Increasing a home’s equity is beneficial to every homeowner, whether they plan to keep or sell their home. For many Americans, the home is the single largest asset that they possess. Housing and real estate experts recommend occasional home upgrades to protect or improve your home’s equity. Although not all upgrades or renovations will impact the overall value of your property, there are several items that can maintain and even increase your home’s value. HVAC upgrades are less costly than other home improvements but provide more value for money, both in home value and reduced utility bills. Here are some upgrades to consider.

1. Upgrading Your Furnace and Air Conditioning Unit

Upgrading your old air conditioner or furnace to a new, energy-efficient unit is the best and most attractive improvement you can make to your home. If you consider selling your home after a few years of installing these new units, the majority of the purchase price of the systems will be considered when evaluating your home’s value. Using energy-efficient units will reduce your bills, enabling you to save money. An energy-efficient home can be attractive to prospective buyers.

You must also carefully examine your choices when purchasing a new AC or furnace. You’ll want to weigh the benefits of the new units’ efficiency versus their total cost. Investing in moderately priced equipment is best because your returns on such an investment might be much lower if you invest in the most expensive systems. Regarding AC units, you can get the greatest return on a higher- to mid-range model. On the contrary, heat pumps and furnaces can give you significant returns if you invest in the most efficient systems.

2. Dehumidifiers

Jacksonville, FL, often experiences high humidity levels nearly all year. Therefore, adding a dehumidifier can help reduce humidity in your home and keep your space comfortable. Instead of installing a dehumidifier in one room, you can acquire one that can serve your whole home and work with your existing units.

A dehumidifier reduces the risk of damage caused by humidity. Your home can maintain its value (and its equity) as a result of this. It can also help to prevent more serious issues like mold.

3. Improved Insulation

Insulation is important for any home because it reduces the influence of outside temperatures on your indoor living space. You can add to or replace your home’s insulation, improving your HVAC system’s efficiency and effectiveness.

4. Installing an Energy Recovery Ventilator

An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) can help you increase your home’s efficiency and improve its comfort. An ERV will enable you to save on energy costs and has been shown to increase your home’s value by up to $4,000. This equipment uses outside air to heat or cool your home but is less effective than other mechanical equipment. After installation, the ERV will allow air circulation into your home and simultaneously remove humidity and heat. As a result, an ERV system can save you up to 30% on energy costs.

5. Repairing or Replacing Your Ductwork

A replacement or repair of ductwork can provide huge benefits. If your ducts are damaged or leaking, it can reduce the effectiveness of your AC and furnace and increase energy costs. EPA estimates show that about 30% of the average home’s energy losses due to inefficiency are directly associated with ductwork issues.

Holes in ductwork are also a main entry point for rodents and insects to enter your home. These creatures can damage your home’s integrity and reduce its value. While preventing pests from entering your home doesn’t increase your home equity, it does help maintain the value of your home.

Having your ductwork inspected and repaired if it is over 15 years old is an excellent idea. Generally, ductwork has a lifespan of between 20 and 25 years, and it starts having problems as it ages. You can determine if you need to repair, reinsulate or re-seal your ductwork by working with an HVAC company that offers duct cleaning and inspections.

6. Supplementing Your Heating and Cooling Units

If you have any parts of your home that are not connected to your central HVAC system, consider supplemental heating and cooling units. One excellent option is installing a ductless mini-split system. This unit is relatively inexpensive and easy to install. It offers additional heating or cooling to additions to your home or places like the garage. Adding another room to your central air system can require additional ductwork and a larger central HVAC system. Mini-splits offer efficient heating and cooling for these bonus rooms for a significantly lower price when compared to upgrading your existing system.

7. Smart Thermostats and Other Important Upgrades

To increase your home value, you could also make several other upgrades involving smart home technology. For your HVAC system, a smart thermostat is a good improvement. A smart thermostat will save you cash on energy costs by tailoring home temperatures to your actual home use. Some of these thermostats have smart sensors that notice when you’re home and even whether you’re upstairs or downstairs. They adjust the temperature based on this information. Other smart thermostats may have a geofencing feature that identifies when your cell phone is a certain distance away and headed home. It will then begin to switch the temperature to your “home” setting in order to help you to return to a comfortable home. While a smart thermostat alone may not increase your home value, using a thermostat as a part of an automated home can add 5% to the value of a house.

If you have trouble maintaining the same temperature in all parts of your home, consider investing in an HVAC zoning system. This equipment separates your home into numerous zones, each with its own thermostat. This system allows you to manage the temperature of each zone independently, which can result in lower energy bills and efficient heating and cooling. A zoning system can be a good choice for your home if you use different parts of the house at different times. You can focus the HVAC temperatures you need just to the area of your home where you plan to spend time. This can lead to significant cost savings on your bills, which can save you money as a homeowner or increase the selling price of a home.

Get Professional Assistance

It may be time for serious upgrades if you want to increase your home’s equity. HVAC system upgrades make your home much more energy efficient and comfortable while increasing its equity. Buehler Air Conditioning provides heating and cooling services in Jacksonville, FL. Our locally owned and managed company focuses on the satisfaction of our clients. We’ve operated since 2010 and are dedicated to providing great customer service. We are BBB-accredited and are certified by the EPA. We support various local charities like Habitat for Humanity. Trust us to repair and replace your AC and heating systems at an affordable price. For more information, call Buehler Air Conditioning today.

Meet the Author
Brad Dery
Brad Dery

Marketing Manager

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