flower beds and fill them with compost.

If you plant certain vegetables next to each other, it can really help. For example, basil planted next to tomatoes will help fend off aphids. Homes that have a green roof will add to the proper insulation of the home.

When tending to the yard, be sure to update the front yard as well and utilize drought-resistant plants that require less water.

Selling an Eco-Friendly Home

Having some of all of these items discussed in this article will sell the home faster. Having a home that is energy efficient is very desirable.

Moving into a new home with lower utility bills is a definite selling point. You may be in the process of deciding what to fix before selling your home, and if possible, it is a good idea to make changes with an eco-friendly mindset.

Final Thoughts

Committing to a sustainable design and eco-home benefits the environment and will reduce your living expenses. It is not only the design and resources used to build an eco-friendly home.

How you live in it impacts your carbon footprint and the potential harm to the environment. There are many benefits to living in a green home, including the benefit to the planet but also to the homeowner with the utility bills.

About the Author

The article “Build an Eco-Friendly Home | 13 Creative Steps to Go Green” was written by Sharon Paxson, one of the best Newport Beach Real Estate agents. With experience since 2005, representing buyers, sellers, and landlords. We welcome the opportunity to share our expertise with you and guide you through your real estate transaction.

Is Renting Cheaper Than Buying: Find Tips and Answers

Posted on June 23, 2021 by massrealty

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Is Renting Cheaper than Buying?

For decades, the traditional advice has been to buy a home. Previous generations considered real estate to be the safest investment while renting was seen as throwing away money. And even today, many people consider homeownership to be synonymous with the American dream.

But buying a home is a major life decision and not one to be made lightly. There are many aspects to consider. What are you looking for? There’s the number of bedrooms, square footage, location, and of course, the big question: money.

Faced with the realities of their finances, many people are opting to rent instead of buy. But is renting cheaper than buying, and is it the best choice for you?

To help you decide, we’ll break down the costs involved in both options, plus take a look at some of the other pros and cons.

Cost of Moving In

Before you compare the monthly payments of rent versus a mortgage, you should consider the different costs involved just to move in.

Moving into a House

According to the National Association of Realtors, the national median home price in March 2021 was $329,1000. The typical house down payment is 7%. This means that, on average, you’ll need $23,037 to put towards your down payment.

Don’t have that much cash handy? For most loans, the minimum down payment is 3%, which would equal $9,873.

On top of that, you’ll be responsible for closing costs such as application fees, HOA payments, insurance, property taxes, and more.

These generally come out to be anywhere between 3% and 5% of the sales price. Using NAR’s median home price, that means you’ll need at least another $9,873 and possibly as much as $16,455 to close on your home.

Some lenders will allow you to roll your closing costs into a loan, which can make this more affordable. Keep in mind, though, if your closing costs become part of your loan you’ll have to pay interest.

Moving into a Rental

The average monthly rent is $1,124. Most renters will need to put down three months in rental costs: first, last, and one month’s deposit. This would come out to $3,372, much less than the down payment and closing costs on a house.

If you’re having trouble saving enough to move into a house, renting is probably a more feasible option.

Monthly Costs

If you have the money you need for a down payment on a house, then the next thing to weigh is the monthly mortgage payments versus monthly rent.

Mortgage Payments

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median monthly mortgage payment is $1,487 (June 2021).

However, this will be affected by many different factors, and your monthly mortgage payment can end up being hundreds of dollars higher or lower.

Down Payment

The more you put towards your down payment, the less you’ll be paying off. This can greatly lower your monthly payment.

Mortgage Rate

The lower the interest rate, the lower your payment. Timing your home purchase for when rates are lower can save you well over $100 per month.

Here’s an example: a $300,000 mortgage at a 3.5% interest rate = $1,347 per month. At a 2.5% interest rate, it’s lowered to $1,185 per month. The mortgage program you choose can be a key consideration.

Location

Where you buy a home will have a huge impact, possibly the biggest impact, on your monthly mortgage payment. Housing prices vary greatly from city to city, or even from one neighborhood to another in the same city.

