Issue 37 - Adding value to your home (2)

Welcome to the Newry Democrat’s Renewables and Energy saving section brought to you by Kellys Renewable Energy Solutions (www.kellys.uk.com). Following on from last week, we will discuss how you can start adding value to your home.

Install energy saving measures – You have to spend to do this, but the savings start straight away – and the boost to your home’s energy rating could make for an easier and more lucrative sale.

There’s not much point putting money in an energy efficient boiler if all the heat goes straight out of your house again. Insulation is the essential first step. About 25% of heat in an un-insulated house escapes through the roof, so insulating your loft is an easy ‘quick win’, worth around £155 a year in fuel savings. Loft insulation is cheap to buy and easy to install – and well worth considering, especially when you could get payback in as little as two years.

Draught proofing is a bit more awkward but still cheap. It won’t bring big savings (around £25 a year) but it will boost the ‘comfort factor’ of your house by cutting out all those annoying draughts – and this matters to future buyers as well as your family!

If your house was built after the 1920s, chances are it has cavity walls. If these aren’t insulated, having them insulated is relatively cheap and can be worth £120 a year in savings. Older houses with solid walls are more expensive to treat but with potential savings of around £380 a year, solid wall insulation is worth considering if you are in the house for long term.

Double glazing is an investment too. It’ll reduce noise; increase the comfort of your house and save up to £110 per year. Even old-fashioned sash windows can be double glazed.

Next week we will discuss how investing in ‘clever technology’ can help save you money.