Preventative maintenance is a smart way to protect one of your greatest investments. During winter months, the weather and cold temperatures can bring different home maintenance challenges than the milder months.
Here are a few easy maintenance tips that can help you avoid big (and expensive!) problems down the road:
1. Change furnace filters each month during the cold months. Inexpensive filters are available and are often just as effective as more expensive filters, especially if you replace them regularly. 
2. Install a programmable thermostat. Setting the temperature to automatically lower during the night and daytime hours can save lots of money on heating bills. Many newer models also feature a reminder to change your furnace filter.
3. Check windows and doors for drafts.
You can use a candle flame or insense stick and run it along the frame. If it flickers (or blows out), you may have a leak. Consider replacing the windows this spring or adding low-cost weather stripping now to help keep your home warm and heating costs down.
4. Check for condensation build-up. Excessive moisture (around windows, appliances, etc) could be caused by a variety of things but left to continue and it could cause damage to wood trim, mold or other issues.
5. Test plumbing shut-off valves. If a pipe should freeze or another serious plumbing problem should occur, that is not a good time to learn your shut-off valves are not working properly (or you are unsure where they are located).
A few simple fixes can save you lots in heating costs, repairs or more serious damage should a problem occur.
Do you need to replace your plumbing?
Check out HouseLogic (from the National Association of Realtors). Click here to find out what to look for and consider to determine if you should replace plumbing and deteriorating pipes.
This site is free to use!
You can track projects, get advice and a lot more.
HouseLogic allows users to create a Binder just for your projects or favorite links and articles.
The tools can really help you stay on track..check it out!
Need help with a home improvement project?
Don't even know where to start?!
HouseLogic is a website dedicated to homeowners, renters, buyers and sellers. This site is full of home improvements ideas and help, how-to articles, question and answer sections and even project difficulty ratings and approximate costs!
The HouseLogic site is there to help you track your projects and offer advise and resources. You can create a personal binder that you can fill with ideas and information to help you make your house a home!
Sears Real Estate agents are Realtors®, members of the National Association of Realtors®.
But this year, you're going to do them right!
Home improvement, renovation and even cleaning projects often seem like bigger jobs than you had expected (of course, after you have already started the project). This year, plan your projects in advanced to help you avoid the unexpected.
1. Prioritize! List (in order of urgency and/or importance) the projects you want to complete over the spring and summer. Write a time and cost estimate next to each project. This will help you better realize what is feasible to do now and what may need to wait to allow more time or money.
* Remember, be realistic. Estimate a longer completion time and a higher cost...this will help you avoid surprises later!
2. Enlist Help. Every one has talent or skill different than others. If you are a novice in one area but an expert in another, ask for help with your weaker area and maybe even offer a trade (your skills for theirs).
3. Plan Plan Plan. So you're ready to build that deck? You better plan well in advanced. Before you dig a hole or demolish anything, have your plan on paper.
- This rule applies to any project, large or small. Have your measurements, materials needed, amounts of each material, tools needed, time estimate, cost estimate and even drawings or sketches of the project all in one place.
4. Plan a Little More. Have you checked the weather? Confirmed your helpers are available? Does the store have all your materials in stock?
5. Get Started! Planning in advanced can save you a lot of aggrevation mid-project. Now that you are all set, get started! But don't forget, things do come up. Don't fret, take a moment and rethink your plan - who knows, your project might even end up better!
6. Enjoy! You did it!
Want some help planning and tracking a project?
Check out HouseLogic (from the National Association of Realtors).
This site is free to use!
You can track projects, get advice and a lot more.
HouseLogic allows users to create a Binder just for your projects or favorite links and articles.
The tools can really help you stay on track...check it out!
Feel a draft from a window? Does one room just always feels cold? Forget to turn down the thermostat?
You are losing money.
Drafty doors and windows, under insulated walls and attics and inefficient heaters can cost homeowners hundreds of dollars over the winter months. A few simple, and even inexpensive, solutions can help save you $$$...
- Add insulation. While most newer homes will have a decent amount of attic insulation, many older homes do not. The recommended thickness depends on what type of insulation you have but generally speaking, insulating your attic to 8 or more inches can help you save on heating and cooling.
- Install a programmable thermostat. You can buy a programmable thermostat for as little as $30 or so and they take only a few minutes to install. Setting your thermostat to a lower setting while you are at work or asleep can save money on your heating bill every day, without you doing anything.
- Weather strip a drafty window. Weather stripping kits are available for just a couple dollars per window or door. Not only will you save money on your heating and cooling, you will make that once drafty room more comfortable and cozy.
- Change your furnace filter. Filters for most furnaces are available in multi-packs for $10-$40. It is recommended that you change your filter every three months. But, to keep airflow the most efficient, change your filter monthly.
- Take advantage of the tax credits! Tax credits are available for many products, appliances and upgrades that make your home more energy efficient. Not only can you receive a significant tax break, efficiency alone saves money! Check out the Energy Star website for more information.
With a small investment, these energy
saving tips will pay for themselves
and save you money!
While most all home improvement projects will help to add a least some value to your home, some projects will definitely see a better return on investment than others. But, don't be fooled in to thinking that only the big projects add value to your home, sometimes the smaller details really count!
In the newly released 2009 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report published by the National Association of Realtors, it was reported that one of the best )and relatively inexpensive) improvements a homeowner can make is to install a steel entry door. Nationwide, the return on investment averaged more than 100%!
Keep in mind, it is unlikely that home improvements will add 100% of their cost to the value of your home, but some are much more likely to recoup more their cost than others. The report indicated, once again, that some of the best projects are exterior improvements (think "curb appeal!"). Replacing siding and adding a wood deck were among the top for recouping cost (about 80%) while large interior projects, such adding a sunroom, generally recouped only 40-50% of their cost.
Some projects are fairly universal and will almost always improve a home's value (adding an additional bedroom or finishing a basement, for example) but keep in mind, to get the most bang for your buck, not all changes will be viewed by a potential buyer as an "improvement." While you may feel like adding a pool and patio is a great improvement to your home and it's value, a potential buyer may look at it as a liability.
Another thing to always remember, real estate is LOCAL. Certain home improvements count more in a particular climate, or city, or even a particular neighborhood. The best resources to help you determine what projects are the most worthwhile are your local real estate agents and home improvement experts.
For Nationwide & Regional data - Check out Remoding Maganzine's Website here.
For Northern Colorado & Local Information - Contact Us!
In the age of technology, an important part of serving our clients is having a comprehensive, easy to use and helpful website.
Over the past few years, Sears Real Estate has made a number of changes and improvements to searsrealestate.com. Now, we would like your opinion!
For your time, we will send you a $10 Buzz Coffee & Gelato gift card!
Click for more details!
For most homeowners, their home is the most important investment they have...and they want to protect it.
One important protection is to have quality homeowners insurance. But, homeowners insurance can get expensive.
There are a few ways to carry enough coverage to be protected from catastrophes without breaking the bank!
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1. Shop Around Take the time to get a few quotes! But be sure 2. Raise Your Deductible 3. Consider Using One Company For All Your Insurance 4. Make Your Home Resistant to Damages Many companies will even provide credits for improvements such as adding an alarm system or replacing your roof with an approved hail resistive product. 5. Look For Those Discounts! Companies may not review their books as regularly as you make changes and improvements to your home, so it is always a good idea to check. 6. Maintain a Good Credit Record 7. Review Your Coverage Every Year Additional coverage you choose to add to a policy can also add up to higher premiums. Review the additional coverage you pay for on top of your standard policy and decide if you still need the extra coverage. |
