Who doesn’t like pudding?! The traditional phrase “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”, more commonly shortened to “the proof is in the pudding” simply summarizes that the real value of something can only be judged from practical experience/results, not from appearance or theory. This proverb can be applied to many things, including the value of solar panels.
Research organizations gather data which is analyzed and used to publish dynamic reports about the value of solar panels in relation to home prices. The presentation from your solar panel salesperson may have included some of this data, as reassurance that your purchase would have a solid ROI if you sold your home in the future.
Now let’s fast-forward to the time that you list your house for sale. The solar panel salesperson is no longer in the room to answer questions and field objections from a potential buyer. Buyers need to be clear and confident, not confused, to move forward with an offer. Without supporting documentation to show the value of your panels, a buyer might need to do their own research. This is where the pudding comes into it!
Any potential buyer can search the internet for reassurance about solar panels adding value to a house, but not the system that’s on YOUR house. Remember the message of the proverb- value is shown through practical results, not theory/Google results. To show this, it’s crucial to provide a buyer with all production reports, utility bills, any statements (if you receive a pay-back for excess production), as well as the original sales proposal and warranty information. Too often I see solar homes on the market with nothing but the original sales proposal for supporting documentation. This offers little assurance to a buyer that the system is actually providing the benefits that were promised. To eliminate concerns, we need to show actual benefits… The pudding!