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ZDNET's key takeaways

• Price is usually not the biggest barrier for home battery buyers
• Batteries can boost home value, even if you're planning to move
• Outage frequency and power usage are key factors to consider

Sticker shock is real when it comes to buying a home battery, especially if you're thinking about whole-home backup. After dozens of conversations with homeowners, it's become clear that price is only one part of the story. 

For many, buying a battery evolves from just an idea to a serious necessity after one too many frustrating moments. A long power outage, sky-high energy bill, or new solar installation can make a home battery feel like the obvious next step.

Also: Switch to plug-in solar? My advice after testing the DIY energy tech at home

However, the path from idea to purchase is not clear. There's a lot of hesitation and fear of making the wrong choice. Homeowners are trying to understand how a battery fits into the rest of their home plans, whether it should come before or after other upgrades, and if the investment truly makes sense for how they live. 

What comes first?

Those considering investments in home energy tech often find themselves in a chicken-and-egg situation, unsure where to start. Jessica, a homeowner from Kentucky, got stuck at exactly that point. 

"I'm interested in backup power, but I still don't feel clear on the right order of operations. I may need a new roof at some point, and I may want solar, and maybe an electric vehicle (EV) down the road," she said. "I'm not sure what should come first or what makes the most sense to do together."

Braulio Escobar, business development manager at EcoFlow, explained that there is no single right sequence, but there is a smarter way to approach the journey. 

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One way to think about it is to start with the end goal in mind. Picture the full setup you want five or 10 years down the line and work backward.

Research from independent firm Habitelligence shows that 77% of homeowners are in an active technology cycle, meaning they recently made a major home technology investment or are planning one soon. What you prioritize first depends on what you're trying to accomplish and what your home actually needs right now to support that future vision. 

"Think about what the core infrastructure is that will be built for the future. That is probably the most important first step," Escobar said. "If you are considering rooftop solar, getting a new roof first makes sense."

I might move soon. Does a battery still make sense?

Home batteries are not typically an impulse buy. It's natural to wonder whether it makes sense if you might not stay in your current house forever. That's the hesitation Susan, a homeowner in Texas, felt.

"The cost matters, of course, but for us the bigger question is whether this house is really our long-term home. If we're making a major investment in solar and batteries, I want to feel confident we'll be here long enough for it to actually make sense," Susan said. 

Escobar put his advice into perspective by comparing it to a heating and air conditioning (HVAC) system. He explained that you don't take an HVAC system with you when moving homes, so you can treat a grid-tied home battery the same way. But leaving it behind is not necessarily a loss. 

Also: Considering a home battery? These 3 factors can help you decide

According to Habitelligence research, 73% of homeowners who have installed a battery believe their home energy setup has increased the value of their home, with most saying it has increased "substantially."

"Even if you leave the system behind, you are creating value for that house," Escobar said. "Energy costs are rising, and grid reliability is a growing concern in a lot of areas. In some markets, homes with these systems already in place command a premium."

Portable home batteries are an alternative option worth knowing about. Unlike a grid-tied system, you can roll a portable battery to the next home. It's a solid option for those who want the benefits of backup power without the long-term commitment tied to a home you might not stay in.

What else do I need to know?

Getting a home battery estimate should make the decision easier, but for many, it does the opposite. Cycle life, round-trip efficiency, and depth of discharge are all important terms. But they don't mean much to someone who just wants to know whether their refrigerator and air conditioner will stay on during an outage. This resonated with Drew from Colorado.

"I felt that when these people came over for these estimates and talking all the lingo... It's like going to a doctor. You don't even understand half the things they say," Drew said.

Before any estimate, Escobar said there's one number worth knowing. 

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"The piece of information you must have is how much energy you are utilizing on a monthly basis," he said. "That gives you an idea of how much solar and battery power you will be needing."

You can review past energy bills to understand what your monthly usage looks like. That step alone puts you ahead of the curve. Habitelligence found that 44% of homeowners have no idea how much energy they use each month. Knowing this detail also makes it harder for anyone to oversell you on something you don't actually need. 

When it comes to choosing which installer to work with, Escobar recommended paying attention to how they handle your concerns. 

"If someone is just pushing and telling you yes to everything, you may start to sense it feels too good to be true," he said. "A trustworthy installer will tell you what the systems cannot do."

How to move forward

The questions Jessica, Susan, and Drew were wrestling with are ones many other homeowners face at some point in the process. There's not one right answer to fit every situation, but the picture gets clearer once you know what you're actually trying to solve for. 

Upcoming research from Habitelligence shows that resilience, economics, and autonomy are three of the most prominent motivations behind why homeowners invest in home battery systems, but they don't show up equally in every home. Asking yourself a few simple questions can help steer you in the right direction, such as:

• How often do you experience an electrical outage that is genuinely disruptive to your household? 
• How much value would you place on having power when your neighbors don't?
• Are you on an electrical rate plan with your utility that charges you more for power during peak demand times?
• Do you have solar and want to store your extra energy at home for reasons beyond just saving money? (Such as the desire to reduce strain on the system or minimize household grid consumption.)

Knowing your motivations and risk tolerances, along with attainable stats like your monthly energy consumption, will help clarify how a battery might fit into your home energy future and help a qualified installer advise you more effectively on how to get there.

Faith Foushee contributed to this article.