The weather isn’t the only thing heating up, with activity in the property market rising as we embrace the summer months.

The first stage of the stamp duty holiday has ended, meaning the tax threshold has been reduced from £500,000 to £250,000 until September 30 2021.

Strong house price growth is expected to continue into the summer, which doesn’t seem to be deterring buyers who are prioritising homes with ample outdoor space and the provisions for a home office.

Equally important to buyers is the home’s energy-efficiency. More eco-friendly features in the property means cheaper bills for future homeowners, making it a huge consideration for today’s green-conscious purchasers.

If you’re looking to sell in the coming months, you’ll want to revamp your home to ensure it meets the needs of today’s buyers, and working on your home’s carbon footprint is a good place to start.

Here at Ideal Locations, we lean on advice from online price comparison service money.co.uk to uncover the top ways to transform your house into an eco-home.

Let the light in

Consider a roof window, sun tunnel or find other creative ways to maximise natural light into your home. The more sunlight can find its way inside, the less the need for both electric lighting and artificial heating.

Team up with neighbours

If those around you share your green aspirations, talk to them about installing a community battery. These allow homes to plug in their electric vehicles and act as a power hub across several homes.

Use less gas

Households wishing to reduce their carbon footprint should find ways to use less gas and instead choose clean electricity as their preferred cooking and heating method, if possible.

Install a bidirectional battery

It may sound like science fiction, but rechargeable homes are already a reality. By installing a bidirectional battery your home’s energy can be topped up from the battery of a compatible electric vehicle (EV). The home’s energy needs are then balanced between its solar array, battery and the grid.

Go solar

Solar energy is abundant and photovoltaic panels and arrays have become increasingly cost-effective. It’s said that all available roof space in Britain which is south or south-westerly facing should be utilised for solar energy.

Fully insulate your home

It may sound obvious, but there are still plenty of homes in the UK with poor or even zero insulation, particularly in older properties. Keeping heat inside the house is the simplest thing you can do to vastly improve energy efficiency – and reduce gas and electricity bills.

Get smart

Utilising smart technology in the home allows homeowners to switch energy sources to ensure efficient management of energy flows from solar panels, the grid and from a connected EV. If the grid is constrained, then the car can supply.

The car is used as a balancing mechanism and can discharge when extra is needed but then will be charged when there is an excess on the grid – typically from the solar energy or at night when less electricity is used.

Go triple glazed

Single pane windows used to be the norm and are still in place in thousands of older homes across the UK. But, while double glazing has become standard for all new homes, it’s worth going one step further to be truly efficient.

Triple glazing is much more effective at stopping heat being lost from the home, greatly reducing energy consumption.

Choose an air pump or underfloor heating

As our homes move towards net carbon zero, you will have less need for central heating. Instead, consider opting for an air source heat pump or underfloor heating which is much more efficient and helps a house to retain heat far longer.

Make money

By following the above measures, you will have effectively turned your home into a tiny green power station. The good news is that you can cash in by selling some of your excess energy back to the grid. Vehicle to grid technology means even power stored in your car battery can be sold to the grid if it’s not needed.

With buyer demand still going strong, now is the perfect time to list your home for sale. These improvements can minimise the amount of energy used and save on energy bills – both of which are a major benefit for buyers. However, your chosen agent can provide you with additional advice in line with current government guidelines and help to achieve a smooth sale.

As a top estate agent operating across Essex and East London, here at Ideal Locations we can do just that, helping you to get the most out of your sale in a safe and secure manner. For more information on our current operations, please contact us today. We also offer a free online valuation to give you an estimate on how much your home could be worth on the current market.