Adding solar power to your home is generally a great investment.
It not only lowers the cost of your electricity bills, but also reduces negative impact on the environment. It's a quiet, clean source of energy, is reliable requiring minimal maintenance, and lasts for decades. As the cost of PV has fallen drastically since the early 1970s— as much as 90 percent— photovoltaics have become an increasingly attractive option for private homeowners.
But, does it make sense in today's marketplace for your seller to invest in solar panels prior to selling their home?
As with any pre-home sale upgrades considered such as a new roof, refurbishing the driveway, adding landscaping, or new granite counter tops and cabinets to the kitchen, the solar option is actually a compelling consideration.
(1) With high energy prices, the trend is toward integrating energy saving solutions into our lives. People know it is good for the environment, and being a good steward of the environment can have financial benefits as well.
(2) The curiosity factor about your solar power property will help to draw traffic to your open house events. You, of course, then position yourself as a 'home energy savings' expert.
(2) Marketing a home that has a $0.00 electricity bill makes for a compelling headline and reason to buy your property over a similar one without the financial incentive.
Click here to calculate the cost and savings on your home to help determine the value enhancement/marketing benefit. Click here and here to learn about new legislation in California designed to require the public utilities to pay for excess energy produced by home solar panels, and here and here to learn about two solar panel manufacturers.