Your home is your biggest asset and the one
you have will probably be the only one you ever buy. It does not only provide
your family with shelter and protection; it’s also a significant part of the
equity you have built up for years. Maintaining a home is something that all
homeowners do. Adding to its value is hugely important but is often thought of
as a major hassle and for this reason, is not give its rightful importance. Your
family’s needs increase over time and your equity should increase
proportionately. The simplest and most cost-effective way of doing this is by making
it into a high performance or Green Home.
The Cost of Going Green
There are two major factors driving the
Green Home movement. The first is the continuing upward movement of fossil
fuel costs. In the past 20 years, oil prices have more than tripled. In the
last 14 years, the cost of residential electricity has risen by about 65%.
There is no reason to think that this trend will change. Continuing
international unrest that threatens to disrupt oil supplies and cause massive
shortages in supplies and price surges must also be kept in mind. The second
factor is the rapid development of solar energy and lighting technology. The
ideal home is one that is a net-zero home – one that generates as much electricity
as it uses. Such a home for a family of
four would result in a savings of $400 per month, according to the Department
of Energy. That is $4800 a year and over a 10-year cycle, $48000.
These are figures that a potential buyer
will take into account when making a purchase offer for your home, if you
should decide to sell it. That is $48,000 more you can spend on a new home. The
bottom line is that going Green is not simply a matter of protecting our
environment – a subject of growing importance and which is receiving increasing
coverage in the news. It also makes sound economic sense.
The Starting Point
A home cannot be made Green overnight. It
is a multi-stage process that takes time and planning. There is, however, a
simple and easy way to get started. Or, if the process is already underway,
make it even more efficient. Daylighting systems are the perfect starting point
for a Green Home or value addition point to a process that is ongoing. These
are high tech devices that capture daylight from the roof of a house and carry
it, using special tubing, to even the most interior parts of the building –
places where there is not enough natural sunlight. These systems not only
reduce the use of artificial lighting during the day, they offer a wide range
of benefits in terms of health and alertness to the occupants of the home. Installation
is quick – typically just a few hours and once done, you have the benefits of having
Green technology in your home which includes an increase in its value. Contact the
dealer of the leading
manufacturer of daylighting systems to learn more about the ways your home benefits from daylighting systems.
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