Tag: home improvement

Make Your Home Energy Efficient To Reduce Your Energy Bills

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

The energy crisis is getting worst all across the globe and as a result, the prices of energy are soaring higher every other day. Similarly, it is also difficult to ignore the market and economic instability in major oil-producing countries. Therefore, “energy-efficient” is no longer a buzzword but has become a way of life for most of homeowners. In fact, it is very possible to cut down your energy costs without altering much of your lifestyle.

Tips for Energy Efficient Homes:

The following lines contain some of the best tips to save energy in your home.

·         Insulate and Seal:

As a fact of matter, cooling and heating costs account for almost 45% of total average expenditure on energy in homes. Therefore, it is an advisable idea to seal cracks and gaps in the ceilings, attic, and basement and around your windows and doors. Similarly, you also need to ensure that the insulation levels in your home exceed or at least meet the local standards and codes.

·         Energy Efficient Products:

In order to reduce energy bills, you also need to buy energy efficient products for your home with Energy Star Label. Actually there are more than 40 categories of home products that have been labeled as green star including most commonly used appliances and light fixtures.

·         Regular Inspection:

It is also a good idea to get your cooling and heating systems checked annually by a licensed professional. If your cooling and heating systems are not working properly, you will have to pay more as energy bills and might also have to spend on unwanted repairs.

·         Landscaping:

Landscaping around your home is perhaps the best method to safe energy and to reduce your energy bills. In this regard, you need to plant shady plants like deciduous trees on west and south of your home. Thick leaves of these trees will keep your home cool in summer without even switching on the air conditioner. In winter, bare branches will allow plenty of sunlight to enter your home providing much needed warmth.

·         Ceiling Fans:

Ceiling fans are perfect for conserving energy throughout the year and are extremely cost efficient as well. In fact, you can save as much as 40% of your cooling bills by spinning the fan anticlockwise followed by setting your thermostat few degrees higher in summers. On the other hand, you can save 10% of your heating bills by spinning the fan clockwise in winter.

·         Install Skylights:

Another great method to conserve energy is to make maximum use of daylight. However, if you have rooms that are devoid of windows, you should install skylights in them. However, it is better not to turn on any light during the day.

·         Light Paints:

You need to paint your room walls and ceilings in light colors as they reduce the need of high power bulbs and make room brighter by reflecting more natural light. If you think that light color has made the room dull, you should use other decorative items such as lamps, furniture and cheap photo printing to spice it up rather than painting it in bright colors.

Conclusion:

It is the need of the hour to have energy-efficient homes to conserve exhausting sources of energy and to save some money as well. In this regard, the above-mentioned tips will definitely help you in the long run.

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields

Get smart and renovate your home without putting a dent on your pocket

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Renovation of your home is an investment that pays off in different ways. Financially speaking you will be able to get a better price on the market. As for comfort many have found that when they renovate their homes, they are better able to incorporate those things that will make their lives more comfortable.

Renovation is carried out not with the intention to make your home look better; this is an outcome of the renovation project. Its main purpose is to make your living in your home comfortable. For example you might tinker with your kitchen to make it more spacious in order to add a dinner table or make more room for appliances. It may end up looking awesome but its functionality will also significantly increase.

However, sometimes the return on your investment may not be what you expected it to be. Renovation and home improvement, if not carried out properly can cause you to lose a lot of money without even getting the desired results. So for those who want to play it safe and employ inexpensive methods of improving their homes, there are numerous frugal ways that can be adopted to renovate.

Whether you are cautious about how you spend your money or feel nervous about spending too much on your home, you can start small by going with smarter improvements. Some of these are listed here in this course of writing.

Making your home energy efficient

Among many things that you can do to improve your home, the foremost should be making it energy efficient. When you spend money on making your home energy efficient, you are able to save money on utility bills and also reduce your carbon footprint significantly. This however doesn’t imply that you should forgo the notion of being comfortable. What this means is that there are many improvements that can be made not just to ensure that you are able to reduce your electricity and gas costs but also to make your life comfortable. For instance, you can get low-flow faucets that allow you to both get the perfect flow of water and also save your money. You can opt for energy-saving lights that give the same amount of light but reduce the electricity and replacement costs as well.

Don’t overhaul the kitchen, just fix the problem areas.

Many people wish to improve their kitchens since it is among the most used areas of the house. Though renovating it is understandable, one should realize that the cost of renovation in kitchens is extremely high. Therefore you could take a simpler road instead and focus only on those areas that are problematic or need to be changed. For instance, you can simply repaint the floors and cabinets to create a different look. You can also fix the broken counters by replacing those specific areas that are broken with the same materials. Also, remember that making a big extravagant kitchen will not increase the value of your home but a clean and beautiful kitchen will.

