5 Ways Home Insulation Benefits your Wallet & Health

I don’t think it would surprise anyone to hear that insulating your home is an excellent long-term investment. The damp and cold winters that are prevalent in the UK coupled with the materials used to build houses here – if you do not do something to keep the cold out, you’re asking for trouble!

Fortunately, there is a way to ease the burden so to speak, and that is through the use of insulation. There are actually several benefits if you choose to invest in home insulation that you should be aware of.

1) Financial savings via saving energy

Once you insulate your home, the walls and attic/loft trap the existing heat inside the property instead of releasing it into the environment. An easy way to picture how this would be beneficial is to think of your house like it’s wearing a warm hat and jacket!

Typically around 25% of a home’s heat is lost through the roof loft and another 35% through the walls. Since your home isn’t losing heat to the exterior, you do not need to spend as much energy heating up your home as it will maintain a more even temperature. This will have a significantly reduce the cost of your bills. As well as this, invest in a more efficient form of heating such as a heat pump.

It also works in reverse as you will be able to benefit from a cooler home in the summer too.

2) Improve your homes resale value

When it comes to insulation, not many consider it’s impact on the overall value of your home. One thing to keep in mind is that the installation of cavity, wall and loft insulation helps give your home a higher energy efficiency rating. Milosh Lofts adds “A direct and popular approach is the cold roof technique. A second option is warm roof loft insulation. This method is ideal for dormer loft conversion with a flat roof. You should also insulate the party walls and floors to prevent noise and heat loss.”

This has a definite impact if you’re considering selling your property as a higher energy rating increases your homes appeal which may result in you getting more money for your property.

In our day and age more and more people are looking for energy efficient properties so if yours is highly rated you are sure to get numerous suitors. Having a popular property also allows you to choose how you sell your property so whether you sell to house buyers for cash or with an estate agent is entirely up to you.

Selling via auction is another option. Even if you’ve never been to auction before and you’re worried about how to auction your house – don’t be. The process is very simple and with a little research you can learn everything there is to know about selling a house at auction!

3) Benefits to the environment

Talking about energy efficiency ratings, insulation helps reduce your overall carbon footprint by using fewer fossil fuels. Due to this benefit, new homes are required to have significantly higher insulation installed at the time they are built. These new regulations often specify at least 12 inches of attic insulation.

If you’re a fan of going green, then the right amount and type of insulation can absolutely have an impact on the environment.

4) Healthier for you and your family

Now while monetary benefits might suffice in themselves to sell the importance of insulation to you, let’s also talk about the health benefits.

Studies have shown that properly insulated homes help alleviate the symptoms of many respiratory conditions. However, health benefits are not restricted purely to respiratory ailments as other research has shown that homeowners with heart issues manage the winter weather better in adequately insulated homes.

While that might not be too surprising a statistic, the overall ratio might shock you. You see, the benefits of insulation have been calculated to outweigh the costs by four times! This is hugely significant and worth noting.

The benefits for homeowners are reasonably clear from a health perspective, another study in the US found that if all the homes in the US were insulated correctly, there would be a dramatic reduction in the emissions of Nitrous Oxide, Carbon Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide. Due to this reduction in harmful emissions, the number and severity of Asthma attacks would decrease significantly.

5) Less noise – less stress

Home insulation acts as a barrier and a buffer for sound. Properly installed insulation in walls and floors helps to muffle sounds and provides you with a quieter and more relaxing home.

Conclusion

While the costs of insulation are not insignificant, there are grants available, and if you weigh these costs up against the benefits, the choice is fairly obvious.

When you insulate your home and also take advantage of one of the many renewable energy schemes also available, you’re truly on your way to creating a self-sustaining paradise!