Market Trends

You also need to consider the market situation. Buying a home during a seller’s market means you’ll be paying top dollar for your home, driving up your monthly payments. During a buyer’s market, however, you’ll be able to negotiate a better price and reduce your payments.

Rental Prices

As we saw earlier, the average monthly rent is $1,124.

But keep in mind unless you sign a longer lease or live in a rent-controlled unit, your landlord can raise the rent each time you renew your lease. They can also raise the rent if your lease expires and you decide to rent on a month-to-month basis while you find your next home.

In most areas, rent increases are governed by local laws or statutes. For example, your landlord can’t increase the rent in the middle of your lease. But, they may increase it with a month-to-month lease with 30 days’ notice in writing. Some states may even require certified mail.

And if your rent increases, you might have to add more money to your security deposit. Security deposits are usually calculated as a multiple of the rent (i.e. one month rent, or double the monthly rent). So when the rent goes up, your landlord may ask you to add to your security deposit as one of the terms of renewing the rental agreement.

Other Costs

There are other costs involved, too, besides a monthly mortgage or rental payment.

If you own your home, you can expect, at minimum, the following additional costs:

Utilities
HOA fees (if applicable)
Repairs
Maintenance
Landscaping
Pest control

When you rent, you’re typically only responsible for utilities. And even then, many rentals include some of the utilities, especially cable or WiFi services. Other expenses, including repairing or replacing appliances, will be taken care of by the landlord or management company.

Moving Out

Let’s finish the homeownership cycle by talking about the expenses involved in moving out.

Moving out of a House

When you sell a home, there are a few different items that will affect your potential costs

First, if you’re lucky, your home has appreciated in value. You’ll be able to sell it for a profit. In general, home values increase over time, so the longer you live there, the more you might make on a sale. However, if you bought high and are forced to sell low, you might come out even… or worse.

You’ll also have quite a few costs at closing. In most cases, you’ll be responsible for paying the real estate agent’s commission fees, which are 5% to 6%.

You’ll also have other closing costs, such as a title search, inspection, transfer taxes, and more. These costs usually come to somewhere between 2% and 4% of the home value.

Moving out of a Rental

Here, renters have it easy. In general, all you’ll need to do is let your landlord know you won’t renew your lease, and you’re set. But there are a couple of other things to keep in mind.

Read your rental agreement carefully to make sure you meet the “prior notice” requirements for not renewing your rental. Some leases require 60 or even 90 days advance notice; some might require written notice.
Your rental will need to be in good condition, or your landlord might refuse to return your deposit.
If you’re canceling mid-lease, due to a sudden relocation, there will most likely be a penalty. Check your contract; you might be responsible for several months of rent.

Renting vs. Buying

So, in the end, is renting cheaper than buying? In all the stages we’ve looked at, from moving in to monthly costs to moving out, renting is typically cheaper than buying a house.

If you’re only looking at dollars, then renting is the best way to save money on housing. But, when you start looking at other factors — investment value, possible tax breaks, building equity, sense of community — homeownership might still be the best choice for you.

And remember, each area is different, so research your local market to be sure of average home and rental prices before you make any financial decisions.

About the author: The above article about renting is cheaper than buying was written by Anna Compagine Cohen. Anna is a Content Writer at UpNest, where agents compete and you win. Anna has an extensive background in the real estate industry. She is a published author who specializes in real estate, personal finance, travel, and wellness. When she’s not writing, Anna can be found reading, walking on the beach, or spoiling her teenagers and their rescue dogs.

How to Get Your Home Ready to Sell

Posted on June 2, 2021 by kristenherhold

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Tips to Prepare Your House to Get Sold

Are you getting ready to sell your home? Home sale preparation is one of the most vital tasks when selling a home.

Homes are rarely ready to hit the market as is. Most of them need a slight (or major) makeover to attract potential buyers.

There are certain tricks of the trade that real estate pros use in order to quickly sell a home at a desirable price. These tactics will cost money upfront but will ultimately help increase a seller’s overall profit.

The following tips range from low-cost updates to full-on renovations. Whether your budget is large or small, these strategies are sure to help raise your returns.

