Interested in Energy Efficiency? 3 Features the Luxury Homes You Consider Buying Should Have
Posted on: 24 October 2016
Buying a luxury home should yield you all of the best features that a personal property has to offer. Here are three features every luxury property you consider purchasing should offer.
Smart Appliances
Not only should the luxury homes you tour feature high-end appliances, but most of the pieces should be "smart" and have the ability to connect to the Internet. Many smart appliances include technology that allows you to monitor core energy consumption so you know exactly how much power your dishwasher, washing machine, and refrigerator are using at any given time, whether or not you're at home.
You'll have the ability to remotely monitor and manage your appliances too—if you forget to turn the coffee pot off before leaving for work, you can do it from your smartphone as soon as you remember. Don't worry about whether or not the smart appliances are stainless steel: the capabilities and features are more important. You can always give the appliances a new coat of epoxy appliance paint to make them look like they're made of stainless steel.
Energy-Star Windows
No truly luxurious home should have anything other than Energy Star–qualified windows installed. Not only will windows that are Energy Star–rated make interior temperature control easy and help save you some money on power costs throughout the year, but they'll also protect the walls, floors, and furniture inside the home from harmful UV rays.
Most Energy Star windows have little stickers in the corners that verify their compliance, and that should make it easy to identify these windows when you are looking at potential houses to buy. But just because stickers aren't present doesn't mean that they aren't Energy Star qualified. If you fall in love with a house and can't find the stickers, ask your real-estate agent to find and provide you with the owner's manual for verification.
Ceiling Fans
While the home you purchase will undoubtedly have an HVAC system, it should also feature a few ceiling fans. You can expect your HVAC system to use about 3,500 watts of power when it's in use, as opposed to the mere 60 watts a ceiling fan tends to use. Look for switches on the ceiling fans in potential houses that will allow you to program them to spin in different directions depending on the time of year it is for optimal energy control. Ceiling fans in the bedroom are a bonus because they'll allow you to sleep at night without having to use the air conditioner in the summer for the most part.
These features aren't too much to ask for when shopping for a luxury home that should have all of the best stuff in the first place. Talk to companies such as Re/Max River & Sea to find homes that meet your specifications.
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