The sun rays and wind are free and so you must take advantage of these renewable resources by installing solar or wind power energy system in your homes. Think of finally being free from paying your utility bills every month, the savings you would accumulate would more than pay for the expensive initial cash out lay.
What’s more you will no longer be subject to the ever increasing energy rates, power outages and black outs caused by downed power lines, or maintenance. Having solar or wind power in your home can eliminate almost all of your energy bills.
If you will convert your house into solar or wind power energy system, you will not only save from electricity but also from fuel by converting all your heating and cooling equipments into electric.
While it is true that old models of solar and wind power energy systems are so inefficient in producing power, the latest models have come a long way from their predecessors. The current technology is so advanced that a solar power energy system installed in your home can operate your whole property. That includes all your appliances and electric equipments.
If you are unsure whether solar or wind energy power system is the right choice for your home, you can easily find an independent contractor that will evaluate and make the right recommendations.
The choice you will make between solar and wind power energy system would depend greatly on the renewable resources that is rich in your place. Your place is either full of sunshine, or you always have strong winds. You or an independent contractor can make this assessment and from there make your decision.
While wind turbine will not totally free you from the electric company and monthly energy bills, you can still get to enjoy massive savings. Your electricity bill can be greatly reduced to anywhere between 50 percent and 90 percent. Wind turbines work by collecting kinetic energy from the wind and converting it to electricity that is compatible to your current electrical system.
With wind power system, your house will run on both the turbine and the local electric company. When there is not enough wind to convert and power your turbine, your electricity will come from your local providers.
However, if your turbine harvests more power than you need, you can sell your surplus to the electric company. And the good news is that the law requires them to buy your surplus automatically. You will not only cut your energy bills every month, but profits from your surplus power as well.
Savings from either solar power energy system or wind power goes a long way. A small wind turbine will not need any maintenance and can last many years. It is also true of solar power panel, they are completely maintenance free.
You can search the many resources on the internet on the advantages and disadvantages of setting your home with solar or wind power energy systems. Visit any forum that openly discusses the pros and cons and make your own evaluation whether this is the right choice for your home. Whether you choose solar or wind power system, you are greatly contributing in saving the environment.
Today’s economy is much different then what it was like back ten years ago. Anybody could sell a home back in the 1900s instantly and make a profit. It was the beginning of a system where people could make thousands of dollars in one home transaction. Now it is much different, you have to put a lot of effort into your home even before you get people visiting your home. People today give away vacations for somebody to buy their home. It is a win-lose situation at this point and many people are losing the battle. If you really want your home to sell, you must be willing to be the extreme seller. Without the effort of selling something, you will not sell your home. Here are my tips on how you can put in a little effort and benefit with great riches.
Get some curb appeal
The first thing that a potential buyer will see is the front yard. The front yard can tell a lot about the sellers and the buyer can make a prediction on what the house is like just by viewing the front yard. The number one thing you can do to attract buyers to look at your house is to have a wonderful lawn. A wonderful lawn can be done by just mowing or your can landscape your front yard to have a home touch that the buyer will notice.
Home Remodel
Simple changes to your home can make a tremendous difference on your home value. A simple improvement to your kitchen could mean that the buyer will sign the contract to buy your home. Everything that you do to make your house better will pay off in the long run and if you do a remodel project be sure to consult with your contractor before you start doing something that you might regret. Somebody that is an expert in the field of remodeling can really help you decide on improvements that you should do to make your home’s value increase.
Add an incentive to attract buyers
A simple no down payment offer can attract buyers that don’t have enough money to pay for the down payment but they are really interested in your home. I have seen sellers try to give away a car to get their home sell. You want the buyer to be really interested in your home and if requires an incentive to get the buyer to your doorstep, you should do it.
The traditional method of location, location, location is indeed popular but it takes a lot more then just a perfect location to get a buyer for your home. Buyers want a place to live where they feel at home and if your home does not provide this quality, they will most likely look somewhere else. A buyer wants a home that is unlike other homes but they want a home that is unique to their living requirements. Everybody has a certain standard on how they want to live and the home contributes much to the aspect of living. Some people may want a pool at their home to be happy and others may want a walk in closet that can hold their entire wardrobe. What the seller needs to know what the buyer wants in a home.
The wants of a buyer outweighs anything else that a seller can do. The whole world revolves around the needs and wants of the buyer. This statement is ultimately the statement of what a business person might say. So, what does the buyer want? First of all they want a great location for their personality. If a family is trying to buy a home, they might look if the home has schools nearby and if it is a safe place to live. If the buyer happens to be a hard working business person that works downtown, he or she might want a location where they can reach their workplace easy. All these factors determine who you should be marketing to. Once you know who is most likely to buy your home, you can begin marketing to the type of people that might be interested in buying your home.
The condition of the home plays a major role in the buyer’s decision to buy your home. Buyers have a wide variety of things that they expect when they purchase a home. A small family might look for a home that is in a condition for children. This might mean that you add accessories that cater to families in your home. A business person might be interested in what you have to offer if you take the time to include part of his or hers office in the home. This might be that you offer an office space to accommodate their work.
