Ask Brian is a weekly column by real estate expert Brian Kline. If you have any questions about real estate investing, home improvement, home buying / selling, or any other questions about residential real estate, please email your questions to [email protected].
Question from Fredrick on ID: Hello Brian. I don’t necessarily have any plans to sell my house anytime soon, but I enjoy spending a few weekends every month doing home improvement. It makes sense that I might as well add value to the house while I’m working on projects. But that doesn’t mean that I want to spend a lot of money. This is mostly my hobby. What is an inexpensive home improvement that still adds value to the home?
Answer: Hello Fredrick. Let’s talk about lighting. A home improvement DIY project is too often overlooked given its low cost and high impact. It is equally important that you save money immediately with the right lighting. It makes life in your home more comfortable. And it adds value if you choose to sell. We know that the lighting in caves is far from human time and only a fire illuminates the night. Then a caveman invented the torch to carry the light outside into the dark night. Next came candles to light individual rooms and gas street lamps. Finally, the light bulb turns on and off with the push of a button.
The LED lights that are now available for our homes have more advantages than anything that came before them. One of the easiest, most affordable ways to add value to your home is with a full LED modernization. According to consumer reports, using LED lighting in your home can add at least 1% to 3% in value. Instead of constantly replacing old, weak lightbulbs, you don’t have to replace the LED lightbulbs for years. You can expect to save around 5% on your total energy costs when you switch to LED lights (compared to heat and other major energy uses). In addition to their longer life expectancy, they use 80% less energy than incandescent lamps.
Your life expectancy can be up to 23 years – you will save money immediately and in the long term. It is estimated that installing LED lighting in your home can save you about $ 750 per device replaced. LED lighting also saves cooling costs as it emits minimal heat. These significant savings easily and instantly translate into a higher home value.
LED lighting is also environmentally friendly. You save up to 10,350 pounds of greenhouse gases per device replaced and contain no dangerous mercury. You can also promote the interior design of your home. It may be time to upgrade the lights to a more modern look. With the right lighting, a room appears much larger, cleaner and fits perfectly with a fresh paint job. It directs the gaze to places in the room that are covered by shadows, illuminates works of art and stimulates the viewer’s imagination. When someone sees a well-lit room, the visual style of the room comes alive. The fluorescence of traditional lighting has a profound effect on color and room decor. By switching to a softer, warmer lamp, the entire room becomes much more pleasing to the eye. Properly lighting all of your spaces can add significant value to your home in most cases for less than $ 1,000.
LEDs are more flexible in terms of the direction of light. Light bulbs emit light in all directions, making it almost impossible to direct that light. The LED lighting is directed so that you can better focus the light where it is needed and desired.
LEDs are dimmable, however – – The quality of the LED driver and its compatibility with the controller are two factors that determine the actual dimming performance. Not all LEDs are compatible with your current dimmer. You want to get advice from the hardware store instead of using trial and error. While dimming is possible, make sure everything is compatible and what you want.
Plug and play LED lamps compared to LED lights. It seems like there is an endless sea of LED light bulbs to choose from these days. However, LED lighting has changed a lot more than just replacement bulbs. There’s also a whole new category of options – LED lights. LED lights offer some of the best modern visual stimuli, as well as some of the longest lifetimes and highest efficiency options in lighting systems.
Professionals for replacing LED lights
- Maximum control over light output and placement (ideal for situations where lighting design is paramount).
- Longer life and effectiveness than LED replacement lamps.
- Lower maximum device performance than traditional devices, which is beneficial for compliance with stringent building codes and California Title 24 standards.
- Excellent control and dimming performance.
Replacement of LED headlights
- Installation takes longer and costs more than just replacing with LED bulbs.
- Unknown compatibility with possible future technologies.
Plug and play LED lamp professionals
- Super easy, quick installation.
- Significant improvement in efficiency compared to conventional lighting (incandescent lamp, halogen, fluorescent lamp).
- Long service life compared to conventional lighting (incandescent lamp, halogen, fluorescent lamp).
- It is not necessary to replace the device.
Plug and play LED lamp disadvantages
- No improvement in device performance.
- Problems with dimming (switches may need to be replaced).
- Using existing luminaires can shorten the life of LED lamps (depending on whether the luminaire is closed or open).
- The use of existing lights does not allow decor updates, conversions, etc.
Fredrick, LEDs are the cheapest “green” technology compared to anything else. Not only because they reduce energy costs, but also because LEDs are recyclable to reduce the impact on landfills and to outlast and outperform the competition for years in continuous operation. And they add to your home value.
Let’s listen to the LED upgrades that you are using. Please add comments.
Our weekly Ask Brian column welcomes questions from readers of all levels of real estate experience. Please email your questions or inquiries to [email protected].
Author Biography: Brian Kline has invested in real estate for more than 35 years and has been writing about real estate investing for 12 years. He has over 30 years of business experience, including 12 years as a manager with the Boeing Aircraft Company. Brian currently lives on Lake Cushman in Washington. A vacation destination near a National and Pacific Ocean.
Comments are closed.