Shopping for a home means navigating layers of decisions. Once you choose the city and dial in a neighborhood, there's more to worry about. How might the world's changing climate impact your house? Real estate marketplace Zillow has introduced climate-risk data to for-sale home listings to help address this concern.
The risk categories cover floods, wildfires, wind, air quality and heat. These factors can cost homeowners through higher insurance rates, repair bills and utility costs.
"As concerns about flooding, extreme temperatures and wildfires grow — and what that might mean for future insurance costs — this tool also helps agents inform their clients in discussing climate risk, insurance and long-term affordability," said Zillow chief economist Skylar Olsen in a statement on Sept. 26.
Read more: Climate Change Is Making Homeownership More Expensive. Here's How to Weather the Storm
Zillow's climate-risk assessments appear as part of the listings for for-sale homes on the website.
Zillow/Screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNETThe data is rolling out to the iOS app and Zillow website, with full availability by the end of the year, Zillow said, adding that it'll appear in the Android app early next year.
The climate-risk information is presented on a scale of one to 10 for each category. I checked out a for-sale home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was low on the risk scales for floods, wildfires, wind and air quality, but scored a four for heat factor.
Homebuyers can dive deeper into the data.
"The number of days per year above 95 degrees will increase by 200% over the next 30 years," Zillow reported for the address I looked at.
Zillow said it's seeing a trend where more new listings are coming with major climate risks.
"Across all new listings in August, 16.7% were at major risk of wildfire, while 12.8% came with a major risk of flooding," the company said.
Zillow partnered with climate-risk modeling company First Street to provide the data. Zillow connects home shoppers looking for more information with the First Street site. First Street offers a seven-day free trial to access more detailed reports with insurance considerations and interactive risk maps.
Many homebuyers are already sensitive to climate issues. A CNET survey from this year found that 60% of Americans think climate change is driving up their home energy bills. Buying a home is about more than just the house. It's about the bigger picture, including climate impacts that could make or break a home purchase.