Energy & Carbon

Going in as many homes as I do and talking with both buyers and sellers about home heating is a big part of my day to day routine. You may know that I am a huge fan of heating with wood (full disclosure, my husband owns a Hearth store locally so I know my stuff when it comes to the ins & outs of heating).

Did you know that burning wood is actually the only net zero carbon emissions way to heat your home? There is a lot of false impressions that burning wood is dirty or bad for the environment. Think of it this way, a tree in a forest contains a finite amount of carbon. That carbon will be released into the atmosphere no matter if the tree falls over and rots or if it is burned for home heating in a wood stove. And the sustainable management of woodlots allows smaller trees to absorb more carbon as they grow when older trees are harvested. Oil and coal on the other hand will not release the carbon they contain unless they are extracted from underground. 

Oil pipelines and sustainable energy are hot topics as of late and there can be a lot of misinformation floating around, get educated on what type of heating is going to be the most desirable for your family and energy requirements. Perhaps it is a combination of sources, perhaps a passive solar home design would suit, look into where and how the electricity that a home draws from is produced when considering a property to purchase.
If you are thinking of relocating to Nova Scotia from out of province, you will need to get information on the local trends and costs of heating sources as they can differ significantly from other areas.

Lastly I will touch on efficiency, insulation, windows, doors etc. There isn't much point in talking about heating without talking about heat retention! There are many different programs in NS offering rebates to homeowners to offset the costs of heating and efficiency upgrading. Additionally there are different ways to structure a mortgage to allow extra money to do necessary work up front, so if we find a home that fits your needs but could use some efficiency work, don't cross it off the list before we have a chance to talk about getting these programs and products working for you!

Do you have questions about buying or selling? Get in touch, I am here to help! 902-680-2736

Megan White REALTOR®