Do what is necessary for the bathroom

Unlike kitchens, bathrooms do increase the value of your home and make it attractive to possible buyers. At the same time, bathrooms are intricate and need to be handled carefully as they attribute to increasing the costs of renovation. It is therefore important to understand that when you start renovating your bathroom, you shouldn’t completely overhaul it since doing so will cost you a tremendous amount of money. You should stick to doing what is absolutely necessary, for instance, if the plumbing needs to be fixed or has started to rust after prolonged use, it should be changed, and floor tiles should be replaced along with similar other things.

Concentrate on home decor

Whenever home improvement is considered, home decor always takes a back seat. What most people don’t realize is that home decor can bring about the change that you want in your home so you should really focus on the different elements that make the interior decoration of your home. For instance, when you change the carpets after a long time the room looks quite different and in many cases just the way you wanted. So you can work on the color scheme or get your furniture refurbished.

Before beginning with a full-blown home improvement, it is important that you must first consider the small things that you can do to improve the aesthetics of your home. The smallest of these things can do wonders for you without causing a dent in your pocket.

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields

Insulating The House? 3 Important Questions You Should Ask First

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Good insulation for the home is as important as it is left ignored. Most of us don’t even give insulation or the lack of it, any thought until the elements of nature unleash their chaos on the house, or the electricity bills give us that rude wake-up call. If you’ve just realized the need for this, it’s time you ask these three important questions before you make a decision.

  • Why

Figuring out the “Why I need this?” part of it not only helps you decide the budget but also pick the right kind of insulating materials- the variety of which would otherwise leave you confused and surprised. In any major purchase you make, it is absolutely important to first identify the very purpose that you expect the thing to serve. The same goes for insulation. Insulation creates a heat blanket around your home and prevents any thermal leaks- cold or warm, from slipping out, thus saving the bills. And that’s not even its only function.

  • Where

Now that you’ve identified the main purpose of having your house insulated, next is the where. Do you want the whole house to be padded or is it just the specific outlets and gaps? This requires a thorough trip through the whole house, including every unseen nook and ignored corner. Typically, areas like the attic, basement, around the HVAC ducts, crawlspace, and the like. And, if you’re looking for noise control/reduction, then the interior walls count too.

  • What

Finding the right material is as important as finding the perfect fit of shoes. When it comes to insulation, quality is the ultimate key and can in no way be compromised upon. Always check the R-value of the insulation product (the higher the value, the better the quality). Check the recommended values for your city or locality.

There’s a variety to choose from, for instance there are-

– Batts and Rolls that are made from fiberglass, rock wool, natural fibers, etc. This type is best suited for foundation walls, floors and ceilings (basically, the unfinished surfaces). Usually, they’re pretty easy to install and you can do it yourself too.

– Boards, foam or rigid, are yet another great option for unfinished walls. But they also work perfectly for unvented attics and hatches, as well as floors and ceilings. Since rigid boards are made of polystyrene, or polyurethane, they are of excellent quality and have a high insulating value. This, of course, makes them an expensive choice too.

– Loose-fill or blown-in, on the other hand, are perfect for the irregular and out-of-shape spots. If you need patchwork-like insulation, this is the type to go for. Even though it’s made of cellulose, fiberglass or rock-wool, to use this type of insulation means to use hoses and machinery. Therefore, it’s best to let the professionals handle this one.

– Sprayed foam, lastly, is for the open cavities and new walls. You can also use them for attic floors. If you’re going for this insulation, you’ll have to call in the professionals.

All said and done, the right choice of insulation isn’t the end of the story. You have to take precautions to make sure everyone and everything is safe and perfect at the end of the job. Hire credible professionals for the right recommendations, do your research right, and thoroughly inspect the house, the products and the contractor. It’s not as tedious as it seems, especially, when you’re saving big bucks on the bills, making the home cozy and comfortable, and increasing its energy efficiency. Happy insulating!

Author’s Byline

Jenny Wadlow, the author of this post, is a freelance blogger. She writes about polyester insulation and other applications of fibre technology and thus she shares keen insight on home renovation projects online.

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields

Did You Know You Could Save Money By Building An Extension?

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

If you’re getting a little stale in your current accommodation, but don’t want to go through the hassle of moving home, have you considered adding an extension to your home? By adding an extension you can create a new space in your home, which can be utilized for any number of things and you can add all of the mod-cons you wish. In fact, many homeowners understand that building an extension is a fantastic way to increase the overall value of their home.

