News Article

Generators - A Selling Tool

ConstecRealty - Miami MLS listings for condos and houses


Real estate listings in storm-prone areas are starting to boast built-in generator as a perk alongside granite counter tops and hardwood floors.


Along the Gulf Coast and beyond, some homeowners invest up to tens of thousands of dollars in propane- or natural gas-run generators that automatically click on when the power is out, running major appliances, even the air conditioning. "It's becoming a status symbol," says Bill Palmer, a buyer for Home Depot. "You have the ability to make that huge house run in the wake of a storm." The standby generator industry grew from a $100 million to a $500 million industry between 2000 and 2005, according to Generac Power Systems, the nation’s largest generator manufacturer. The best customers are wealthy and middle- class homeowners who have had a multiple-day experience with power outages. The biggest sellers are powered by natural gas or propane and cost between $2,500 and $5,000, plus installation, permits and inspection fees. A recent survey by the Propane Education & Research Council found that nearly half of residents in hurricane-prone areas expect to lose power for 24 hours or more during a hurricane season.


A quarter said they owned generators.


The Christian Science Monitor, Amy Green - 08/11/2006