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Selling Tip: Offset Your Home’s Carbon Balance

Allegra

28 June 2008

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Looking for a new way to increase your home’s marketability?

In today’s green-conscious society, making your home more environmentally friendly doesn’t just help you; it appeals to buyers.

People are becoming more aware that carbon offsetting is an answer to the global climate changes, so you make your home more attractive by making it green!

What is Carbon Offsetting, and How Can You Do It?

Terrapass is a company that provides carbon emissions calculators, sells green products and allows people to buy carbon offsets, which fund “clean energy and carbon reduction projects” such as wind power and farm power.

According to Terrapass.com, carbon offsetting comes into existence when a project is created that “reduces carbon dioxide emissions. Every ton of emissions reduced results in the creation of one carbon offset. Project developers can then sell these offsets to finance their projects.”

Purchasing carbon offsets is a great way to help find new, more efficient sources of energy. And by making these simple changes to your home, you’ll not only save money on energy bills, but you’ll do your part to lessen the effects of global warming… PLUS add another benefit to your home’s list of features, helping you appeal to more buyers.

3 Comments »

I don’t see how carbon offsets would make your house that much more in demand. I love the idea of carbon offsets, I blog about it all the time, it is even the focus of my blog. It just makes no sense to me

To offset a house at most is $250.00, what type of return are you getting on your investment. Why would anyone care that your home is carbon neutral. You should take the 250.00 and do needed repairs

//matt feldman
28 June 2008 at 1:02 pm

Thanks for the feedback, Matt. What we’re saying here is that a green home, in today’s society, is a more marketable one. Offsetting your home’s carbon balance is a step towards a greener residence, thus a step towards added value.

As far as what kind of return you’d see: who can predict what a buyer will appreciate or not appreciate? One thing’s for sure, making your home more environmentally friendly is good for you and good for the planet–there are plenty of buyers who will see that.

//Buy Owner Blog
1 July 2008 at 9:34 am

This is a unique and truly interesting feature to market to homebuyers. Of course, everyone should keep in mind that carbon offsetting should accompany a sustainable lifestyle–that means driving less, energy efficiency, the 3 R’s (reducing, reusing, recycling), buying green. If anyone does pursue offsetting a home, the offset would need to be calculated according to each household’s lifestyles. Offsets may also need to be offset periodically in order for the home to be legitimately carbon-neutral. For more information on carbon offsetting, you can also visit our website at http://www.thegreenoffice.com/

//Ky
7 July 2008 at 12:18 pm