With the housing market still flat, sellers are looking for ways to improve the resale value of their homes and still recoup their expenses. Adding some energy-efficient updates may help but dont be stingy, says the column in the New York Times. If you do just one thing, its probably not going to add value, said Jeffrey Schleider, managing director of Miron Properties, a real estate company specializing in green properties. If you do five or six things as a package, it really makes your property more appealing.
Schleider recommends a number of easy low-cost changes that target energy savings, clean water and clean air. These are factors that Consumer Reports considers in its testing. For example, Schleider suggests installing Energy Star appliances, dual-flush toilets, low-flow showerheads and undersink water filters, all products that weve tested. He also said that a good coat of low VOC paint will impress buyers. Even if the improvements arent immediately obvious you can brag about them in the property listing. Here are some of the good green performers from our tests.
Energy Star appliances While some homeowners like the look of pro-style appliances, a good selling point is to let prospective buyers know about your energy-saving Energy Star appliances. After all, refrigerators run 24/7 and washing machines and dishwashers need both water and heat to get the job done. Our Ratings charts indicate which appliances have earned an Energy Star and measure energy use. We also tell you how much it costs to run your refrigerator for a year. For example, a few energy hogs in our refrigerator tests cost three times as much to run as models we recommend.
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