Charlottesville, Virginia homeowners interested in selling their home, refinancing, or applying for a secured line of credit have a new tool to increase their home value by accounting for home energy improvements, such as insulation, air sealing, and duct sealing. The Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP), a Residential Network member and Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partner, is offering homeowners the Appraisal Institute (AI) Reports’ Residential Green and Energy Efficient Appraisal Addendum through its new Home Sellers Package.
LEAP's Cynthia Adams.
“Home sellers want to maximize the home improvement investments they’ve made, and home buyers want to see evidence of those improvements. Appraisers, realtors, and mortgage bankers need a tool to make them visible, to factor them into the home’s appraisal,” LEAP Executive Director Cynthia Adams said.
The addendum allows LEAP to create a comprehensive documentation of the energy-efficient features of a home and, where applicable, recognize a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® (HPwES) certificate. Specifically, the Home Sellers Package includes:
- Energy efficiency inventory with a complimentary home energy check-up
- Home Energy Score results
- Completion of the Residential Green and Energy Efficient Appraisal Addendum
- One-page promotional flier to share with potential buyers