How to Save Energy in Your Home

Decreasing your energy consumption at home will also minimize pollution (from burning fossil fuels) on a global scale and save you money on the household level. Best of all, most energy-saving methods are easy to implement and, when implemented, go a very long way.
1. Fix the draughts. In an average house, up to 20 percent of heat is lost through draughts. To test an area, simply hold the palm of your hand up against a door or window. If you feel cold air coming through, warm air is escaping. This is simple to fix and can save you hundreds on your yearly heating bill.
· Fit draught excluders around all exterior doors and interior if need.
· Fill in any cracks or crevices on window frames, skirting boards or floors with a filler or sealant.
· Close curtains or shutters after dark fall to trap in the warm air and prevent draughts.
2. Turn down the thermostat. Turning your thermostat down by just 1 degree can reduce your energy consumption by over 5 percent. You won't even notice the difference in room temperature. On the same note, don't heat rooms when you are not using them.
3. Decrease the hot water temperature. Your hot water thermostat needn't be higher than 60 degrees centigrade (140 degrees Fahrenheit). Any higher and you will only be mixing it with cold water to cool it back down for use. Give your boiler regular check ups, especially if you have had it for a few years.
4. Turn off appliances and lighting. Turn off any appliances you are not using, especially by switching off lights when you leave the room. Don't leave fridge or freezer doors open for longer than necessary, and don't forget your freezer needs to be defrosted regularly for it to run efficiently. Don't use the "standby" function on you TV, stereo and DVD player. Unplug these appliances, as well as your microwave, when you are not going to be using them for over half a day. Appliances left on standby mode can draw an average of 5-10 percent of household energy use!
5. Wash economically. Only use the washing machine when you have collected a full load. If you must wash a partial load, use the economy or half load setting. Also, modern washers work just as effectively at 40 degrees as they do at 60, but the difference in temperature will make a difference in terms of energy used.
· Tumble dryers use up a huge amount of energy. If possible, hang your clothes on a line instead. This is better for your clothes as well.
· Washing economically doesn't just apply to your clothes. Taking a shower instead of a bath uses around 50 percent less energy.
6. Insulate. Up to a third of your home heating escapes through the roof. Prevent this by insulating. Not only is it simple to do, but it's also the most cost efficient energy saving measure you can make. If you don't already have it, invest in cavity wall insulation. This will prevent another third of your heat escaping.
7. Look for grants available to help make your home energy efficient. Saving energy is such a vital issue that grants are now becoming more readily available to help you make the necessary home improvements. In many parts of the world, energy suppliers, the government and your local council all offer help in paying for energy saving measures. Check out their websites or telephone a local official for further information.
8. Use energy efficient appliances. From light bulbs to kitchen goods to home entertainment equipment - there are a plethora of energy efficient appliances now on the market. Amazingly, they can use 50 percent less than other models, and up to a quarter less for light bulbs. Have a look at the energy saving trusts website to see their product recommendations.
9. Switch to eco-friendly energy. Many energy suppliers are now offering power from renewable sources rather than polluting fossil fuels. Do your research to find out which company in your area is offering green energy. It won't take long to fill out the paperwork but the consequences will last lifetime
· Be attentive. You lead a unique lifestyle, which means there will be many unique ways you can save energy. For example, if you're a fanatic tea drinker, only boil as much water as you need in a kettle.
· Following these steps will not only save you hundreds in bills, but also help restore equilibrium to your life and to the planet. Almost all of the energy supplied to our homes comes from burning fossil fuels. This releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which contributes to the greenhouse effect.

BlogJet

I have installed an interesting application - BlogJet. It's a cool Windows client for my blog tool (as well as for other tools). Get your copy here: http://blogjet.com/

"Computers are incredibly fast, accurate and stupid; humans are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful beyond imagination." -- Albert Einstein

