When it comes to increasing home value and maximizing return on investment, homeowners often weigh the pros and cons of various home improvement projects to determine if their hard work will pay off in the end. Whether you are thinking about selling your home now or in the future, you may have questions about HVAC installation and upgrades. One question Fort Wayne homeowners often have is: “Do ductless mini splits increase home value?” In our most recent blog, “Doc” Dancer takes a look at how adding this comfort technology could benefit you down the road.
Do Ductless Mini Splits Increase the Value of a Home?
Ductless mini split installation can boost value by creating a more desirable home. While we don’t know the specific percentage by which a ductless air conditioning system can increase a home’s value, they do offer advantages that can help create the most comfortable home possible.
Though this technology has been around for decades, ductless mini splits only started increasing in popularity over the last several years. Some of the key reasons why we say yes to adding ductless mini splits to increase the value of a home are:
1. Expand Your Living Area
Without the confines of required ducting, ductless mini split air conditioners and heat pumps bring comfort to areas of the home that were unserved or underserved by previous heating and cooling systems. A ductless heat pump can be used in addition to central HVAC to provide heating and cooling within room additions, garages, finished basements, and other spaces that aren’t connected to the primary comfort system. Expanding heating and cooling service to more areas of the home creates more usable living space, which can increase the value of your home.
With a ductless mini split system, air handling units are installed directly within zones throughout the home to deliver comfortable, conditioned air right into the space without the need to install, expand, or modify ducts. Air handlers are mounted high on walls or within the ceiling, so they don’t take up the floor space typically dedicated to a conventional furnace or air handler. Ductless mini splits can increase the value of a home by freeing up space!
2. Flexible Upgrades
Unlike conventional air conditioners and furnaces where capacity cannot be changed, ductless systems can be installed in various configurations, creating a single zone or multiple zones. Depending on equipment configuration, additional zones can be added later to expand service for new additions and newly renovated spaces.
This attractive feature is one reason why ductless mini splits increase the value of the home, especially when you go to sell. While a buyer may pass over a home that will require an investment of a few thousand dollars to expand the capacity of an undersized furnace or air conditioner, it’s much easier and more affordable to install another air handler to a ductless mini split system.
3. Improved Energy Efficiency
Duct energy losses account for an average of 20 to 30 percent of a home’s heating and cooling energy consumption! Installing a ductless system immediately eliminates significant energy losses and provides an immediate reduction in household consumption – and costs. Even when ducts are tightly sealed, a percentage of heating and cooling energy is lost as air circulates through the system to the living areas. With an energy-efficient ductless mini split HVAC system, conditioned air travels into the space directly from the outdoor unit to the indoor unit so there is no energy lost in transit.
The savings generated by a mini split’s lack of ducts is instant value, and it continues over the lifetime of the system. Sealing or even replacing traditional ductwork can be a costly endeavor for existing and prospective homeowners, so ductless mini splits increase the value of a home by eliminating this home improvement project and its expenses.
With rising energy costs and environmental concerns growing, homebuyers seek energy efficiency. Ductless mini split systems offer SEER ratings higher than standard air conditioners and heat pumps, and the elimination of energy losses through ducts instantly produces a high-efficiency home in terms of heating and cooling. The home will cost the buyer less to heat and cool, for which many are willing to pay a premium. Ductless mini splits increase the value of a home by presenting the high-efficiency HVAC many people seek.
4. Customizable Comfort
Ductless mini splits offer a unique form of heating and cooling that can be very attractive to homeowners. Unlike traditional HVAC systems, ductless mini splits do not rely on ductwork to distribute heat or cool air. Because they use individual air handlers that are mounted on the walls or ceilings of each room, these systems allow for a more customized form of heating and cooling that can be adapted to the specific needs of each room.
Zoned heating and cooling is a feature that is becoming increasingly popular in homes. It allows homeowners to divide their residences into different temperature zones, and then set the thermostat accordingly. Not only does this contribute to excellent energy savings, but zoned heating and cooling can provide greater comfort by allowing individuals to customize the temperature in each room. This is a very attractive feature for certain homebuyers, especially those with family members who all prefer a different temperature. The individual comfort factor is another big reason ductless mini splits increase the value of a home.
Are You Ready to Go Ductless?
We think you’ll be more than satisfied with the improvements mini split installation delivers to your residence. Contact “Doc” Dancer Heating & Air today to discuss mini split installation for your home and receive a free estimate for system installation.