These Eco-Friendly Features Can Help Your Home Sell Faster
Saving the planet is a good reason to make your home more environmentally friendly, and so is lowering your energy and water bills. Now you can add a third benefit: A faster home sale and higher asking price when it’s time to move on.
A recent survey by Zillow* highlights the impact of eco-friendly home enhancements. Topping the list of features on buyers’ wish lists are electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and drought-resistant landscaping, both of which can help a home sell more than 9 days faster than similar homes. Next up are double-pane windows, which can speed up selling time by nearly a week. Smart technology shapes other in-demand features, including programmable thermostats (6 days faster), smart sprinkler systems (nearly 5 days faster), and smart lights (more than 3 days faster). Since many of these are projects you can do yourself and for a reasonable price, they’re a great way to speed your house from “listed” to “sold” without breaking the bank.
Eco-Friendly Feature | Impact on Sales Time | |
| EV Charging Station | = | 9.5 days faster |
| Drought-Resistant Landscaping | = | 9.2 days faster |
| Double-Pane Windows | = | 6.9 days faster |
| Programmable Thermostat | = | 6 days faster |
| Smart Sprinkler System | = | 4.9 days faster |
| Smart Lights | = | 3.6 days faster |
Other improvements that can help you save on energy costs may have less of an impact on selling time but may yield a better return on your sales price. Solar panels can help your home sell for 1.4% more than similar homes, and tankless water heaters can add a 1.2% premium. When combined with savings you’ll get on water and energy bills, that can add up to a solid return on investment for these enhancements.
Beyond eco-friendly measures, today’s buyers are looking for features that help protect against climate-related events. If you live in an area at risk of hurricanes, for example, storm shutters could add 1.4% to your sales price, and having a low-lying property on piers or stilts adds more than 1%. The biggest potential impact, however, is for homeowners in earthquake-prone areas: Houses that have undergone seismic retrofitting (or are built according to earthquake-resistant standards) price for 2.4% more and sell a whopping 19 days sooner!
Of course, this is just scratching the surface of environmentally friendly home options. From sustainable flooring materials to water-conserving plumbing fixtures, your appliance and décor choices can become huge selling points for your home. Just remember to tout those features in your home listing so eco-minded buyers can beat a path to your perfectly weather-stripped door!
*“Listings Highlighting Eco-Friendly Features Sell up to 10 Days Faster,” April 18, 2022, Zillow.com
9/21/22