Although this advice is mainly geared toward homeowners, it can be used for other people as well (e.g., investors using a 1031 exchange to quickly sell an apartment building).

Clean, Declutter, Depersonalize

Decluttering and depersonalizing your home can help potential buyers visualize themselves in the space. Remember, you are moving on and leaving this home behind. The goal now is to emotionally detach and present buyers with a blank slate.

In addition to giving the place a good scrub, pack up personal belongings such as photographs, knickknacks, family heirlooms, and other decor. Basically, remove anything that will distract from the sale.

Regarding items you no longer want to keep, consider selling or donating them to a local charity such as the Salvation Army or Goodwill.

All other items can be put in storage or tucked away in small boxes in your cabinets and closets. Although this may seem cumbersome, consider it a jumpstart on packing.

Give it a Fresh Coat of Paint

Painting is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to increase the value of a home. At a 107% return on investment, repainting the interior walls has one of the highest values in terms of home improvements.

When repainting a home, research common and popular colors. Keep in mind that this is not about your personal style but what potential buyers will like. The exterior should have a fresh coat of neutral paint, and the interior walls should be free of any chips or cracks.

It’s best to stick to inoffensive colors such as off-white, eggshell, or “greige.” But not all colors work for all rooms. For smaller spaces, pastels and stark whites can make them seem larger.

For larger, potentially alienating rooms, darker, more intimate colors can help bring the room in.

Don’t forget the trim and other adornments. Painting the crown molding the same color as the walls can make a room feel bigger, and painting it a contrasting color can make it cozier.

Stage The Home

Staging a home has been shown to increase the odds of selling it for a higher price. You do not necessarily need to stage every single room, but consider doing important areas such as the master bedroom and living room.

You also do not need to remove all of the furniture in your home to stage it. Hyper-stylized items like a bright yellow couch or zebra rug can be distracting, though, so consider moving them into storage or at least out of sight.

Temporarily decorate the home with furniture and decor that’s ordinary yet in style.

Make Renovations and Repairs

Depending on the condition of a property, the seller may need to make some repairs to sell the place. A leaky roof, some cracked tiles, or a faulty HVAC system could all make selling your house much harder.

Other times, a room’s features may simply be outdated, and making renovations would help increase the home’s market value. Remodeling the kitchen is a common route many homeowners take because most buyers want a nice kitchen.

Installing stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and new cabinets can transform the space into an inviting room for cooking and hosting.

Financing renovations can seem tricky, but homeowners can use plenty of creative options to achieve their remodeling goals.

There are different lines of credit that owners can tap into, like credit cards and second mortgages, but make sure to pay attention to the interest rates.

If you don’t have the money to pay off the renovations immediately, then you will want a card or loan with a low rate. Otherwise, you could end up paying more on interest overall.

If going through the process of making renovations isn’t for you, but you still want to give potential buyers the option to make updates, you could offer seller concessions in the form of credits toward renovations and repairs.

Increase Your Curb Appeal

First impressions matter. The outside of a property and the driveway are what buyers will immediately notice. In addition to painting the exterior of a home, redoing the landscaping and/or the driveway can help increase curb appeal.

If you’re dealing with a particularly run-down house or a fixer-upper, then decluttering the front yard and mowing the lawn could do wonders for your selling efforts. Power cleaning a driveway or installing a new one can make a huge difference as well.

Do a Photoshoot

Once you’re done preparing the home, make sure your listing properly showcases the property. It would be a shame to put in tons of effort only to have a property sit on the market due to unflattering or bland pictures.

Listings with professional photos have even been shown to sell homes up to 32% faster than homes with low-quality images.

When preparing your home for sale, it’s all about emphasizing the details that will capture a buyer’s attention.

Going the extra mile will show people you are serious about selling and will likely increase the final sale price. If you’re working with a real estate agent, be sure to ask for their advice on staging and renovations.

They should be able to point you in the right direction and offer references for contractors, photographers, landscapers, and more.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you have enjoyed these tips on how to get your home ready to sell and can put them to good use.

The more you can do to get your home prepared for the real estate market, the greater the odds you will sell your house fast for the most money possible.

Never sell yourself short by putting your house up for sale before you’re ready.