Agent Blog: Home Buyers Want Green Features

Given that the housing market is at a lull, if not crashing, in cities around the nation, there are a couple of things to take note of if you are selling your home.

One is that property buyers are in control, and the second is that they are choosy. They can afford to be and deserve to be, since the pendulum swing has been held in sellers' favor for such a long time. The good news is that one thing I am seeing more and more as a real estate broker is that buyers are increasingly interested in green features.

From a buyer's perspective, it makes perfect sense to purchase a home that has been given superior energy ratings, uses Energy Star-rated appliances, and is built or remodeled with many of the amazing sustainable materials available today. Going green has gone beyond being simply a frugal decision to maximize energy savings.

For sellers and builders green has become a great option to position properties in the market. With energy costs increasing rapidly and increased awareness of environmental issues in the general public, selling green means giving your property an edge on the competition.

Some buyers are now viewing green features as if they were luxury additions to a property. For instance, many buyers love to hear that a newly remodeled home has gone from point A-Z environmentally, as well as aesthetically. If it can be proven that a remodeled home has seen significant energy savings, it definitely becomes more desirable.

I am seeing the sea change for green housing. With waste and energy costs on the rise, it's what people are talking about when looking at homes, and it's here to stay. If you think that some day you might sell your home, then why not get ahead of the curve and look into how you can start making these changes now?

Brad Coy is a licensed associate with San Francisco Real Estate Services, and a certified EcoBroker.

The Daily Green's Community News section is a forum for our audience to get the word out about issues that matter to them, enlist support, get help and advice, celebrate successes or share humor. The best submissions are personal (why I started this venture) short and to the point (400 words or so) and written in a style that speaks directly to the audience as peers (not like an ad or press release). E-mail submissions to news@thedailygreen.com and include "community news" in the subject line. Photos are also welcome, provided the submitter has rights to publish the image. Be sure to include credit and caption information.

Submissions to The Daily Green are subject to our Privacy and Terms of Use policies.

COMMENTS ()