In a way location and the condition play a major role in who you are marketing your home to. With a little effort, you will be able to sell your home soon. You just have to be willing to know who you are marketing to and what they expect in a home.
If your planning to sell your home, here are 10 features that can add value to your home, and another 10 that could reduce the sales price:
1. An updated kitchen.“Kitchens are critical,” says Robert Irwin, author of “Home Buyer’s Checklist.” “Today, people like a big kitchen with a lot of workspace.”
They look for solid surface counters and high-quality flooring, such as wood, laminate, tile or stone. And they want newer appliances in working order.
Even if it’s not huge, it should have “countertops that are serviceable that aren’t going to have to be replaced soon and cabinetry in good condition,” says Alan Hummel, past president of the Appraisal Institute. “It has to be well-appointed and large enough to fit your needs.”
And it doesn’t hurt if it opens onto another room. “A lot of families are looking for that openness,” says Hummel.
It helps to have a window over the sink, says Don Strong, a remodeler with Brothers Strong Inc., a Houston remodeling firm.
Be wary if renovations are out of character with the community, such as granite countertops in a subdivision where plastic laminate is the norm.
“Will you sell faster? Yes,” says Hummel, CEO of Iowa Residential Appraisal Co., in Des Moines. “Will it sell for more? Not if the appointments you’ve done are significantly higher quality that the rest of the neighborhood.”
2. Modern bathrooms.Buyers are looking for “master baths that give a little room to roam,” says Hummel.
A big asset: spa or whirlpool tubs. “I’m always entertained by the people who have them in the master bath and don’t use them,” says Ron Phipps, principal broker with Phipps Realty & Relocation Services in Warwick, R.I. “But it’s a big feature.”
Some other features buyers are seeking: separate showers with steam and/or multiple jets, double sink, separate room for the toilet.
And make sure the plumbing and hot water heater can handle the job. The pipes have to be large enough to carry an adequate volume of water and the hot water heater has to be big enough to accommodate it. “You need a bare minimum of a 75-gallon hot water heater, and most of my customers have 100 to 150,” says Chicago-based home inspector Kurt Mitenbuler.
“You don’t want to see that false economy of a $30,000 bathroom but nobody spent a few thousand dollars to upgrade the pipes,” he says.
3. A well-appointed master suite.“People are really excited about master suites,” says Hummel. The wish list: a luxurious bathroom, lounging areas and walk-in closets.
4. Natural materials.“People like natural materials,” says Phipps. “Ceramic tile, hardwood floors, granite. We’ve gone back to a real appreciation for historically true materials. And simulated works as well. The look is very popular.”
In floor coverings — especially bathrooms or kitchens — look for ceramic tile or wood rather than linoleum, which can tear, says Strong.
In the rest of the house, wood or laminate products are a plus over wall-to-wall, says Gary Eldred, author of “The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make (and How to Avoid Them)”.
But if you have carpet, it should be a good product and well maintained so that “a person doesn’t have to walk in and think, ‘I’m going to have to spend five grand right off the bat,” says Strong.
5. Curb appeal.“A good first appearance on a home can add as much as 5 percent to 10 percent to the value of the home,” says John Aust, president of the National Association of Real Estate Appraisers. “Homes in a neighborhood tend to vary about 10 percent from house to house, assuming all other things are the same.”
6. A light, airy spacious feel. “People buy space and light,” says Myra Zollinger, owner/broker with Coldwell Banker Realty Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. “I have yet to have anybody walk into a really dark house and say, ‘I love this.’”
Richard “Dick” Gaylord, member of the executive committee for the National Association of Realtors, agrees. “That’s a very big feature,” he says. “I haven’t sold many homes that aren’t bright and airy.”
7. Good windows.“People are looking at exposures and windows,” says Phipps. “It’s been a cold winter for most of the country and energy efficiency is very important.”
Insulated windows are always a plus, says Strong. “Typically, they pay for themselves in five years,” he says. The cost: for an average 2,600-square-foot home, estimate about $10,000 for new windows, he says.
Well-placed skylights are also a good touch to add value, says Phipps.
8. Landscaping.Mature trees “are worth $1,000,” says Strong.
And having outdoor spaces with touches such as pergolas and Victorian garden swings “can be very helpful,” says Phipps.
Appraiser John Bredemeyer remembers one $250,000 home in Omaha that had no landscaping at all. “It was stark,” says Bredemeyer, national chair of government relations for the Appraisal Institute, a professional group for real estate appraisers. “It just stood out as unappealing.”
Conversely, you don’t have to spend a fortune on plants, either. Just keep it “typical with the neighborhood,” he says.
9. Lots of storage.Nothing beats an oversized garage, some attic space and plenty of closets. “If you have a two-car garage, do you have extra space for those things we all have — bicycles, lawn mower, snow blower?” says Hummel. “Space is important.”
A nice plus in the master suite? “His and hers walk-in closets,” says Irwin.
10. Basement.“If it’s dry, it’s a plus,” says Kenneth Austin, co-author of “The Home Buyer’s Inspection Guide.” “But it’s a negative if it has water problems.”
