Whole home generators can increase your home’s value when it comes time to put your house on the market. It won’t likely be the initial draw that gets a prospective buyer interested in your property, but it is a very real and tangible luxury feature that could mean the difference when narrowing that decision down between potentials.
Pros and Cons of Whole Home Generators
If you have the generator installed as a permanent feature and not simply a connection point for a portable unit, some reports show that having a whole home generator system can lead to upwards of a 5% increase in your home’s value. Here are a few pros and cons to consider, but by our count the pros far outweigh the cons.
If you’re looking for the best whole home generator options, we highly recommend looking at our guide Diving Into the Best 5 Whole Home Generator Options In 2021
Below is a table of our recommended whole home generators.
![]( "<ins class=")
Pros of Whole Home Generators
Connection points for the portable generators are still valuable, but do not show the full return on investment that the permanent generator installations show. By building up the infrastructure you make your home more attractive to prospective buyers.
For a whole home generator system to function, you need to have a professional installation setup multiple features that add to your home’s value.
- Your generator must be wired to your electrical panel by a certified electrician. This is as simple as a single pipe leading from your electrical panel over to your transfer switch, and then from the switch out to your generator. A clean and neat electrical installation is important for safety as well as appearances.
- Transfer Switch. Two kinds of switches are available, the manual and the automatic. The switch is the device by which your house is fed electrical power. When you lose your conventional city power, a flip of this switch moves you over to your generator. A manual switch requires you to push the lever, an automatic transfer switch does this when it senses loss of city power and is obviously more attractive.
- A whole home generator is no small tool and it will most likely sit outdoors on a small concrete pad much like your outdoor air conditioning unit.
- You may opt for a larger fuel source to give you longer run times on your generator. A properly installed diesel bladder tank or liquid propane tank is another accessory that can make your whole home generator more appealing.
Generac 70432 Briggs & Stratton 040623
Potential Cons of Whole Home Generators
There are a few things to watch out for when considering whole home generators and their perceived increase of home value.
- Keeping full and accurate records of your generator’s maintenance is critical. Showing that the machine will work because it has been cared for and properly maintained will go a long way toward showing a prospective buyer that you didn’t just slap some unit on the house that could become a hazard rather than an asset.
- Run Time. A generator with lots of hours on the engine will show two things and it’s going to be up to you so see how well you spin this fact. High hour counts mean this unit has been used a lot and could have some parts wearing out. However this also shows the very real need for a whole home generator due to the multiple outages.
- Unfortunately, no matter how well maintained and how clean it looks, an old machine can make people look twice. It may run like a champ, but if it’s getting up there in years, the only thing a prospective home buyer will be thinking about is how much it is going to cost to replace when it comes time.
Generac 70432 Briggs & Stratton 040623
Interested in getting more information about generators, usage tips, and recommendations for the best portable generator? If so, you may be interested in the Generator Expert mailing list. We won't spam you, and we don't sell your data. That's a promise.
