Pearl Certification
What's Pearl Certification?
According to Pearl Certification themselves, high-performing homes can have 4% added to the sale price compared to a home that hasn’t invested in energy-efficiency improvements. When marketed correctly, there have also been suggestions that Pearl Certified homes have a 5% premium so it’s a brilliant feature for your listing agent or realtor to have.
Every year, the demand for high-performing homes is growing and this trend is only set to expand in the coming years. Therefore, when having your home valued, it’s important the right experts visit and consider the improvements you’ve made in this arena. While some people will have invested in solar panels, others may have added insulation, energy-efficient appliances, draft protection on doors and windows, and more. With all of these factors considered correctly, your home won’t be undervalued.
When selling a home, it’s important to do everything possible to drive up the price. After investing and making improvements to the home, this becomes even more important because it’s always nice to see some sort of return on this investment. Especially when it comes to energy-efficiency upgrades, you might be told that these will increase the selling price…but how do you know this?
Choosing the Right Listing Agent
Going solar in Arizona has many benefits, saving money on your electric bill is just one. The added value it can bring to a home when it’s time to sell is another. If you have locked in rates with the utility company than the new property owner can inherit those rates as they take over the lease on the property. Having a solar realtor that understands solar lease transfers will be important for creating value around the solar system.
If you are thinking about converting to solar, there are some things to consider. Is the roof too old to support the weight and size of the system? Is the roof positioned properly to take advantage of the sunlight? Is the roof shaded from trees or other light obstructing objects? In the Phoenix Metro area, most homes have their roofs exposed to the elements with little shade cover. Northern Arizona homes may have issues with tree cover creating too much shade over the panels. If this is the case, then ground mounted systems are available. Open fields and hillsides are optimal places for this. This comes with a price tag though, instead of mounting the solar panels to the roof, your installer will need to build a ground structure for the solar panels, dig trenches, and bury cables underground that connect to the home where the electricity is transferred.
Most solar systems in Arizona use photovoltaic cells to convert solar power into electricity. Newer thin-film cells can be used as roof tiles or even skylight glazing. As the technology advances, more options will become available for use. There are affordable options and the more expensive options. There are benefits to both and your solar realtor should educate you on the differences.
If you’ve made energy improvements to your home, there’s no real disadvantage to having this third-party authority present. Not only do they provide a marketing advantage, they also provide knowledge, and even a sounding board, for the appraiser. Earlier, we said that it’s important to do everything possible to drive up the price. With Pearl Certification and the right listing agent, driving up the price is entirely achievable.
Summary
According to a 2016 study from the National Association of Home Builders, around one-third of all buyers see Energy Star appliances as being essential in their new home. However, it doesn’t end there because 90% of all people thought it was either essential or desirable. Furthermore, 34% of people wanted Energy Star windows and just under 20% wanted insulation that was a higher quality than that suggested by code.
To get the highest value for your energy-efficiency upgrades, Pearl Certification is the way forward!
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