Maybe you are intrigued by the new low-interest house offers in the market and are considering buying a vacation home. Perhaps you are planning to retire soon and are thinking of investing in a home. Or by chance, you want to move to a different state to start a new life. Regardless of the reason, you deserve to be congratulated.
Frankly, buying a new home is the smartest investment choice you’ll ever make, especially if you have a family. You just need to find the right property, one that is cheaper to maintain. The biggest challenge facing the modern homes is high energy bills. The heating and cooling costs are very expensive due to the numerous installations. Nonetheless, you can look for energy-efficient systems so as to enjoy cheaper bills. To help you get started on your house hunting process, here are 5 modern building techniques that you should look for:
- Air Sealing and Air Exchange Systems
It’s important to note that a major fraction of heat loss is directly linked to air leakage. Air leaks through the windows, the doors, and the cracks on the wall. It’s thus imperative that the openings are properly sealed. This will ensure that the heating and cooling costs are brought down considerably. There are two techniques involved in air sealing:
- Caulking: Caulk is used to offer permanent air sealing around the window frames and doors since this is where cracking occurs mostly.
- Weather-stripping: Here, a chemical sealant (mostly foam) is used to seal the operable windows and doors.
You shouldn’t rely on air leakage to offer you ventilation. Therefore, you’ll need an effective air exchange system such as an air conditioning feature to circulate the air. The two systems are energy-efficient, thus great for new homes.
- Radiant Barriers
During the summer, a higher percentage of radiation rays penetrate the house through the wall. This leads to high cooling costs due to the increased internal temperature. Radiant barriers are known to reduce the radiations by 99%. Thus, your home interior becomes cool. During the winter, the barriers prevent heat from being lost in your home interior. So, you suffer minimal heat costs. Generally, the radiant barriers prevent you from suffering high heating and cooling costs at all seasons and thus they are the best structural insulators to look in a new home.
- Thermostat-Controlled HVAC System
HVAC systems are a part of modern building techniques, so you’ll find most new homes with the features. They are known to save energy and money significantly. However, you’ve to look for energy-efficient designs. First, look for an HVAC system with a programmable thermostat. The system only works when the thermostat records a specific temperature. This saves you energy. Secondly, the ducts of the system should be short and airtight to prevent air leakage.
- High-Performance Windows
The traditional windows contribute to about 50% of heat loss in homes. The high-performance windows, however, are known to account for a lesser percentage. The designs, also known as energy-star windows, employ modern technologies such as extra panels, insulated frames, and protective coating that are ideal for saving energy. The lower their ratings, the more energy-efficient they are. In addition, the designs block away destructive UV rays which damage your home interior. The rays leave colored spots on your floors and walls.
- Solar Panels
Nearly 90% of new homes have solar panels installed. Solar energy is clean and cheap. The installations will enable you to bring down your energy expenses to about 70%. You can use solar energy to power your lightings, water heaters, and electronics. The panels are fitted with powerful batteries to help you power your home when the sun is scarce. Although installing solar panels may be expensive at first, the long-term savings that you will amass over the years is worth it. What’s more, government incentives, tax breaks, and grants are other bonuses that you stand to gain if you opt to use solar power in your home.
Final Thoughts
Clearly, there is so much to look for in new homes. A home with the above modern building techniques is easy to manage since the energy costs are reduced.
