A recent study from Money.co.uk has found that homeowners could add £29,000 to the value of their property by undertaking some easy eco upgrades.
As green living becomes more and more important, homeowners have the opportunity to save money as well as the planet by making some simple changes.
The study compared the cost of the eco-friendly improvements with how much value they would add to the property.
Good news for homeowners
Surprisingly, the cheapest and simplest changes added the biggest value. For example, adding draft-proofing, a thermostat, energy meters, low VOC paint and low-energy lightbulbs and ceiling fans added a total of £15,000 to a home’s value. The average total cost of installing them came to just over £1,000.
Most valuable eco upgrades
The top improvement cost-wise was the addition of draft-proofing. It added an estimated £3,200 at a cost of only £200.
Adding a thermostat was next, costing £215, but adding £2,790 to the value.
A smart meter was third on the list, which can be done in under an hour at a cost of £50. It adds around £2,746 to a home’s value.
An electrical vehicle charging point is a more expensive addition at £800, but will add £2,619 of value and is likely to be a necessity in the future.
Low VOC paint costs only £96, but adds £2,540 of value.
A biodiverse garden costs up to £500 adds £2,522.
Energy star ceiling fans cost £200 and add £2,313 while energy saving light bulbs cost £175 and add £2,294.
A tankless water heater costs £937, but offers £2,226 in value. Evaporative coolers cost £550 and added £2,209.
Further down the scale, a high efficiency boiler costs £2,500, bringing value of £3,641, while solar panels cost £4,000 and brought value of £5,109.
Double glazing costs £3,500, with a value of £4,210 and a cool roof costs £2,900 with £3,115.
A rainwater harvester costs £2,500 and adds value of £2,665.
Less valued eco upgrades
The study also looked at eco improvements that were valued less highly and cost more to install than homebuyers valued them at.
Geothermal heat pumps were the least valuable, costing £13,000 to install but adding only £4,041.
Biomass boilers were next. They use sustainable wood pellets instead of gas or oil. They cost around £8,000 to install, but were valued at only half of that amount.
A green roof cost £5,300, but only brought £3,366 value.
With most green upgrades adding value to a home, they are likely to be increasingly popular with home improvers of the future.
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