Can Adding an Extension Actually Save You Money?

Saving Money

Many of us dream about either purchasing a new home or even building our dream home, but most people, unfortunately, don’t figure in many of the additional costs. This is typically why building an extension can help to change the way you view your current home and indeed save you a vast amount of money on various forgotten costs, including:

–          You will incur Real Estate Agent’s fees and costs for both selling your current home and purchasing your new home. These costs include the price of advertising and you will also need to pay a commission on the sale price of your current home.

–          You will, no doubt, be looking at financing the move, even if you require the exact same amount of mortgage loan as you currently have, you will still incur costs for moving this mortgage from one property to another.

–          One of the most substantial costs of purchasing a new home is stamp duty. This is a tax levied by the government and will typically need to be paid on all properties purchased (over a certain value).

–          You will probably have a fair amount of furniture, fittings and personal belongings that you will want to take to your new home. This will usually require the services of a specialist removal company and this of course will cost money.

–          Don’t forget that you will generally also incur costs for cancelling or moving your utilities or regular paid services; such as Internet, telephone, gas, electric, home alarm monitoring company, etc.

Home Extensions

House with extension on stilts

Granted, building a home extension will also incur certain expenses, but in truth, this is nowhere near as much as you can expect to pay to move home altogether. There are a number of considerations for you to make before you decide whether a home extension is the best option for you and these typically include:

–          Do you want to stay in the area? Do you have good neighbours? Are the best schools in your area?

–          Are you eventually looking to sell at some point in the future? And, if so, will it make sense to add value to your property now?

–          Do you have a set budget to pay for your home extension or will you need to borrow money?

–          Is there anything major about to occur in your life in the near future, such as a wedding, the arrival of a baby, or hospital costs?

–          Will you be able to still live in your home whilst the extension is being built?

Once you can provide suitable answers to all these questions, only then will you be ready to start planning your home extension.

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields

Some Great Tips to Make Master Bedroom More Attractive and Comfortable

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

The bedroom is that part of your home where your dreams are made and where you finally retreat and relax after a long hard day. However, if your bedroom is filled with fluff such as television and clutter such as unread letters and magazines, it will be a nightmare for you to sleep in that place. Your bedroom should be a calm, tranquil and comfortable area where you can take rest and sooth your mind without any distraction.

Special Bedroom Decoration Tips:

Following are some of the tips and tricks for making your bedroom a true relaxing retreat.

·         Stylish Seating:

The type of seating you have in your bedroom can make it even more captivating and cozy. You should avoid making your seating area a stash spot and therefore, always place chairs as away from drawers and closets as possible. This will prevent you from unclothing and throwing your garments on the seats.

·         Class in Colors:

Blue and white is perhaps the best color combination for any room yet alone bedrooms. In this regard, you can incorporate different shades of blue and white in the bedding, throw pillows, walls and accent. Similarly you can add another and sensational layer of color by using sage green in the artworks hanging on the walls immediately above the headboard.

·         Gallery Walls:

Big blank walls of the bedroom will make it feel empty and under scale and therefore you should avoid them. You can fill a large wall with equally large piece of artwork or can also create an art gallery on the wall using artworks like photos on canvas. Furthermore, a black and white photograph will make room more modern and glamorous especially if it is painted in neutral colors.

·         Let Plenty of Light In:

You should not cover the windows with heavy curtains and drapes if your room does not receive enough natural sunlight. On the other hand, you should consider sheer curtains and light weight cotton sheets that allow plenty of sunlight in the room. This natural light will create a sensational ambience in your room illuminating everything in style.

·         Shocking Stickers:

The use of wall decals can add high quality yet beautiful artwork to the dull walls of your room.  For instance, oversized polka dots will work exceptionally well with any modern bedroom. Similarly, you can also buy wall decals inspired by nature like fun silhouettes of chandeliers, whimsical trees and even animals such as cats and dogs. 

·         Add a Bit of Drama:

Adding a fancy or modern styled canopies or mosquito nets to the bed can add an intrigue and a bit of drama to the bedroom. Furthermore, you can also sleep with your windows open without any fear of mosquitoes biting you.

·         Hang Frames on the Walls:

It is also a great idea to hang multiple and uniform sized picture frame displaying simple artwork side by side immediately above the headboard. Similarly, you can hang art works like canvas prints to adorn the walls. These simple techniques are a great way to cover up your blank walls without spending a lot on expensive paintings.

Conclusion:

Above mentioned are only some of the many fascinating tips to decorate your master bedroom. These techniques will revitalize your bedroom in style allowing you to relax in calm and comfortable environment.

 

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields