How to “Green” Your Rental Property
This article is written by Lisa Walker at https://www.neighborhoodsprout.org/. While reading, please know these are wonderful tips for anyone living any place. Anyone who wants to buy a property or with real estate questions, please reach out to Reel Property Solutions, LLC who is brokered eXp Realty.
How to “Green” Your Rental Property
If you’re new to a city, renting before buying can be a smart move – it lets you explore different areas, measure the distance to work and school, and give you a feel for local prices and amenities. If you’re eco-friendly in the way you live, there are several things to look for when scoping out a new residence to rent. Reel Property Solutions, LLC can help you when you’re ready to buy!
Home Features
Traditionally, newer homes are more energy-efficient than older ones, but some retrofitted properties can still have sustainability features. When you’re searching for a rental online (for example, search, “apartments for rent in Denver, CO”), look for places that have solar panels, low-flow showers and toilets, and Energy Star appliances. You can filter results for everything from the price and number of bedrooms and baths to square footage and garage space – many listings also offer 3D virtual tours so you can get a good feel for the home’s interior.
Look for Green Transportation
When you’re looking for a rental, consider proximity and access to public transportation, and check out “walkability scores” for various neighborhoods. This essentially helps you recognize how easy it is to access resources without using motorized transportation. Along that same line, consider how bike-friendly neighborhoods are – if you can bike, you can save money, improve your health, and reduce your carbon footprint. Even if listings don’t show this, you can still search rental addresses in “maps” and get a look at the surroundings. Have an electric car? Access to charging ports is also an important consideration.
Should You Make Upgrades?
You might not want to invest a lot in a property you rent rather than own – and of course, you’ll need owner approval before making any major changes. However, there are things you can do to make a rental more energy efficient. You can add light-blocking curtains, shades, or solar panels to reduce cooling costs; install a smart thermometer that allows you to regulate temperatures so you save on heating and cooling use; use LED light bulbs; seal drafty doors and windows; and if you are furnishing your own appliances, choose Energy Star certified ones. You might even be able to negotiate some rent reductions with the property owner for making energy-efficient upgrades to the home.
Conduct an Energy Audit
According to Elemental Green, you can hire a company or take a DIY approach, but conducting an energy audit of your home helps you identify inefficiencies and provides you with insights on how best to address them. An audit can help you identify everything from low levels of insulation in walls and attics to leaky ducts and pipes and areas of significant heat loss. You can also consider landscaping water usage, whether from water features or drip or sprinkler systems. You might be able to talk to the property owner about changing from grass to drought-tolerant or xeriscape landscaping as a way to save money and conserve water.
Other Green Living Options
Recycling and reusing can cut down on waste, as can only running dishwashers and washing machines when full. Installing a clothesline can also allow you to air-dry laundry. You can place time limits on showers and use environmentally-friendly products and cleaning supplies. Buying local products and patronizing farm-to-table grocery stores and restaurants are other ways to promote a sustainable lifestyle. Eliminate plastic water bottles, buy products with limited packaging, and, according to USA Today, shop second hand rather than buying new – you’ll reduce consumer waste and possibly find some great new finds to decorate your rental!
While there’s only so much you can and should do to alter a rental property, there are some ways to make your time living there more sustainability-focused. Whether it’s changes or upgrades you and the property owner agree to, reversible changes you make yourself, or personal eco-friendly life changes, you can make a difference – both for the environment and your pocketbook!
Reel Property Solutions, LLC is happy to collaborate with other investors, agents, contractors, and brokers from across the globe, ensuring they can handle every real estate transaction need. Visit the company blog for real estate insights and request a personal consultation. Also, contact with the information below:
info@reelpropertysolutionsllc.com
rochelle.markov@exprealty.com
507-358-0638
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Feature Photo By Pixabay