Recently a family member begin making several changes and improvements to their dated single family home. Walking through the property, we started brainstorming about how to get rid of clutter, furniture, old electronics and appliances. Their budget included replacing major kitchen appliances, which I agreed was needed to prep their home to be listed. They informed me of a few sites that I thought would be great to share.

By simply switching to a model endorsed by the EnergyStar program, you can save money or receive a large rebate similar to the popular cash-for-clunkers auto program. Check out these two websites for additional information on the rebates and incentives: 

  1. Department of Energy’s Energy Savers website
  2. EnergyStar website

Here are few items that are up for rebates:

 

Hot-water heater
Heating water uses a lot of energy. A common, costly mistake comes from not properly insulating your heater at the time of installation. The typical family spends $400 to $600/year for hot water.

Refrigerator
The fridge is the major appliance that stays on all day. If your refrigerator was made before 1993, you’re spending more than $100 a year to run it, according to EnergyStar. “Your refrigerator uses the most energy of any of your household appliances,” says Jodi Helmer, author of The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference.

Washer/dryer
If you are paying for water/sewer utility, simply changing from a top load washer to a front load washer saves you over 30 gallons of water.

 

These simple changes add up in the end, and although most new developments and homes in the valley are already energy-friendly, most clients in single family homes prior to listing consider the option of replacing any old fixtures/appliances.