Rising energy prices, high interest rates and an increased desire to live sustainably are three of the biggest reasons why New Zealand homebuyers are looking for energy-efficient homes. Any property that reduces the power bill, leaves more money to pay the mortgage and shrinks the carbon footprint will be worth a second look. Fonko can help you create a property that ticks all these boxes. Whether it’s for your benefit or to make your home more appealing to potential buyers, investing in energy efficiency is a smart move.
Current Trends in Homebuying
New Zealand’s real estate agents are saying that energy efficiency is a huge selling point to potential home buyers. While buyers want to like what they see as they inspect a property, they also want to ensure that it won’t cost the earth to heat (or cool) their home sweet home. Rising energy costs and mortgage repayments mean that every dollar saved is crucial. Younger homebuyers, particularly, are also keenly interested in sustainable living and minimising their environmental impact. This is why floor and ceiling insulation, double-glazing, energy-efficient lighting, solar panels, and modern water heating systems are nearing must-have status rather than just pleasant to have.
Energy-Efficient Heating Systems
Energy-efficient heating systems are also high on their list of requirements. Heating and cooling incur the biggest energy costs in a building of any type, and if those costs can be reduced, the home will look better. Fonko can make this possible with our conventional heat pumps and ducted air conditioning. Heat pumps are universally acknowledged as the most efficient and low-cost way to heat a home, with ducted systems being the cheapest way to provide heating and cooling to the entire home. One unit can make the whole home comfortable without needing separate heat sources in each room. Again, from a cost-of-living and sustainability angle, any homebuyer will see this as highly desirable.
Local Standards and Regulations
Healthy Home Standards were introduced to provide specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping in rental properties. So, if you’re investing in a property for rental purposes, you’ll need to ensure the home is warm in winter and cool in summer. BRANZ and the University of Auckland surveyed 2000 children. They found that 1000 slept in bedrooms that were too cold in winter: at or below 19 degrees Celsius, with room temperature plummeting to under 4 degrees by the morning. Plus, 13% of the children slept in bedrooms that were too hot, with some surpassing 34 degrees! A temperature range between 19 and 25 degrees Celsius is the healthiest, and children who sleep in temperatures outside that optimum range are more prone to upper respiratory tract infections, asthma, ear infections and tonsilitis. The prospect will assure potential tenants or homebuyers the home is as healthy as it is comfortable. Heat pumps, unlike wood fires and electric heaters, are the easiest way to set and maintain an ideal temperature range, so whether you’re a landlord or a vendor, they’re the best way to add appeal to your property.
Fonko Heated Homes Are In Hot Demand
Buyer demand for energy-efficient homes is greater than ever. If you’re selling your home, you shouldn’t ignore this trend. Heat pumps are the most cost-effective way to heat and cool a home, and potential buyers will notice that. So, make your home a Fonko home. Talk to us about our heat pumps, and we’ll ensure your property will be in hot demand.