When it comes to real estate investments, there are often numerous opportunities to choose from. In fact, there are so many that it’s hard to know which one to go with. If the sustainability of a property is important to you, perhaps you’d prefer to invest in eco-friendly real estate. If this interests you, we have some strategies for you to consider.

4 Strategies for Eco-Friendly Real Estate Investments

To make your real estate investments eco-friendly, here are four strategies to consider:

Search Within Green Communities

The first thing you can do is start to narrow down the communities in which you search for investment opportunities. Some communities in this country have placed a significant emphasis on going green, meaning you’ll find more options in these locations. For example, New York recently passed a law that aims to drastically reduce the city’s carbon emissions by 2030 by requiring larger buildings to cut back their individual emissions.

Research which states or cities around the country focus more on green energy or are passing laws to minimize their carbon footprint. Make a list of these areas, then you can begin to search for opportunities within each of them. As more inhabitants of these locations make changes to their properties, you’ll start to find more real estate prospects in which you can invest.

Make Eco-Friendly Upgrades

Another strategy is to take a property you already own — or a potential property that isn’t necessarily eco-friendly — and make some eco-friendly upgrades. For example, you can change the power supply from oil to solar energy or replace old appliances with newer ones. Other possibilities include replacing incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs or installing more energy-efficient windows. With this strategy, you can take standard properties and make them more environmentally sound. This gives you a more expansive search range and allows you to transform your investment into a more sustainable space.

Choose Different Materials

When building a property or making improvements to one, make sure you’re using eco-friendly materials. This goes for furniture, building materials, kitchenware, and more. You’ll want to look for organic and sustainably sourced materials. You can typically talk to the manufacturer or explore the materials before buying them to learn how they were made. Using organic and renewable materials allows you to build your property with clean, nontoxic materials, and your money will help support eco-friendly organizations.

Improve Property Efficiency

Finally, look to improve the efficiency of your properties. One of the most significant contributors to a property’s carbon footprint is how much energy it uses. For example, a home may need oil to heat the house during the winter and electricity to cool it down during the summer. However, buildings are not perfectly sealed. As the home is heated or cooled, some of it is inevitably lost through small gaps in the exterior or around windows, creating inefficiencies.

There are several ways you can go about making the property more efficient. Some quick fixes include installing door sweeps on all exterior doors and ensuring there are no cracks around the windows. You may need to add more insulation to the walls and check for any damage to the roof, as this can be a significant source of heat loss. Improvements such as this can result in the property conserving energy and becoming sustainable in the process.

Why Should You Invest in Eco-Friendly Properties?

Getting started with eco-friendly real estate investments is easy, but are they right for you? Some great benefits that come with investing in sustainable properties include:

Long-Term Value

As environmental awareness continues to grow, more buyers are looking to buy eco-friendly and energy-efficient properties. As time goes on, these properties will become even more valuable as more buyers enter the market. Not only that, but more states are starting to place environmental requirements on their properties. By investing in these properties now, you’ll have an investment that should continue to grow over time while also staying ahead of the curve and saving money when it comes to local regulations.

Reduce Costs

In many cases, switching to environmentally friendly strategies can help the investor save money. For example, you may find that switching a home’s primary power source to solar energy significantly reduces the property’s energy costs. You’ll also reduce your energy costs by improving the efficiency of the property, either by regulating the temperature or using eco-friendly appliances. Some states even offer tax incentives if you make energy-efficient upgrades to a property. Investors who want to reduce costs while simultaneously adding value should consider green investments.

Better for the Environment

Finally, sustainable investments are simply better for the environment. While adjusting one property’s energy efficiency may not save the world, it’s a step in the right direction. Opting for eco-friendly real estate investments is a great place to start if you care about the planet and want to ensure it will be habitable for future generations.

Getting Started With Eco-Friendly Real Estate Investments

Once you’ve decided that you want to go with eco-friendly real estate investments, there are a few things you need to do to start. The first is to find a property you wish to invest in. Explore your local area or research properties in eco-friendly communities like we suggested above. Once you find a property you like, you may need to secure funding for this investment.

If you need help buying your next real estate investment, Titan Funding is here to help. We’re commercial hard money lenders who can help you secure the funds you need to buy your next commercial property. We also have residential bridge loans if you’re looking to invest in a residential property. Whatever you need, Titan Funding is here to help. To learn more, please contact us today. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have and explain how our money-lending process works. There’s never been a better time to invest in eco-friendly properties, so get started today with the help of Titan Funding.

Worker installing solar panels on a roof by Bill Mead is licensed with Unsplash