Many a homeowner has spent time weighing up the pros and cons of installing a skylight.
When considering whether to add a feature to their property, a homeowner should always consider the benefits, and whether it’s worth the cost.
Do skylights add value to a home? Absolutely. They offer a ton of benefits that will increase your house price, and improve its resale value. In this article, we’ll explain why.
1. Skylights let in natural light
In the 18th century, new glass production technology allowed the creation of affordable glass for people’s homes, and when the British government repealed a glass tax in 1845, the industry took off. Instead of living in dingy houses with dark windows made of animal horn, they were able to install translucent glass windows, letting natural light into their homes and reaping its health benefits.
Natural light improves our health for a number of reasons. It helps to boost our vitamin D levels, which is critical for preventing bone loss, reducing the risk of heart disease, weight gain, and certain cancers. It makes us happier by warding off the aptly named seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It also improves our sleep, by helping to regulate our melatonin levels1.
In addition to improving our health, natural light from a skylight will reduce the need to use light bulbs, which increase your power bill and produce even more carbon dioxide for our suffering planet.
2. Skylights create a connection to the outside world
Modern humans evolved from the plains of Africa around 200,000 years ago, and for 95% of that time, lived mostly in the open air. This is why we love the outdoors so much, and a skylight creates a small yet significant connection to the wide world.
There’s plenty of scientific benefits of being outdoors. It boosts your energy, reduces your stress levels, and lowers your blood pressure and inflammation. It may even improve your memory and ability to focus, protect your vision, help to fight depression and anxiety, prevent cancer, and boost your immune system2.
Having a link to the outside world is important for our health, and skylights help with this.
3. Skylights let in fresh air, and expel hot air
Being outside in the fresh air is good for us, and another remnant of our evolutionary past. As with being outdoors, fresh air has a number of important health benefits that make skylights more appealing. It energises us, with some studies showing an energy increase of up to 90%—a staggering figure. It gives us a sense of vitality and makes us more resilient to physical illness. It improves our mental and physical health, and reduces our stress levels by encouraging us to take a deep breath, and relax3.
In addition to letting in fresh air, warm air that accumulates and rises in the room has a place to escape, improving air circulation further.
Damp and mould can also become common problems in households, particularly in bathrooms. The fresh air from a skylight will help to remove moisture from the room, and discourage the buildup of dangerous mould.
4. Skylights provide free heating
Australian winter mornings can have a biting nip, particularly in the southerly regions. A skylight allows some of the sun’s warmth into a room, which can make getting out of bed in winter a little easier. If the skylight is in a bathroom, the heat will also help to remove moisture from the room, to combat mould, and with free heat provided from the sun, you’ll use less electricity for heating, and receive a lower bill.
Of course, the opposite is true in the summer, with unwanted heat being generated. But this can be combated by a blind, which helps to trap some of the heat and keep the room cooler.
5. Skylights make a room feel more spacious
Few people enjoy a cramped room, and one way to make a room feel more spacious is by installing a skylight. It provides an illusion of space, somehow bending the laws of physics to let the outside in, and makes us feel a little calmer.
6. Skylights allow you to keep a sneaky eye on neighbours
If the skylight is low enough, you can pop your head just above the window line and make sure your neighbours are behaving themselves.
Just kidding. Don’t be creepy.
Skylights are a great addition to the home, bringing a ton of health benefits, as well as increasing your property’s price. What are you waiting for?
References
- The Health Benefits of Natural Light (and 7 Ways to Get More of It), Healthline
- Kevin Loria, 2018, 12 science-backed reasons you should spend more time outside, Business Insider
- Chloe Tejada, 2019, Fresh Air From The Big Outdoors Has Lasting Health Benefits, Huffington Post