Home Buying – Energy Saving Considerations

Home Buying – Energy Saving Considerations

Last year my wife an I purchased a nice home in Michigan and this is our second Michigan winter living here. We’re very happy with the energy saving features we inherited with the home. Monday morning it was 4?F and well below zero with the wind chill and our furnace wasn’t struggling to heat the house.

This article is not to brag about our home, I just want to point out the importance of these considerations when searching for a new one. Energy costs were at the top of our list when we decided to purchase a home and you can save thousands by choosing a home that already has many of the energy saving features you want. It can be so expensive to upgrade later that you may not benefit from the actual savings for years.

Our new house is a 1750 square feet ranch on a slab. The layout of the house was well thought out. We have low ceilings that saves a lot of energy. The main section of the house is brick which also helps. The house is well insulated including the attic, walls and pipes. The exterior doors and windows are high quality and energy efficient. The double-pane vinyl replacement windows insulated with Argon gas provides excellent energy efficiency. Even on the coldest of days no cold air is getting in. I was very impressed when I put my hand over the windows when it was 0?F outside and felt absolutely no cold air. We can finally stop putting plastic film over our windows each year Another nice feature of our home is the thermostat controlled gas fireplace. We moved from a house half this size and pay less on home heating. Even the pool uses a solar heating system.

Other important things to look for when purchasing your next home include the major appliance such as the furnace, water heater and central air. Newer appliances can be much more energy efficient and safer. It’s a huge bonus when newer energy efficient models have already been added and may not even effect the selling final price.

Michigan is in a terrible housing crises right now and so are many other states. Foreclosures are at an alarming rate and many people are desperate to sell. Yes, they call this a ‘Buyer’s Market’ and if you’re in the position to buy it may be a great time to start looking. We bought this home $45,000 below the appraised value and saved the previous owner from foreclosure. His credit was saved and we got an amazing deal. This market also gives you an almost endless supply of choices so don’t forget to consider the energy costs, especially in very cold or hot climates.

Article Summary

You can save thousands by choosing a home that already has
many of the energy saving features you want. Yes, they call
this a ‘Buyer’s Market’ and if you’re in the position to buy
it may be a great time to start looking. We bought this home
$45,000 below the appraised value and saved the previous
owner from foreclosure.

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