Improve the Curb Appeal of Your Home

How does your house look from the street? Stand at the curb in front of your house and note what you see. When you look at it objectively, does it make a strong first impression? If not, where is there room for improvement? Take a tour of your neighborhood to find out what appeals to you. Look at homes similar to your own home’s style. Following is a list of some tips for a better curb appeal:

1. Landscaping – Cleaning up your landscaping is one of the least expensive yet most significant ways you can improve the look of your home. You can start with regular mowing, raking, edging, weeding, and pruning trees and shrubs. Add fresh top soil or bark mulch to beds. Remove any clutter in your yard. Large flower-filled planters will enhance the look of your property.
2. Create an entranceway that is a focal point – The front door can set the tone for your home’s style. To update your entrance you can give your door a fresh coat of paint, add new hardware, and even consider replacing it with a new one.
3. Focus on details – Your mailbox, house numbers, front light and plants are small details that make a large impression.
4. Driveways and Patios – Give your driveway a facelift. Cleaning up the driveway, patios and walkways will make a difference – Repair cracks and do any necessary painting, staining or sealing.
5. Hardscapes – Hardscapes like retaining walls, patios, fences and arbors add appeal and value to your home. Be sure these items are in good repair. Stain or paint decks and fences, add a new pave stone path or patio.
6. Lighting – Your front yard should have functional path and front porch lighting as well as accent lighting to help create dramatic effects. Home improvement centers carry a variety of low-voltage lighting kits that are easy to install. Replace worn looking or outdated light fixtures. Replace any burned out bulbs.
7. Siding – Clean the siding. If you are comfortable on ladders this is a job you can do yourself using Shell Busey Home Cleaning Formula, a hose and a long handled round brush; otherwise, there are professional services that can do it for you.
8. Painting and recaulking – A fresh coat of paint can transform the look of your house. Be sure to use a high quality exterior paint.
9. Make necessary repairs – Re-caulk around windows and exterior doors; the caulking may be dried out and in need of replacement. Ensure your eaves and downspouts are clear of debris and in good repair.
10. Park cars in the garage – Many of us turn our garages into storage rooms and park our cars in the driveway where they clutter the view of the house.
11. Updating Doors and Windows – Replacing old doors and windows not only improves the look of your home both inside and outside but it makes it more energy efficient as well. If you’re feeling drafts from old windows, it maybe time to replace them with newer more efficient windows. Garage and entry doors can be a prominent focal point so it’s worth it to replace old, doors with something dressier to match the style of your home.

Tips to Beat the Heat in the Home

Tips to cool down your home in the hot summer months:

• Fans use less energy than air conditioners but should only be operated when the room is occupied.
• Keep the pilot light off on your gas fireplace during the summer months and when it is not being used regularly.
• Cook using your BBQ. Operating a natural gas BBQ costs over 50 percent less than propane and does not heat up your home – saving energy used to cool your home.
• Suitable window coverings will improve the comfort level in your home immensely during the warm summer months and reduce energy needed to cool your home.
• Studies have proven that homes with fireplaces use 30% more energy than homes without fireplaces. The Fireplace Plug or Draftstopper is designed to reduce Energy lost up the chimney, from home heating & cooling, when the fireplace is not in use.
• Install a programmable thermostat; this will increase home comfort by maintaining a more constant temperature. Saves energy and heating costs.
• Dehumidistats connected to bathroom fans not only control moisture, it takes less energy to heat home as drier air heats easier than moist air.
• Compact fluorescent lamps use 75% less energy than incandescent lamps, last ten times longer and produce the same amount of light.
• If you use glass or ceramic baking dishes you can lower the baking temperature 25 degrees since these materials retain heat better than others.
• If purchasing an appliance look for EnerGuide label for energy consumption information.
• Switch to cold water when doing laundry, 85 – 90% of the energy used to wash your clothes is used to heat the water. By turning the dial to cold on your washing machine, you help the environment, save energy and money.
• Always, wash full loads. Choose a front load washing machine. Not only does a front loading washing machine save water, it saves energy as well. It uses about 40% less water and about 50% less energy.
• Hang towels and other laundry on a clothes line, if not possible and you use dryer, do all laundry the same day, this will save energy as dryer will already be hot.
• Install water saving showerheads in each bathroom – some models will save up to 70% of the water used, which saves water and energy needed to heat water for bathing.
• During the hot summer months remove the attic access panel. You can place an inexpensive furnace filter over the attic access hole to stop any insulation bits or dust from coming down into your home.
• Turn on the summer fan on your furnace.
• Try opening screened doors and/or windows BEFORE you turn on the air conditioning! For outswing window/door designs, put in either manually operated or motorized retractable screen systems or contact a screening specialist for assistance at EnergyEfficiency@MirageScreenSystems.com