The Importance of Being Energy Efficient

GreenEscrow | Solar

A new study by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reports that potential homebuyers are increasingly placing a significantly higher degree of priority on residential properties that are energy efficient. The report, What Green Means to Home Buyers: Perceptions and Preferences put “clean tech solutions” and the subsequent savings as a determining factor when looking to purchase a new home.

While living in a safe community remains the top priority among 90 percent of potential buyers, energy efficiency (88 percent), low maintenance (85 percent), lower operating costs (85 percent) and durability and resilience (84 percent) follow closely behind.

New home builders and remodelers have seen a growing interest in green and sustainable building during the last several years which is certainly only going to increase in the years ahead.

Energy Efficiency “Highly Important”

Green Escrow Services | American economy

A recent survey by the National Association of Realtors indicates that 71 percent of those households polled consider energy efficiency “highly important,” but only 35 percent actually felt their homes were energy efficient.

Somewhat surprisingly, this gap between importance and satisfaction was larger than other more “traditional” concerns such as safe neighborhoods, affordability, updated kitchens, and available storage space. One possible reason is that spending on household utilities has risen significantly more that overall consumer spending.