When we think about home performance, efficiency and improvements, it’s not uncommon for us to think of younger, newer homeowners making upgrades to their homes. We often don’t relate major home improvement and performance projects with older homeowners. But, it’s important to know that home efficiency and performance upgrades could be just as helpful, if not more so, for older homeowners than they are for younger or middle aged owners.
Many homeowners stay in their homes for an extended period—at times many, many decades. Over this large span of time, an aging home can come with some tricky challenges when it comes to rising costs associated with operating that particular home. Without significant changes or certain upgrades, a home requires the same amount of fuel and energy to keep it warm or properly functioning. It’s obvious that the costs of fuel rise dramatically over a long period of time.
This could make it difficult to keep up with rising costs. Many older homeowners, especially those on fixed retirement incomes, often struggle with these rising prices. Energy efficiency upgrades can help make that home much more efficient, therefore lowering the overall energy usage and costs associated with keeping the home comfortable.
Aside from efficiency, older homes can often become unhealthy or even unsafe to live in over time. Many reading this post are probably familiar with the challenges that come along with keeping an older home feeling “fresh” and comfortable. Many have developed mold or dust problems over time. Many still contain insulation that may contain harmful chemicals that can get into the air in the home or can be harmful to the touch. Respiratory problems can often be attributed to poor indoor air quality in a home like this.
Moisture problems in basements or other tricky areas of the home can cause long-term problems as well. As we mentioned above, mold can form and cause health concerns. Just is the case with any age home, making smaller upgrades or improvements over time can help a homeowner avoid major issues down the line, which can be especially difficult to deal with for older individuals.
Speaking of down the line, homeownership is an investment that can provide a great return for future generations. If you plan on eventually passing your home along to a loved one, it’s important to make all the necessary upgrades and enhancements that are financially feasible so that the investment will continue to grow value over time and not deteriorate with an uncared for home. There are many finance programs, tax credits and incentives in place to make these improvements easier on the wallet in this area.
As always, the best place to start when it comes to making home efficiency improvements is with a comprehensive home energy audit. This will help you pinpoint fixes and upgrades that will keep your home feeling young well into the future—a feeling that you’ll likely match when these improvements are done—regardless of your age!
