From Guest Blogger Amy Nielson: Major Money-Saving Green Updates for Your Home

You probably know that making your home more energy-efficient can cut back your heating and cooling costs, but many homeowners don’t realize how much they could stand to save through tax credits while increasing their home’s value at the same time. Eco-friendly homes are the future, especially if you live or own property in an affluent neighborhood where people are concerned about the environment and on top of new technology. Common minor fixes like using LED lightbulbs and non-toxic paint are important, but what are some other, more major steps to saving money? Whether you invest in property or you’re just a concerned homeowner, looking into ways to make your house greener shouldn’t be something you think about doing one day. It should be an important priority.

1. Get an Energy Audit

It is estimated that 30 percent of a home’s energy costs are due to pockets of air leakage, and there’s no real way to tell where your leaks are without an energy auditor. They’ll lower the air pressure inside your home and pinpoint leaks with an infrared camera. They can also evaluate and record places in the home with insulation problems. Once you have your audit results, you can begin sealing and insulating your home. Some leaks can be sealed with caulk, but others might even require contractor work. Adding insulation is a huge step in saving you money, too, as most homes are under-insulated or have too much old insulation in places like basements and attics that needs to be replaced. Sealing and insulating are the first and most crucial steps to making your home easier and cheaper to heat and cool.

2. Invest in New Windows

The single pane windows of decades past are becoming extinct, and even double pane windows are no longer going to cut it if you live in an area with a lot of changing weather. The most environmentally-sound homes are now equipped with Low-E windows, which reflect heat, making your house warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Low-E windows cost about 15 percent more than regular windows, but they can reduce energy consumption by up to 50 percent. If you really want to get the maximum benefit from your windows, you can replace them with Super Windows, which are typically triple-frame windows with layers of solar film between each pane. Shopping around for the most affordable option for new windows can potentially save you a fortune on energy bills for the foreseeable future.

3. Cool your Roof

It’s interesting to note that urban areas can be up to 10 percent hotter than nearby areas for one reason alone – the heat absorbed by black rooftops. Your traditional roof will raise temperatures inside your house considerably, but there are many cost-effective ways to turn any roof into a cool roof. Depending on the slope of your roof, a variety of solar-reflective coatings can be applied to the roof’s surface. Covering your roof with gravel or using cool asphalt shingles can also help you save money, as well as giving your house a great new look. There are many different materials you can use to improve the reflective properties of your roof, and none of them are very expensive. It’s one of the easiest home updates because there are so many options.

4. Plant Trees

This eco-friendly fix is deceptively simple, but you might be surprised how much you can save on cooling your house with some well-placed shade alone. If you add trees to your house, especially on the east and west sides, not only can you cut down on the sunlight streaming in the windows, you can also form a natural barrier to wind and rain. More trees can provide amazing benefits to your home, and you can even use them to shade parked cars as well. Best of all, many local organizations and environmental groups will be happy to offer you shade trees to plant for free.

If you rent out your property, there are plenty of landlord guides and resources that will point you in the right direction when it comes to home improvements and green features. You might not be ready to pay the high price for solar panels yet, but there are many things you can do to reduce your energy bills in the meantime. Not only can they turn into money on your taxes, they also increase your home value, so you can charge more for renting and selling. And most importantly, it will make your house a comfortable place to live. When that goes hand in hand with helping the environment, everybody wins.

Amy Nielson is an avid blogger. You can follow her on Twitter @NielsonAmy.