5 Ways to Have a More ‘Eco-Ready’ Property

As a nation, we’re becoming more eco-conscious by the day. Whether it’s recycling or preserving electricity, there is now an increasing focus on making our homes more eco-friendly. As a result, this is encouraging buy-to-let landlords to either purchase an eco-friendly property, or consider ways of making their existing property kinder to the environment. 

In today’s day and age, it’s crucial for landlords to stay ahead of the curve, and this is no exception. In a survey of 1,000 25-40 year-olds, 52% said the sustainability of a property’s building products was either somewhat or very important, while 49% said they’d be more likely to rent – or buy – a more eco-conscious property. 

Not only could the eco-friendliness of your property be the difference between tenants and void periods, having a sustainable property often means you can avoid heavy fines. Current laws state that to let a property, it must have an EPC rating of ‘E’ or above, but if your property surpasses this (and isn’t exempt), you risk receiving a £5,000 fine. 

New build properties are typically the most eco-friendly in the market – they’re usually more energy efficient, have better insulation and typically retain more heat in comparison to older properties. However, having an older, eco-friendly property is possible, and we’ve highlighted five ways of achieving this.

Consider Smart Lighting

One of the best – and easiest – routes to a more eco-friendly property is to cut down on any unnecessary usage. Smart lighting is just one way you can make your buy-to-let more eco-conscious, and allows tenants to only pay for the electricity they actually need to use.

Smart lighting is controlled by sensors, which means the lights will only come on in the rooms they’re using and when the tenant leaves, the lights will automatically turn off. As a result, these smart light bulbs typically have lower energy uses, and can often minimise the amount of electricity required to light an entire room. 

Not only does smart lighting reduce your property’s impact on the environment, but chances are, you’ll also be saving your tenant(s) some money. With the lower energy uses of smart light bulbs, this can significantly reduce the amount of time your tenants have their lights on for, meaning their electricity bills will probably reflect this. 

More specifically, research has suggested that the majority of eco-conscious light bulbs are around 80% more efficient than the standard household equivalent. Smart lighting is just one small part of ‘smart’ home technology, but is arguably one of the most valuable. While it may sound like a small change to make, it can drastically reduce the environmental impact of your buy-to-let. 

Related: What Do UK Tenants Really Look For in a Rental Property?

Invest in Solar Panels

In recent years, solar panels have increased in popularity, and with good reason. Experts believe that the solar energy from the sun provides more than enough energy to meet the global energy demand each year, so why wouldn’t you want to install solar panels?

While solar panels come with reasonably high upfront costs – between £6,000-£7,000 on the average home, they’re a valuable investment. For properties with south-facing roofs, installing solar panels can reduce your tenant’s energy bills by up to 25%, meaning these long-term benefits more than compensate for the initial costs. 

As well as saving your tenants more money on their energy bill and making your property more eco-friendly, adding solar panels to your buy-to-let can often allow for bigger capital growth in the long run. According to research, solar panels can push the value of your property by up to 4.1%, equating to thousands of pounds of profit. 

As time goes on, we’re only going to become more conscious of our environmental footprint, which means properties with solar panels will become more sought after in the coming years. Combined with the capital growth and it’s positive impact on the wider environment, installing solar panels to make for an eco-friendly property is a no brainer.

Insulate the Property

If you’re wanting to minimise the environmental impact of your buy-to-let, your first port of call should be insulation. Here, you’ll want to consider all the possible ways heat and air could be escaping from your property. From the floors, to the walls and roof, you’d be surprised at how much heat is lost via a property’s roof and its walls. 

It’s been estimated that around 35% of the heat a boiler produces will be lost through the walls of a house, while another 25% usually escapes through the roof. While only 10% of a property’s heat disappears through the floorboards, around 70% of your property’s overall heating usage is probably escaping in one way or another. 

Insulation is one of the most common – and easiest – ways to reduce the environmental impact of your buy-to-let, but it can often be expensive. With so many different areas to consider, it’s often best to focus on the area that lets out the most heat first – the walls, for example. 

If you have a relatively new build property, insulation shouldn’t be as much of a concern as it is for those with older properties. Construction standards are much higher than they once were, meaning newer properties have much stricter standards to adhere to, but for landlords with older properties, insulation is the best way to make your property more eco-friendly. 

Insulating your buy-to-let will not only make it more ecological, but it will also benefit your tenant’s energy bills. On average, loft insulation can save the average semi-detached house up to £130 a year, while cavity wall insulation shaves up to £145 off. Totalling almost £200 each year, the benefits of insulation continue to make it one of the best ways of achieving an eco-friendly property. 

Install Double Glazing Windows

Again, the majority of new build properties will already have double glazing windows, but for those with older homes, installing these windows should be at the top of your list. As well as poor insulation, single glazing windows are one of the biggest sources of heat loss, and are typically less attractive than double glazed windows. 

As well as keeping more heat in your buy-to-let and reducing your tenant’s energy bills, double glazed windows also reduce carbon dioxide emission to up to 680kgs per year, meaning the advantages of these windows are more than enough to minimise the environmental impact of your buy-to-let. 

To put this into context, research has suggested that if all ‘period homes’ were fitted with double glazing windows, around £200 million could be saved.

While double glazing windows might not be a priority for investors when they first consider buying-to-let, the environmental impact – in addition to the amount it can reduce energy bills by – is enough to encourage prospective investors to look to more modern properties, such as The Pavilion. 

Find out more about The Pavilion.

Get a Smart Meter

Most of us don’t know the intricacies of electricity and energy usage, so having a smart meter is the best way to help tenants keep their bills down, while making your property more eco-friendly.

Smart meters fluctuate when an appliance is in use, meaning your tenants will be able to get an idea of usage costs and how to keep these to a minimum. In turn, they’ll probably be more inclined to reduce their usage of heating and appliances, which will have a positive impact on the wider environment. 

As we continue to become more eco-conscious as a nation, more tenants are changing their day-to-day lives to reduce their environmental footprint. As a result, eco-friendly property is only becoming more popular amongst the younger generation. The benefits of having an eco-friendly property spread far and wide – it will not only make your property more attractive to prospective tenants by keeping their energy bills to a minimum, it will also make your property more ecological.

From double glazed windows to smart lighting and insulation, there’s a lot you can do to minimise the environmental impact of your buy-to-let. If you’re a prospective investor considering your options, investing in a new build property is often the best choice as you’ll experience these benefits from the outset.