Insulation: The Underdog of Home Improvements
When you think about home improvements, attic insulation is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. We tend to think about the things that we see everyday like kitchens or bathrooms. Insulation is far from sexy, but as the temperature begins to climb it may start to creep its way up the to-do list. Bonus, it could be one of the best investments you make in your home.
- A properly insulated attic can save you as much as $1000 in heating and cooling costs in a couple years
Depending on which product you choose, that could be the total cost of the project. It is not often that a home improvement begins paying for itself immediately. Heating and cooling account for about 48% of all energy use in the home. Even a small reduction every month has an impact.
- Attic insulation increases your home’s value when you sell
With a national average return on investment of over 107% it pays you back twice. You save money as you live in the home and on average a buyer will pay more for the improvement than you did. That ROI makes this one of the best improvements that you could do for your bottom line.
- Insulation helps control temperature swings.
In Florida specifically, we don’t have to worry as much about biting cold as we do the 9 months of summer weather. A hot attic affects the temperature of your home drastically. When you home is better at keeping the air in your attic separate from your living space, life is more comfortable, and your air conditioner needs to run less.
- A cooler attic can have a double benefit.
Typical attic insulation can keep the hot air in your attic out of your home, an insulated attic keeps the whole house more comfortable. In most homes in our area the HVAC duct work is in the attic. If your attic is cooler your duct work is cooler, this helps the system be even more efficient. While spray foam insulation applied to the underside of your roof is quite a bit more expensive that the typical insulation methods, it still has a great ROI and will lower energy bills even more.
A new kitchen or master bathroom are some of the most common upgrades, they can increase your home’s value and make the space more enjoyable. If you are going to live in your home for a while and want to do a project that will pay you back, it is hard to beat Insulation. Some things are more visible than others but with a great realtor the value of whatever improvements you do will be conveyed to prospective buyers when the time comes to sell.
