Austin Real Estate Blog

June first is just days away, are you ready for the energy efficiency ordinance? The city of Austin’s Energy Efficiency Ordinance requires energy audits are conducted and disclosed for a vast majority of properties listed with in Austin City Limits. If you are wondering about your home, or the ordinance, you can review the details here: Energy Efficiency Ordinance and homes not effected fall into this exemption list.

Building green homes, and green construction overall is changing how people purchase homes and make renovations. Energy efficiency is one of the primary ways consumers measure a green factor to home or construction. For many it is a vital aspect of planning a home’s affordability. By developing a solid energy efficient home, a new home owner will better be able to maintain payments and keep their home.

As people become more aware of energy and its effect on the environment and their wallet, green building continues to grow. Many homeowners have taken the time to review and evaluate their home based on energy efficiency, and many Austin area companies are offering resources to improve. If you take a moment you will find many resources and suggestions on this and other websites that focus on Austin. It is well worth it to reach for and achieve the ordinance goals for every home.

Starting this June, those who wish to sell a home in Austin will be required to have their home inspected for energy efficiency. This new ordinance does not require the seller to upgrade any leaks or other problems that may be found, but it does state that the buyer be made aware of the outcome of the audit via disclosure. Of course, given the current market and economy, anything that may decrease the value of a home should be repaired prior to sale. Buyers don’t want to think of what needs to be fixed when looking at a home, so it will be better to make any necessary upgrades before putting the house on the market.

The energy audit will be looking into four areas of energy efficiency. There will be a duct pressure check on the air conditioning unit to check for leaks. Weather stripping around doors will be inspected. Shades and screens, especially on the east, west, and south sides of a home will be looked at, as will the type of insulation found in an attic. Energy Raters can be found online at Austin Energy’s Website, and will generally run about $300 for every 2,000 square feet. If you decide to go ahead with the upgrades, the home will need to be inspected again when complete.

There is another option considered in compliance with the new ordinance. Homeowners can participate in the Home Performance with Energy Star Certificate program. Homes that have already done so within the last ten years are exempt from the ordinance. In this case, a home performance contractor will inspect the home, sometimes for free with a bid for work. The same areas will be reviewed as with the energy audit, and then the information will be sent to Austin Energy for review. To receive a certificate of completion, three of the requirements must be met or the homeowner must have received a rebate of $500 or more from Austin Energy.
In either case, Austin Energy must approve the upgrades for energy efficiency. The information must be contained within the Seller’s Disclosure and is good for ten years.

You can sweep, mop, paint, dust, rearrange and decorate all you want, but if your home is not well kept, not well maintained, it won’t matter how pretty it looks. It will be crumbling around you. It will be a house that no one wants to buy let alone live in, particularly you. Therefore, it is vital that you take care of your home . . . all of it.

The first step in home maintenance starts outside with the exterior. The chimney, roof, gutters and walls must be sturdy. Check to make sure that your roof has no leaks and that all shingles are well fastened. Then, clean out your gutters. It’s not a fun chore, but it must be done to avoid clogs and subsequent pooling. Water should drain out of the gutters, away from the house; the opposite would defeat the point of having them. While you’re at it, check your windows and doors to make sure they are fully sealed and functioning (they should open and close appropriately). Just as turning on the heat with cracked windows would be a waste so would turning on air conditioning.

When you’ve finished the exterior, journey inside. Here, you want to check all faucets for leaks, the refrigerator to be certain it is airtight, the basement for dampness, the attic for weak boards, creatures and leaks, and filters to guarantee proper ventilation. Check out the floors as well for cracked tiles, rotting floorboards or moldy carpet.

If you find any problems, assess them appropriately. Fixing them yourself could save money if you know what you’re doing. If you don’t, it will only cost more in the long run. There’s no shame in calling a professional. In fact, in the end, it will probably be cheaper, safer and less painful all around.

The trend is rapidly turning toward more energy efficiency, not only in public and community buildings, but homes as well. The federal government is getting into the act in a big way by providing tips and suggestions to homeowners to increase the efficiency and decrease the cost of heating, cooling and lighting their homes.

ENERGY STAR appliances are a good start. These are refrigerators, ovens, washers and dryers that, by following strict guidelines for efficiency, have earned the ENERGY STAR. And the ENERGY STAR doesn’t apply to just appliances anymore. Qualified contractors can do a top to bottom inspection and offer advice on reducing drafts, upgrading insulation, replacing exterior windows, and upgrading electrical lighting.

Tax credits are available to homeowners who make energy-related improvements to their homes as well. The IRS has more information. Improvements to existing homes such as insulation that reduces heat loss or gain, windows and skylights, exterior doors and roofing that meet ENERGY STAR requirements. The addition of solar panels can also qualify the owner for tax credits.

The US Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy site contains a comprehensive list of ideas for reducing energy waste in the home. Using structural insulated panels in new construction, replacing old light bulbs with the longer lasting bulbs, and sealing leaky duct work are just a few suggestions. Replacing your old thermostat with a programmable thermostat is one simple and inexpensive way of reducing energy use. Installing solar panels is at the high end of the initial cost spectrum, but could realize substantial savings in the long run.

A top to bottom energy audit of the house by a qualified contractor is highly recommended to assist the homeowner in cutting down on wasted energy and reap the benefits in subsequent savings.

The three-day seminar was hosted by AgriLife Extension, a division of the Texas A&M System, and underwritten by a grant from the US Department of Agriculture. The seminar attendees included not only engineers, builders and architects, but entomologists and pest management experts. Several solutions were discussed, including such simple ideas as screening gaps, sealing conduits for electrical and sewer hook-ups, and creating smaller window ledges that won’t accommodate perching birds.

The focus was to come up with ideas that would eliminate the need for chemical pesticides and poisons, that could easily be incorporated into an environmentally friendly building and qualify for certification under the Leadership in Energy Environmental Design (LEED) system.

Seminar attendees took a break from the discussions to tour Hector Garcia Middle School, a near-by green building designed by Perkins and Will. Keeping the typically tight school budget in mind, the designers opted to use the natural environment to advantage. The building features walls of windows and open spaces, classrooms and labs situated in order to utilize the natural northern light. Exposure to the east and west sun is minimized, lowering the need for indoor cooling.

In spite of the care taken with design and location of specific features at the school, though, mice are an acknowledged problem, apparently entering the building at a gap below some doors, and provided a clear example that the problem of pest management should indeed be addressed during a green building’s design.