Choosing a new home is a high-pressure undertaking, and remains so whether you’re choosing your first ever home or simply your next. After all, you have a wide variety of boxes to tick, and you have to be content with the boxes inevitably left unticked when it comes time to make a choice! This is also what makes buying a home such an individual endeavour, and why so much emphasis is placed on ‘wow factor’.
There are a few things you might be keeping in mind for your new home, non-negotiables being the number of bedrooms you need or the size of garden you’d like. Other non-negotiables might be a little harder to pin down, though – like energy efficiency, or modern features. If you’d like a truly future-proof home, what do you need to be looking for?
1. Understanding the Benefits of Energy-Efficient Homes
Energy efficiency is an increasingly-important factor in buying homes, with thanks to the growing threats posed by climate change and the rising cost of energy. Put simply, energy-efficient homes are excellent for both helping reduce your own carbon footprint, and keeping your energy bills low.
Insulation and double glazing have been standard in new build homes for decades, but more recent new builds are taking advantage of modern technological solutions to energy efficiency – including heating systems that rely on renewable energy, or use heat pump technology to remove your dependency on natural gas for heating water.
2. Assessing the Energy Rating of a Property
There are many ways to assess the energy efficiency of a given property for sale, but the quickest, surest at-a-glance method to ensure your shortlist is entirely comprised of highly-efficient houses would be to check their given EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating. This is a letter grade given to properties in relation to their energy efficiency; the higher the grade, the better the home performs. If you want demonstrable efficiency, look for properties that have an EPC rating of B or above.
3. Choosing Homes with Smart Technology and Modern Interiors
Energy efficiency and modern features do go hand in hand, particularly when you consider the various clever ways in which you can reduce your home’s energy consumption – whether with the addition of solar panels and battery systems or the combination of a heat pump with underfloor heating. There are other modern conveniences, though, which may add significantly to your enjoyment of your new home.
For instance, many new build homes now come with smart technology built-in, including IoT thermostats, remote-controllable security and CCTV systems, and even app-controlled domestic lighting. These modern features can not only improve the efficiency of your home, but also make it more convenient and secure for everyday living.
4. Financing Your Energy-Efficient Home
All of these modern, energy-efficient measures can come at a cost, though. House prices are notoriously high, and still growing; tack on the costs inherent to newer builds with modern tech and warranty guarantees, and you can expect a higher upfront cost. That said, meeting such a high cost can and will pay off in the long term with savings on bills. There are many financial incentives or grants you can utilise to make your purchase more affordable; start by researching government housing grants, and checking your eligibility for a LISA.