Looking for a New Home? Get an Energy Audit Before You Buy!

It's that time of year again: For sale signs are cropping up in neighborhood everywhere. Most potential home buyers wouldn't dream of purchasing a property without getting a home inspection to look for structural problems, water damage, and other potentially costly issues. But few people consider the energy efficiency of a home, and an inefficient home can cost you a lot of money over the years.

If you're out shopping for a new home, consider asking the seller to have an energy audit done on the home. This will show you where there's room for future home improvements, but it will also help point out major problems, such as insufficient insulation, air leaks in the foundation or attic, and inefficient heating and cooling systems.

Aside from knowing where there are issues before you buy, you can also use the information gleaned in an energy audit to either reduce the price of the home based on the cost of renovations you'd have to complete, or you can ask the seller to have some of the renovations done before closing.

In the end, a little forethought regarding the efficiency of your new home can make a real difference for both your bottom line and your environmental footprint.