Wood stoves fueled by pellets, energy-efficient windows, gas fireplace inserts, new siding, geothermal systems, composting toilets: Any energy-efficient feature that will save a buck, make a home more comfortable and, for some, fulfill a green dream is high on both buyers’ and sellers’ lists. So say a number of Realtors and remodelers throughout the country.
“Energy efficiency is a gigantic subject,” says John Abrams, founder and president of South Mountain Co., a design/build firm in West Tisbury, Mass. “In the last couple of years there has been a staggering change in what people are asking for. We’ve been doing this for the last 30 years and have been pushing our clients further and further, sometimes with very limited success. Now they’re pushing us and challenging us to do stuff that’s not easy to do. They’re asking for homes that don’t use energy but produce it. Composting toilets in a million-dollar house. Pretty good stuff. It’s way beyond windows for us.”
Window Dressing
Photo Credit: Peter Hoey
But windows are still high on a number of homeowners’ must-do/must-have lists. Not surprisingly, window replacement continues to rank high in the Cost vs. Value survey, both in terms of value at sale and cost recovered. According to the Efficient Windows Collaborative, the heating bill for a 2,000-square-foot home with high-performance, energy-efficient windows is 39% lower than a comparable home with single-pane, aluminum windows.
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