3 Financial Benefits of Installing an Awning at Your House
An awning can be a wise investment for homeowners. While most people buy them to make their homes more comfortable, they also have a few financial benefits to offer to buyers who are willing to use them correctly. Some of those benefits, such as improvements to the value of the home, are passive. Others require effort on the part of the homeowner, but they will yield large gains for the people who are willing to put in the extra effort. Understanding these benefits is vital in order to understand the full value of an awning, so everyone who is considering improving their home with one should take a moment to think about the financial aspects of the choice.
Reduced Cooling Costs
The vast majority of the average home’s energy budget goes towards controlling the building’s temperature. Both warming and cooling costs tend to be high, so anything that can do so passively and thus reduce energy consumption can lead to large savings in the long run.
Awning can help with cooling in warmer climates. A large amount of heat enters the home through windows, which means that window accessories, including awnings, can have a large impact. Putting an awning over the window will block a large amount of light and heat from entering through the window and warming the building. That will make a big difference on its own, but adding a few other accessories that work with the awning can increase the impact even more.
Both retractable and stationary awnings can do the job, and the choice between them should come down to your climate. A retractable awning is best for areas with highly variable temperatures. Retracting it when the weather is cold allows the sun to heat the house, while extending it during warm periods prevents excess heating. That isn’t necessary in areas that are consistently warm, which can benefit from a stationary model.
Increased Home Value
Adding an awning to a home is a good project for people who want to improve the value of the building. They tend to be fairly affordable, so most people can afford to make the addition. It also takes much less time than the average home improvement project, which is a vital factor for people who are busy or want to avoid disturbing the neighborhood with a lengthy construction process.
An awning can also be paired with other projects to add even more value. For example, adding an awning over a new patio will create a comfortable, shaded area that is more valuable than either part would be on its own. The appearance of the awning is also a factor, so it is important to find one that will look good and complement the rest of the house. When in doubt, ask an experienced designer to help pick out a good design.
Productive Gardening
People often assume that plants need a lot of sunlight to thrive in a garden, but that is not always the case. There are many plants that want to spend at least some of their time in the shade, and suffer when they are exposed to too much light or heat. Many herbs fall into that category, as do plenty of leafy green vegetables. Growing them under an will help to make sure that they can get enough light to stay healthy while protecting them from overheating and wilting. In many cases, the awning will be more effective than relying on natural shade, especially if it can be extended and retracted as the weather changes.
That can lead to a big financial boost for the owner when they are growing productive plants. Herbs and leafy vegetables are very easy to grow, but relatively expensive to purchase. People need to eat a lot of them to stay healthy, so many people damage their diets in an effort to save money. Growing the vegetables will produce a valuable crop with very little work, which allows the gardener to either improve their diet or shrink their grocery budget without giving up any nutrition. The larger the garden, the bigger the financial benefits, so this is a great bonus for people who are opting for a large awning.
