Apr 4, 2014 | Uncategorized
Moving into your home is an exciting time, and you shouldn’t allow higher than expected electricity bills to dampen your spirits. Every day, households around the world waste large amounts of energy.
If your home uses more energy than it needs to, you are the one that is paying the price. Luckily, there are many ways to make sure your home is running as efficiently as possible. Save yourself from ‘utility shock’ by taking these seven steps.
Make Energy Efficiency Your Electric Company’s Business
When you first move into your home, have your appliances inspected by an authorized technician. You could call your appliance’s manufacturer or the electric company to find someone to inspect your appliances.
If you do find yourself on the phone with the electric company, ask them if they have peak and off-peak hours. Often, there are times throughout the day where usage is at a premium, and the cost is higher than it would be at other times.
You should also ask if they have any tips or resources pertaining to your home’s electrical usage. Electrical companies will often send you literature or an energy saving kit that can help make your home run more energy efficiently.
Get Fresh Furnace Filters And Examine Your Central Air System
When you move into a new home, it’s difficult to know what kind of upkeep the previous owners performed on the furnace. Upon moving into your new home, you should have the filter on your furnace changed and your ducts examined and cleaned.
Do the same for any central cooling systems in the home. This way you’ll feel confident that they are operating properly and producing the best air quality possible.
Wrap And Warm Your Hot Water Tank
The hot water tank is another area where you can save a significant amount of money. Set your hot water tank to a warm setting, instead of a hot one (this makes little difference in the water temperature at your tap, but it will save you money).
You could also purchase an insulating cover for the tank, and wrap the hot water pipes in the home. Insulation for your hot water tank and pipes is a cost-effective solution, and you can find plastic or foam pipe insulators at your local hardware store.
Evaluate The Situation From Windows To Insulation
Check the windows and doors of the home to make sure they are properly insulated. Fresh weather stripping and caulking will keep drafts out in the winter, and cool air in during the summer.
Another way to regulate your home’s temperature is to replace the insulation in your attic. You could also install an attic fan to improve airflow.
A Bright Energy Saving Idea
Replace incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs. The cost is only slightly higher, and fluorescent bulbs last over five times as long as incandescent bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs give off a softer light, but are bright enough to light your home and will save a significant amount of electricity.
Get Your Windows Working With The Weather
Replace thin curtains with heavier weight window coverings. You can use the sunlight when you need it, and block it out when you don’t. Heavy drapes are also great at keeping warm and cool air in your home. Having high quality window treatments may mean you use your thermostat and light switches less.
Properly Power Down Your Electronics
A surprising amount of the energy our electronics use is wasted while devices are powered down. Electronics that are off but are still plugged directly into an outlet do indeed burn energy. When you set up the electronics in your home, use power strips where you can. Flicking the bar off when electronics are not needed will lead to savings on your electric bill.
Once you have taken these steps, you can feel good knowing you are saving money and being environmentally responsible. Energy efficient handy work and home improvements also qualify for significant tax credits.
Make sure you keep your receipts and invoices, as they could mean cash back in your pocket come tax season. If you decide to take your savings and move up and out, contact a local real estate professional for assistance in finding the perfect place to call home.
Apr 3, 2014 | Uncategorized
If you are going to be staging your home for sale in the near future, you will most likely want to do it as professionally and successfully as possible to get the best sale price.
Many owners have to put a lot of money into their home before they can sell it, and some even invest in a staging expert to come to their home and do an assessment before they put it on the market.
You don’t have to spend too much on getting your home ready, though, and you can do a lot of it yourself. Consider these basic staging tips when you are going to stage your home.
Clean Your Home From Top To Bottom
While you would most likely clean your home before you attempt to sell it, if you really want your sale to be successful, clean every single thing in the home. This includes steam cleaning the carpets, washing and waxing the floors, getting the grout and grunge out of the tiles and more.
If you don’t have the time or energy to do it yourself, you might want to pay for a professional home cleaning service so you can guarantee cleanliness.
Give Your Home One Basic Hue
If you are going to be selling your home, there are some colors that may put off potential buyers. If you have rooms in colors like fire engine red or bright mint green, the buyer may be put off with just one glance.
Choose one soft color and paint the whole home. You may require a professional painter’s advice and help in this area if you have no eye for design or if you do not possess any color coordination techniques.
Say No To Clutter
This is a very important step. Get rid of the clutter in your home.
If you have loads of newspapers, magazines, mini statues and miscellaneous junk sitting around your home and on coffee tables, clear it off. Put it away in storage boxes so you can take it when you move – or do some spring cleaning and get rid of everything you don’t need.
Show as much counter space as you possibly can, as this will better represent the space.
Potential buyers can quickly change their yes to a no when they enter the home that they first adored from the outside, only to see clutter everywhere. Logically, everyone knows a home will be emptied before selling, but the clutter can ruin the whole feeling of purchasing a new home.
Perform Some Minor Repairs
If you notice scratches, rips, blotches or any broken items in the home, try to fix them yourself or hire a professional handyman service. Repairing your home before a sale will definitely improve your home’s appearance and value, making it more appealing to the buyer.
Selling a home is often a challenge, but with a little bit of hard work, you can turn your home into a move-in ready paradise for potential buyers.
You’d be surprised what a thorough cleaning and a new coat of paint can do for a space. For expert assistance with home staging, contact a knowledgeable real estate professional near you.
Mar 18, 2014 | Uncategorized
Our dream homes are often inspired by our own imaginations, from the homes we see in our own neighborhoods or the perfectly designed interiors we see in magazines.
