GREEN HOMES
Green
Living
How to add green
elements to your home
A
home with green elements has become
increasingly sought after by both homebuyers
and tenants. This means you can charge your
tenants more rental with a greater return on your
investment for a home offering green energy-saving
features.
In addition, homeowners who are looking to
install green features in their homes will be able to
receive a rebate by recovering a percentage of the cost
back when they decide to sell. A survey conducted
by the National Association of Home Builders
(NAHB), revealed 72% of potential homebuyers
reported energy-efficient features in a home will
influence their purchasing decision. Around 61%
of these same buyers will be prepared to spend an
additional R50 000 to R100 000 on a home that had
features which reduce utility costs.
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Residential Handbook 2015
A homeowner can start by making small changes
such as installing energy-efficient lighting. Installing
an automated thermostat on the geyser will help to
reduce costs by ensuring that it is only heating water
at certain times.
Retrofitting energy saving equipment such as solar
panels, batteries, LED lighting, water saving taps and
showers and water recycling equipment is no more
expensive than starting from scratch on a new build.
It is worth considering when an investor considers
the future ecological and financial implications.
“In terms of energy, going off the grid completely
can cost around R150 000 for an ave