Energy-Efficient, Smart Features Could Increase Resale Value of Your Home

Homeowners seeking to increase the resale value of their home could benefit from energy-efficiency and smart technology improvement projects. Rickey Busler, associate broker/Realtor for RE/MAX Vision, says first-time home buyers are typically in a market with homes selling between $80,000-$200,000. These consumers are looking for things like energy-efficient windows, hot water tank, furnace, and updated electrical wiring. Meanwhile, smart technology features become a priority in the higher-end market, where homes start at around $300,000, he says. “In your higher-end markets, that’s when you are going to start seeing people looking for smart technology — where you can control the lights and heat and alarms and everything through a tablet.” Busler adds that he has seen an increase in smart or “remote” thermostats that can learn a household’s heating and cooling preferences and adjust the temperature without physical manipulation by the homeowner. “What we are finding is that the younger crowd, the more tech-savvy people, are the ones that really want all these additional features,” he says. | Read More