How to Inexpensively Increase the Value of Your Home

Are you looking to increase the value of your home while staying within your budget? Full remodels, even for one room, can cost many thousands of dollars, and while the cost may be worth it if you’re planning on staying put, most remodeling projects increase your home’s value by at most 80 or 90 cents for every dollar you invest. If you’re looking to sell your home right away, or if you’re buying and selling a home for profit, you want to keep your improvements simple and cheap. Here’s how.
1. Spruce up the yard. Get rid of trash and yard waste. Keep your lawn in good condition and mow it. This includes using a weed whacker to get in the tight corners and along the edges of sidewalks and the house. Trim the hedges, get rid of weeds, and mulch the flower beds. If you don’t have much to work with, plant some flowers or install some landscaping appropriate for your home and climate.
2. Eliminate clutter inside the home. If you’re going to be showing the house to potential buyers, get the house organized and get rid of clutter or put it in storage. A nice, tidy house will seem larger and more elegant.
3. Wash walls and windows. It’s a lot cheaper to wash walls or siding than to repaint or replace siding, and many times a good cleaning will make your home’s finishes look good as new. Pressure-wash your home’s exterior, and wash interior walls. Clean your windows so that you can’t tell they’re there.
4. Add a fresh coat of interior paint. Sometimes you just really need to repaint, but you can do it yourself relatively cheaply on interior walls. First, patch up any holes, no matter how small. To get a silky smooth finish, apply a coat of primer. After the primer dries, lightly sand it with a fine grit sandpaper (220 grit). Apply the first coat of latex paint, and then lightly sand that layer also. Wipe the walls down with a damp cloth after each sanding session. Then apply the final coat of latex paint.
5. Put up fresh curtains and blinds. Blinds don't cost much, and curtains can be cheap also. Over time, the sun fades the colors from your blinds and curtains, so new ones will make a better impression than old ones.
6. Clean up the carpet. You can shampoo or steam clean your carpets, or you can use a dry cleaning system (available from various sources, such as Oreck), which requires no water or steamer rentals, and which dries instantly and kills virtually all mold and bacteria. Apply according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and then vacuum. If all else fails, get a professional to do the carpets for you. You'd be surprised how much better your carpet will look after a good cleaning.
7. Install modern light switches and outlets. Some of the new style switches can be easily installed using the wires already running to the old switches. Just be sure to turn off the power to the room or entire house before doing any work. The new outlets look nice, and give the impression that the electrical wiring in the house is newer than it really is. Dimmer switches are especially desirable, although this can be illegal if the outlets are of three prong type while the wiring is two prong. It also could lead to trouble if the buyer's home inspector catches on.
8. Refinish kitchen cabinets. Outdated or worn cabinets can bring the whole kitchen down, but refinishing them is relatively cheap and easy to do. If you have a dark or small kitchen, make it look larger and brighter by using a lighter finish on the cabinets.
9. Up the wattage of your light bulbs to make things even brighter. Just make sure you don't exceed the maximum specification for lamps and other lights. (You could use compact florescent light bulbs in order to make the room brighter without getting new fixtures, plus they save electricity meaning they save you money.)
10. Get a professional floor plan company to check on your home's square footage, which is sometimes higher what your county assessor has recorded. Because homes sell for hundreds of dollars per square foot, even a small increase will more than pay for the service (typically a few hundred dollars). You'll be able to list your home for more money, but at the same price per square foot.
11. Wood Trim and Cornicing is a cheap and easy do it yourself idea that can add tons of "WOW" factor to the look of your home. Simple ceiling trim and armchair railings are the easiest and most typical upgrades found in newer homes. To make an even bolder statement, paint the walls a neutral, flat color and paint the trim a high gloss white.

Tips for Around the House

·Sharpen razor blades by using the striker on a matchbook.
·Duct tape, how can people forget the most flexible and useful material known to man? It has so many uses, from repairing torn greenhouses to sealing pipes.
·For nailing small nails, place the nails between the teeth of a comb.
·Sandpaper will last longer and work better if the paper backing is dampened slightly before wrapping around a block of wood.
·You can secure a loose chair leg by wrapping the loose end with a small strip of nylon hose or thread, apply glue, then reinsert.
·Sticky dresser drawers will slide easier if you rub candle wax or soap on the runner on the side of the drawers.
·Remember that left is loose and right is tight.
·Apply soap or wax on screws for easier screwing.
·If a screw is loose, stick a wooden kitchen match or tooth pick in the hole and break it off, then put the screw back in.
·If you have a problem with dampness in closets, fill a coffee can with charcoal briquettes. Place container on floor, punch holes in the cover. For larger closets use 2 or 3 one-pound cans. Chalk will also help cut down on dampness. Tie 12 pieces together and hang in closet.
·Fill an old nylon stocking with cedar chips for a sweet-smelling closet. This also will serve as a moth repellant.
·If you've lost the back of your earring or other small object in your carpet, run a coat hanger over carpet. Most small objects will be tossed in the air.

How to Increase the Value of Your Home

The notion that "home improvement increases value" is really true. In fact, home improvement is the smartest way to increase value. The profile of the house is the first thing that the buyers will notice. To support the claim that home improvement increases value, here are some of the samples of returns for some of the well-known home improvement projects: kitchen remodel (minor) is 125% in Connecticut; basement remodel is 98% in California; bathroom addition is 96% in Missouri; kitchen remodel (major) is 92% in Kentucky; bathroom remodel in Oregon is 90%; exterior paint in Pennsylvania is 90%; and master bedroom in Florida is 86%. These statistics support the claim that home improvement increase value are compiled from various published surveys, and these are mainly based on major cities within states

1. Do the kitchen and bathroom first. Remodeling of these rooms really offer the highest percentage return on home owners’ investments. In addition, bathroom and family room renovations offer a fairly high return to the home owner.
   
2. Repaint regularly. In fact, many of the home value experts noted that repainting the exterior of the home will show formal returns in most markets.
   
3. Keep the original design of the home in mind. Stick with either similar materials for remodeling or complementing ones. It is just as important that you know how to make your home attractive and inviting for the buyer to fully submit his attention and interest. It's also important that you must try to think for some color scheme and decors for your home.
   
4. Make additions as necessary. Certain research has noted that if there are some important things to be put up, such as putting additional deck or spacious basement for the children to play, then go for it. It will make your home look good and inviting

Is there a need for Handyman Services?

When people ask why remodeling is growing, the answer is very basic arithmetic. There are now in the United States over 100 million housing units, and of that number 70 million are at least 15 years old. Everyone who knows construction recognizes that houses, if they are structurally sound, tend to last forever, but their integral parts wear out on a predictable basis. Roofs wear out in a 15-20 year cycle, kitchens and baths become outmoded in about that same time frame, major equipment such as hot water heaters and furnaces wear out on a predictable cycle, and every house needs constant upkeep and maintenance. So, as we add one million new units each year at a minimum, and the existing housing stock gets one year older, there has to be an increasing market for remodeling, renovation and maintenance