RE/MAX Green : “Green” ideas that appeal to home buyers and save you money

More contemporary home buyers are looking for sustainable “green” features. “Green” is not limited to renewable resources. It also refers to energy conserving features that limit the impact on the environment. Energy conserving features save money by decreasing utility costs, and that is music to home buyers’ ears! The following are some relatively easy to implement “green” ideas that are likely to increase the “green” in a home sale.

#1 Compact fluorescent (CF) Lights One inexpensive and easy to implement idea is to consider converting the light bulbs in the house from incandescent to compact fluorescent (CF). CF lights will save the homeowner $30 in energy costs over the lifetime of a single bulb. CF bulbs use 75% less energy to produce the same amount of light. Because they are also cooler, producing only 25% of the heat of a conventional light bulb, they save even more energy by decreasing the workload on the air conditioner.

#2 Programmable thermostatsProgrammable thermostats can save $150 in energy costs per year by adjusting temperature settings to save energy while homeowners are away or sleeping. Body temperature drops several degrees at night, thus making it more comfortable to keep the room temperature slightly higher at night in the summer. In winter, pajamas and blankets help maintain body heat, making it more comfortable to keep the room temperature slightly cooler. Resources such as Progress Energy, and others, suggest that this can save as much as 5-10% of an average household’s cooling and heating costs. According to the Colorado Rural Electric Association, for each 8 hour period that the AC keeps a house 1 degree warmer, or the heater keeps a house 1 degree colder, a household can realize approximately 1-3% savings on their energy bill.

#3 Ceiling FansCeiling fans can reduce heating and cooling costs. Ceiling fans that are reversible can either draw warm air up to the ceiling, or push warm air near the ceiling down lower to the floor. The major benefit of a ceiling fan is in the summer. Water in perspiration can absorb a great deal of heat, drawing it away from the body, thus making it seem cooler. Ceiling fans circulate air and cause evaporation of perspiration, further cooling the skin. This allows a person to feel more comfortable at a higher room temperature. Running the air conditioner less means decreased energy consumption, and therefore lower utility costs. In winter, with the fan circulating the air in a downward motion, the fan does circulate warm air downward. The benefit may be offset, however, by the air movement which causes evaporation of perspiration and thus skin cooling. A savings calculator can be downloaded from EnergyStar.gov

#4 Insulation and Sealing air leaksSealing air leaks and improving insulation is one of the most cost effective ways to save energy. Proper insulation can reduce heating and cooling costs by 20%, and overall annual utility costs by 10%. More information can be found at EnergyStar.gov

#5 RefrigeratorsEnergy Star refrigerators use just 40% of the energy of a refrigerator model made in 2001, and half the energy of refrigerators made prior to 1993! An older refrigerator may be responsible for the greatest percentage of a household’s energy requirements, especially ones kept in the garage. The energy saved by buying a newer model is equivalent to the energy needed to light the average household for nearly four months! More information can be found at EnergyStar.gov.

#6 DishwashersOlder dishwashers, made before 1994, are costly to run. They require more water, are less efficient to run, and use more electricity to heat the water. Replacing an older model dishwasher with an Energy Star dishwasher can save $30 a year in utility costs.

#7 Clothes WasherReplacing a clothes washer made before 1994 to an Energy Star clothes washer can save $110 per year on utility bills and use about 60% of the water used by older washers. Front loading machines are more energy efficient than top loading machines. Front loading machines use less water. They also have higher spin speeds, decreasing the moisture content and thus decreasing the time needed to dry the clothes.
#8 WindowsReplacing single pane windows with Energy Star certified windows can save $125–$450 a year in energy costs. RemodelingOnline reports that a whole house window upgrade costs about $10,160, but adds $8,500 to the value of the home.

#9 Central Air conditioningUpgrading to a Energy Star central air conditioning system can improve efficiency and save money. Potential buyers want to know that the basic, most costly house components (i.e., roof, windows, central air units, heating system, etc.) will not need repair or replacement soon.

Central air conditioners are rated by a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). Energy star models are approximately 14% more efficient than standard models, making them less costly to run.

Replacing a central air unit may cost $2,500-5,000, but may increase the value of your home AND may save your house time on the market. Time is Money!

A savings calculator can be downloaded from EnergyStar.gov.

#10 FurnaceLike central air units, upgrading to an Energy Star furnace can also save money on utility bills. Furnaces are rated by an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE). Some Energy Star rated furnace models can result in a savings as great as 15% over a standard model.

Replacing a furnace may cost $2,500-5,000, but may increase the value of your home AND may save your house time on the market. Again, time is Money!
A savings calculator can downloaded from EnergyStar.gov.



An Inconvenient Truth on DVD

RE/MAX Protection: Protect Your Privacy When Marketing Your Home

Your home is on the market, and your home is now open to untold numbers of strangers. How private can that be?

You have managed to clean, declutter and depersonalize, but have you ‘privatized’ your home? Perhaps you know and trust everyone in your community, and feel that you have nothing to hide. Think again!

Leaving personal information for others to see may have significant consequences for you. First, while most people are kind and decent, and will respect your belongings, others will not. Second, bad things can happen to good people! The best advice here is to perform an ‘ounce of prevention’ to prepare for the worst case scenario.

Burglars, identity thieves, employers, and stalkers may enter your home as a potential buyer for the sole purpose of obtaining valuable information!

Disarming burglars, stalkers, and identity thieves are some of the best reasons to privatize your home prior to placing the “For Sale” sign in your front yard. Equally important reasons to protect your privacy include preventing potential home buyers from having an unfair advantage!

Burglars may watch your house to learn the general routine of household members, then review the layout with a guided tour from a real estate agent before violating your security and taking your prized valuables. It is not uncommon for burglars to enter the home as a potential buyer, and leave a door or window unlocked for later access.

Identity thieves are on the lookout for any and every piece of valuable, private information they can get their hands on! Bills, checkbooks, social security cards, voter’s registration cards, birthdates, pay stubs are just a few items that contain information valuable to an identity thief.

Employers past, present or future may be surreptitiously seeking valuable insight to your loyalty, lifestyle habits, risky behavior or potential health risks that may adversely impact health insurance costs!

Finally, the average potential home buyer may obtain a significant advantage in bargaining power if they saw the calendar circled with your move date, or the meeting with the mortgage broker regarding your home loan. Stacks of second notices for bills can imply that you are desperate to sell, and will settle for far less than your asking price.

What should you do to minimize your risk of invasion of your privacy?

1. Remove ALL private or personal photos, diplomas, awards, and trophies.2. Remove any and all calendars! These often contain a great deal of private information that could be used to your detriment.3. Remove ALL valuables. Consider placing them in vaults, or boxes which can be secured or easily carried with you.4. Remove ALL bills, letters, magazines and library books. Shred papers with personal information that are no longer needed.5. Password protect your computer to block access to your private files.6. Turn off your printer and fax machine before each showing. Printers and fax machines often have the capability of printing the last numbers dialed or received.7. Turn off answering machines. This avoids personal messages being left while strangers are in your home.8. Unplug and remove phones. Many phones have caller ID.9. Remove or conceal all digital devices that contain information about you or your family (i.e., cell phones, personal digital assistants, iPods, USB drives).10. Do not list personal names or phone numbers on handouts or flyers with information on your property. Real estate agents should be the only ones with access to your private phone numbers.