A finished basement adds even more value. “Ten years ago, nobody cared,” says Mittenbuler. “Now everybody wants them.”
Liabilities
On the flip side, here are 10 things that could harm your home’s value:
1. A pool.Forget what you might have heard. An in-ground pool in most parts of the country doesn’t automatically raise the value of your home. “I would stay away from pools if you can at all avoid it,” says Irwin.
Having a swimming pool will automatically limit your market when it comes time to sell, he says. “It’s constant upkeep, they get cracks, the equipment goes down and it’s expensive to replace, and the liability is high.”
Others consider it a mixed blessing. “For the people who want the pool, they’re willing to pay for it,” says Austin. “But there are an awful lot of people who don’t want a pool.”
Consider your home value and location. In a million-dollar house, not having a pool is a detraction, says Irwin. “But they won’t give you much more” if you do have one.
2. No garage or small garage.Unless you’re living in a condo, retirement community or historical or in-town neighborhood, most buyers will look for at least a two-car garage. “If you don’t have a garage, it’s a real negative,” says Austin. “If you have a one-car garage, that’s a problem, too.”
3. Garbled floor plan.Small rooms and bathrooms, an inconvenient floor plan or a layout that requires you to access bedrooms or bathrooms through other rooms will detract value from your home.
4. Outmoded appliances or systems.Who wants an electrical system or plumbing system incapable of handling modern conveniences? Would you buy a home if the appliances were worn or broken?
Phipps remembers walking into one house with clients who casually opened the oven door — and it fell off.
5. Stale or overly personal decor.Sure, red is the hot wall color right now, “but for how long?” says Hummel.
“We’ve gone into houses where they’ve had purple walls or electric green,” says Austin. “It’s a turn-off to many people.”
6. A bad roof.Roofs are expensive to replace and a good roof is considered standard equipment in a house. If your roof has problems, expect to take a hit in the price.
7. Bad location.Phipps remembers one neighborhood with a significant difference in value between the even- and odd-numbered houses. The reason? The odd numbered ones backed on an interstate highway, as well as some ugly utility lines.
As a result, “the even-numbered houses were worth about 10 percent more than the odd-numbered homes,” he says.
8. Poor maintenance.“If you’ve got an old roof and outdated paint, I don’t care if you’ve updated the kitchen, you won’t even get the buyer out of the car,” says Bredemeyer.
“If you know you’ve got to have something fixed, fix it,” says Zollinger. Otherwise, people “will subtract the cost or not make an offer on the house. And if people think the house hasn’t been taken care of, they will wonder what else they’re not seeing.”
9. Environmental hazards.Besides being a danger to human health, lead, mold or asbestos can kill home value.
10. A laundry list of needed improvements.“It detracts if you have to do work,” says Gaylord. “A house that you can move in today — and it’s livable — is fine.”
But a list of must-dos just to conduct everyday life will scare off a lot of potential home buyers. “Especially with first-time buyers,” he says. “Most of them are [already] scraping just to get in.”
By Dana Dratch • Bankrate.com
Dana Dratch is a freelance writer based in Atlanta.
Having planned your home sale carefully and really taken the time to make your home shine like a diamond you may find yourself asking “What’s left that I can do to make this place a little more impressive?” Well, let’s look at at the list and make sure everything is taken care of before we move on. The home has been cleaned and prepared for showing. The furniture is arranged in the best possible fashion to show off the size of the rooms. All surfaces are clear save for a few decorative elements. The yard is clean and clear with trimmed lawns and bushes and well tended gardens. So what’s left?
This is the time when you really want to worry about the little things that buyers notice when they are looking around your home. Or maybe the things that buyers will smell around your home. Pet smells are a big culprit here. If you have pets, chances are that there will be some odor that you may have grown accustomed to and don’t really notice anymore. Eliminating these odors can be a big bonus to any home sale. If you don’t have pets then it’s still a good idea to try and make sure that your home smells as pleasant as possible before potential buyers come to visit. If you are one of those people with a taste for strong smelling or spicy foods, then avoid them for a day or two before the show.
This is also a good time to consider how each room will present to viewers and whether or not any small changes need to be made anywhere. Think about the light in each room. Is it sufficient to light up the room? You don’t want rooms to appear gloomy, especially if the home is showing in the evening. Posters on the walls? This might not be the best selling tool. Replacing posters with properly framed prints can make a room look more complete and cultured.
On the day of the show get up early and do a final clean of the home. Dust everywhere so that everything looks it’s best when viewers arrive. Make sure that any breakfast mess is cleared away and there aren’t any clothes lying about from the past few days. Try to envision that show home in the magazines and as you leave the home for the day think about what viewers will notice first when they arrive and when they first enter the house. Make sure that these are positive things and the show will go according to plan.
Source: Virginia Wherland
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When you want to install those tankless water heaters in your backyard keep in mind the safety aspect for your kids. Free kids home heating safety ideas are easily available on the internet. A new breed water heater can be installed in such places where little kids can’t mess with it. You can’t install those firepits in an inaccessible place can you? Latest firepits have no heating restraint grills installed that realy keep the little devils out of harm. The same can be said about one of those newer improved home cooling system.
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