However, sometimes our dream homes can be seen on a much larger scale, operating as the home to some our favorite movie stars. Check out these five amazing movie houses that film buffs commonly lust after!
The Alaskan Mansion in The Proposal: A Colonial Stone Paradise
In the hilarious romantic comedy The Proposal featuring Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock, a gorgeous waterfront house acts as Ryan’s family house in Sitka, Alaska, nestled at the base of the mountains and featuring a pull-up-by-boat-only dock.
Though this house is just as incredible as it was portrayed in the film, its physical location is actually in Manchester, Massachusetts. The mountains were added using special effects, however, this natural stone house is just as lovely as seen in the movie.
The real thing is much more colonial in style, though, and much of the interior as seen in the film was created with a facade to create a more rustic feel.
The Fantastical Great Gatsby Estate: Better Than a Dream
Who doesn’t fantasize about throwing lavish parties in the castle-like mansion that played as Leonardo DiCaprio’s home in The Great Gatsby? Just as it might have been suspected, most of this castle is like something out of fantasy.
This house features an intricate pool, a two-story master bedroom, an incredible library with a winding staircase, and a grand ballroom. 42 different sets were built in Sydney to piece together this ultimate fantasy house.
The Cullen House in Portland, Oregon: A Log House With Style
Actually existing in real life is the magnificent house that was used as the Cullen house in the vampire movie Twilight. As a contemporary, ultra-modern log house – if you can call it that – the Cullen house drops jaws with its floor-to-ceiling windows that open it to its natural, woodsy surroundings.
The contemporary and beautifully designed interior is just as jaw-dropping, which was all completed in 2007 – just in time to make it to the big screen.
Sex and The City’s Real Estate Heaven
When Carrie walks into her soon-to-be apartment and exclaims “I think I’ve died and gone to real estate heaven!” we know that many of the women (and men) in the audience agreed.
Many of the interior sets were shot at Silvercup Studios in Queens, including the incredible entry and heavenly closet that Big builds for Carrie. Still, real or not, there’s no reason why you can’t aspire to reach this level of real estate heaven or own the closet of your dreams.
The Classic American House In Mr. & Mrs. Smith
The movie that can never be forgotten, which sparked Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s controversial – and lasting – relationship, is also one that presents a traditional American home that many lust after.
The house that plays as the family home to Mr. and Mrs. Smith resides in Pasadena, California, and offers many modern and contemporary design features. The home has many glass chandeliers, all of which are eventually destroyed in the characters’ “falling out.” Still, this movie house is a great source of inspiration for interior designers everywhere.
Wherever you get your inspiration from for your perfect dream house, knowing it’s a possibility is the most important thing. With your real estate agent on the lookout for you, it’s not only a possibility, it’s a high probability! Don’t wait any longer; contact a real estate agent today to find a piece of real real estate that will make you feel like a movie star.
Mar 13, 2014 | Uncategorized
So you’ve found the perfect home, but there’s just one problem: the kitchen isn’t as big as you’d like it to be. At first glance, a smaller kitchen might seem like a deal-breaker, especially if you love to cook.
With a few space-saving design tricks, though, you’ll have all the space you need and then some. It’s all about making the most of what you’ve got. Here’s how you can turn even the smallest kitchen into an efficient cooking and dining space.
Fill Up The Walls: There’s Ample Storage All Around You
Walls are a surprisingly underused surface area in most kitchens. From spice racks to towel racks to magnetic knife boards, walls can offer a wealth of space options. Ditch the bowl fruit painting and throw up some hooks and shelves.
Not only will everything you need be within reach, you’ll open up more space in your cabinets and on your counters. For the gadget obsessed, rack storage will give you the chance to show off your nifty kitchen gadgets.
Repurpose Your Corners with Shelving And Other Amenities
In a small kitchen, sufficient counter space can be hard to come by. While knife blocks and spices racks tend to encroach on what little space is available, not all space saving designs are about reclaiming lost space. Sometimes it’s about repurposing forgotten spaces like corners.
Most homeowners dismiss the corners of their kitchens, thinking the space is too awkwardly shaped to be of any real use. Take advantage of corners by installing clever storage like a lazy Susan system for under the countertop, built-in shelving for above the counter, or for a really creative update, dedicate the corner to an invaluable feature like the kitchen sink.
Hang Your Pots and Pans
Pots are bulky and often difficult to store without taking up several cabinets. A circular pot rack mounted to the ceiling allows you to take advantage of the height of your kitchen in the open space right above your head. In fact, pot racks can be used to store all kinds of cookware and cooking utensils that are too cumbersome to store in drawers, like ladles and colanders.
Placing a rack in the empty space above an island or by the stove can provide excellent storage space and easy accessibility. Ceiling and wall-mounted pot racks often have hooks to hang your cookware from, so make sure you mount yours in a place that doesn’t force visitors to navigate an aerial obstacle course just to make it to the sink.
Invest In A Rolling Tea Trolley
Kitchens with very limited counter space can gain an extra work area as well as storage space with a tea trolley. A mobile work surface means to you can roll it anywhere in your kitchen to do your dicing and slicing, and then store it away when you’re done. Add multiple shelves to the trolley to create even more storage.
There’s no need to be discouraged by a cozy kitchen. Not only can these space saving tricks help you gain extra space, they can also give you the chance to explore new ways to express your personal style.
For more advice on homeownership and making the most of your home’s various features, or to find your next home, contact a real estate professional today!
