When looking to buy a Granite Bay property, or any home for that matter, there are a lot of factors to keep in mind. One of the big ones is how much your monthly recurring energy costs will be. Here are a few tips to get you thinking in the right direction.
- Begin with a right-sized home. If the home you buy is simply too large for you or your family’s needs or plans, you stand a good chance of wasting energy through excessive heating and cooling costs. If it’s too small, you’ll feel cramped and uncomfortable. It’s a big investment, so seek balance and buy it “right” from the outset.
- Purchase ENERGY STAR appliances such as your TV, dishwasher, washer and dyer, and microwave. And especially the refrigerator, as it alone contributes about 10 percent of the energy use in a home. Also, unplug electronics not in use or turn off power strips to avoid phantom charges.
- Install efficient lighting such as compact fluorescent (CLF) or LED bulbs in every fixture. Lighting accounts for about 6 percent of an energy bill each year.
-
Get an energy audit
and have tests performed to identify ways of improving your efficiency.
You can always upgrade your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
(HVAC) system as well as your thermal envelope, which includes
insulation, windows, and doors and the seals or weather-stripping
around them.
I hope that helps to get the ideas going and if you have any questions about the Granite Bay Area or properties in the surrounding region, please give me a call (916-626-4266). I am always ready to help.
Jason Elrod
Broker Associate at Keller Williams Realty
The Real Estate Nomad 'Running' Your Neighborhood
P.S. - For more great tip visit: energy.gov/energytips. -J
