Do high power lines affect property values?

Question: We want to build a home in Summit County and one particular lot that we are looking at is fairly close to high power lines. How do these lines affect property values?

 

Answer: A study by St. Cloud State University of Minnesota examined the effects of overhead power lines on the sale of a home, and whether the power lines were a factor in the home's sale or price. Their findings confirmed that presence of the lines weigh down home value.

Respondents were divided into homeowners with overhead power lines, sellers of homes located under power lines, homebuyers of properties near overhead power lines, and appraisers. About 51 percent of homeowners with overhead power lines said they didn't consider the lines at the time of purchase. A third of them lowered their offering price by an average of 4.1 percent, while the other two-thirds said the lines did not affect the offer price. Half of the sellers of these homes said the property's value was affected, and two-thirds said the home took longer to sell. Slightly less than half of property owners near power lines said they would have lowered their offer if the home had been within 200 yards of the power lines.

Of the appraisers surveyed, 83 percent said power lines had a negative effect on the home by lowering its property value an average of 4.1 percent, and 84 percent said the home took longer to sell. All the groups acknowledged that power lines could have a negative impact on property values, according to the researchers.
Ó2008 Information.Inc.

Post a Comment