5 tips for a greener home

 Sustainable development, energy efficiency, environmental responsibility... It’s not a fad, it’s a lifestyle. According to a 2017 study by Sagen, more than 70% of first-time home buyers stated that an environmentally friendly house was a key factor in their decision-making.

You're about to put your house up for sale? Here are 5 tips to make it greener and consequently attract buyers.

1. A well-insulated house

Insulate your home’s foundation floors, walls and roof to counter the cold and excessive heat. Using an infrared scanner, a building inspector can identify air leaks, as well as poor insulation within the building’s infrastructure. You can then address this by doing the necessary work.

You need to change your doors and windows? Make sure they are ENERGY STAR qualified.

2. A high efficiency heating and air conditioning system

You can achieve energy savings between 15% and 40% by using a heat pump year-long. Its operation is based on the transfer of heat from one place to another; outside in the summer and inside in winter. So, in addition to keeping your home comfortable all year long, a heat pump can substantially reduce your electricity bill.

Interested? Learn about the Rénoclimat government grant.

3. Clean air

Today's homes are so well insulated that they trap moisture and pollutants (dust, pet hair, cleaning products vapours, etc.) inside. And that isn’t good for your health! An air exchanger makes it possible to exhaust stale, humid air outside and replace it by an equivalent supply of fresh air. Your furnace will be more efficient in winter if you run an air exchanger for 20 minutes every hour.

Again, you can take advantage of the Rénoclimat government grant.

4. Energy efficient lighting

Your light fixtures should be compatible with LED or CFL bulbs (compact fluorescent lamp). Energy efficient switches and dimmers are also a wise choice. Outside, motion sensors or timers provide on-demand lighting, as opposed to on-all-night lighting.

5. Environmentally-friendly renovations

Planning on renovating rooms in your home? There are several ways to make your renovation project green:

·         Choose products that respect the environment, such as bamboo or cork flooring: cork comes from the bark of the cork oak, while bamboo grows and regenerates quickly;

·         Buy responsibly recycled, recovered or harvested building materials;

·         Select, whenever possible, locally-sourced materials;

·         Use zero-VOC paint;

·         Change the toilet for a low flush or dual flush model;

·         Install a low-flow shower head.

A green home is created gradually, one project at a time. It is up to you to choose the changes that will produce a "wow" effect.

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