Helping to sell solar homes
More and more West Virginians are going solar. In order for this trend to continue, realtors, appraisers, home builders, homeowners’ association (HOA) boards, and property managers will need to understand how solar works as well as recognize its benefits and accurately assess its value in the housing market. Conversely, it’s important for solar homeowners to work with real estate professionals who are properly trained to evaluate the impact of solar on home appraisal and resale values.
Solar United Neighbors wants to help! We’ve developed a set of resources to help educate real estate professionals about the benefits and value of solar.
Our Selling Your Solar Home guide informs realtors, homeowners, and prospective buyers about what to expect when selling or buying a solar home. The guide specifies different issues to consider for leased versus owned solar systems. Homeowners should provide their realtor with information about their monthly energy bill savings and the predicted remaining lifespan of the system. This will enable the realtor to convey that value to potential buyers.
We’ve also created a downloadable handout on solar for real estate professionals. This resource succinctly explains how solar works and offsets electricity costs. It also contains current cost estimates and available incentives for residential solar, specific examples of how solar increases home values, and a resource list for more information.
Solar consistently adds value across different states, housing and solar markets, and home types. Each $1 in energy bill savings adds $20 to a home’s value, and a typical residential solar system adds $15,000 in resale value. Moreover, solar homes sell 20% faster than equivalent non-solar homes.
Furthermore, we’ve developed an in-depth slideshow presentation tailored especially for real estate professionals. This presentation dives deep into solar technology, economics, and value.
Our staff is available for presentations at meetings of realtor associations, Appraisal Institute chapters, home builders’ associations, and HOA boards. The full presentation runs about one hour in length and can be shortened to fit the needs of your group.
If your professional association or trade group would like to schedule a presentation on solar with Solar United Neighbors, please contact Autumn Long, Solar United Neighbors of West Virginia Program Director, at: 304-608-3539 or autumn@solarunitedneighbors.org.