Do solar panels come with a house when you buy it?
Solar panels make a home more attractive to buy, a new study finds, but homebuyers are urged to check whether they’re included in the sale.
Direct Line’s new survey found that 58 percent of buyers believe solar panels add to a home’s curb appeal.
However, some buyers don’t realize that solar panels aren’t automatically included in a sale, with the property seller potentially taking them to their new home.
A Direct Line survey found that 58% of buyers believe solar panels add to the curb appeal of a property, such as this Hampshire house for sale (more details below)
Solar panels typically cost between £6,000 and £10,000 depending on the system installed, it said.
The survey found that 77 percent of homeowners said they’ve saved money on their energy bills thanks to solar panels.
They saved an average of £264 a year, with some reported savings of over £480 a year.
The cost of installing solar panels has dropped dramatically as they’ve become more popular, with typical expenses dropping 82 percent between 2010 and 2019, according to Direct Line.
However, the cost is still prohibitive for many, and againstOverall, 62 percent of the 2,000 respondents said they had no plans to install them.
They cited cost, uncertainty about their value and the suitability of their roofs as the main reasons.
For those who qualify, solar panel subsidies are available through schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation Scheme.
Solar panels may NOT come with the house
When purchasing a home with solar panels, buyers should double check that they are included in the sale to avoid any misunderstandings.
In total, 44 percent expect solar panels to be included in the standard delivery list of inventory – and thus a portion of the home’s selling price.
However, solar panels are usually not included in these lists. In total, 52 percent of homeowners with solar panels indicated that they would take the panels with them when they moved house.
However, 25 percent said they would leave them if the buyer paid extra for them.
A total of 77% of homeowners have saved money on energy bills with solar panels – scroll down to find out more about this Camberley property for sale
Dan Simson, of Direct Line Home Insurance, said: ‘The benefits of installing solar panels are clear, from helping homeowners save money on their monthly electricity bills to reducing their carbon footprint.
‘However, their price and installation costs remain a stumbling block for many. To solve this problem, the government has introduced several schemes that provide funding and support to those who want to install solar panels in their homes and meet the eligibility criteria.
‘Although many people prefer to buy a house with solar panels on it, our research shows that there is still a lack of clarity about whether solar panels are included as standard when buying a house.
“If potential buyers want the solar panels included as part of the purchase, we recommend that they discuss this with their carrier, who may request that the panels remain as a condition of the sale.”
Houses for sale with solar panels
Three properties for sale with solar panels
1. Three bed semi-detached house, Southampton, £350,000
This three bedroom semi-detached house in Hampshire is for sale for £350,000 through Marco Harris estate agents
This terraced house in the Lordswood area of Hampshire has solar panels on the roof.
The three bedroom property is for sale for £350,000 and the sale is handled by Marco Harris real estate agents.
2. Four Bed Detached House, Camberley, £2.5million
This four bedroom property in Surrey’s Camberley is on sale for £2.5 million through Seymours Prestige Homes estate agents
This luxury home in Surrey’s Camberley has several eco features including solar panels and a heat pump air conditioning system.
The four-bedroom house is for sale for £2.5 million through agents of Seymours Prestige Homes.
3. Four bedroom detached house, Bucknall, £465,000
This four-bedroom detached house in the Lincolnshire village of Bucknall is for sale for £465,000 through Richard Watkinson & Partners
This detached house is located in the Lincolnshire village of Bucknall, five miles north of Woodhall Spa.
It is a new building with solar panels that is for sale for £465,000 through Richard Watkinson & Partners.
How many homes have solar panels installed?
Many new homes are now fitted with solar panels, although the National Housing Council has no official figures on the numbers installed over the past year.
More than 130,000 homes will have the panels installed by 2022, according to MCS, the UK’s renewable energy standards organization.
There are almost as many as have been installed in the past three years combined.
Prices vary by installer, so the Energy Saving Trust recommends getting quotes from at least three firms.
If you generate more than you can use, some solar panels allow you to return the excess power to the grid. You can take out an electricity tariff where you will be paid for this.
You can get an estimate of how much you could save on your energy bill using solar panels with the The Energy Saving Trust calculator.
The greatest savings will be realized by households that mainly use the energy generated rather than selling it back to the grid, because the cost of paying for energy from the grid is much higher than the compensation that households receive for feeding excess energy back into the grid. energy.