The recession has its benefits--many agree it’s a great time for green improvements...
Are you thinking about using the lull in the economy as a good opportunity to invest in green remodels? You’re not alone. Investor publications and green remodelers alike have noticed that now seems to be a great time to put a little bit of money into something that will pay off--both for your wallet and the environment. I don’t mean going as far as installing solar roof panels (although because of tax breaks, this is proving to have better payoff for long-term homeowners), but simpler changes to the home, that can pay off more quickly--within 5 years.
What are some things going on now?
+More homeowners are investing in energy saving, rather than expanding square footage
+In terms of increasing a home’s value, the safer option is making areas more efficient in water, electricity and natural gas use, rather than giving a room a new look or makeover
+More homeowners and renters are going for the smaller, energy-saving appliances, instead of their larger more wasteful alternatives
+Before spending the home improvement budget on a remodel, lots of homeowners are getting energy audits (I talked about this a few weeks ago)
+For small and big projects, there’s a huge range of products that can be used to spruce up the home in a green fashion
+With Joe Biden’s new Recovery through Retrofit plan, the tax benefits of all these measures (their costs will go toward property taxes), there’s even more reason to take these steps with your limited budget
I'm optomistic that we'll come out of the recession with better homes, healthier local environment, and real energy cost savings.