Peter Diamant

Aside from the obvious benefit of saving money, running an energy efficient home benefits us all in the greater community. We reduce global warming and help keep our dollars in the country as supposed to sending them to often unsavoury regimes overseas. Even if we implement just a few of the listed tips, the savings will be substantial and one's satisfaction even greater.

Temperature Control of Your Home

Heating and cooling accounts for approximately about 2/3 of your energy costs. Implementing just a few energy saving tips in this area will have a big impact on your energy bill.

1.Install ceiling fans.
They effectively supplement or may even serve as an alternative to air conditioning. They generally use very little electricity. To make them more effective, adjust your fan so that it is blowing air downwards.

2. Install a programmable thermostat.
Set it to lower the heat by a few degrees at night and when you are away. Raise the temperature of the AC when you have left for the day. You can save even more money if during your absence you switch off your AC altogether. Make sure that you turn the AC back on well ahead before your return. It may take a while to return the temperature in your home to a comfortable level. Your investment in a good thermostat - around $50 - will be easily recouped in a few months. After that period, it is just pure savings into your pocket.

3. Enlist the help of your window coverings to help control the inside temperature: keep them closed during the hot days in the summer. Open them especially on the south facing windows in the winter.

4. Take off your socks and see how your feet feel on a bare floor. If your feet are cold, the floor likely cools the air in the house as well so lay down a few area rugs.

5. In many countries, people are dressed quite warmly inside their homes. If you feel cool, don't simply run to the thermostat as the first resort. Put on a sweater and warm slippers and keep your temperature low.

6. Make the job easier for your furnace. Replacing the air filter on your furnace every month will improve its efficiency and thereby save you more money.

7. When you are out of the room, turn off unnecessary lights. Most electric light fixtures produce heat which works against the AC.

8. Here is one measure which will take a few years before you can reap its benefits. Plant a few leafy trees on the side of your house with the most sun. During the summer the trees provide shade and in the winter after they shed their leaves, they let the warming sun rays through.

9. This energy saving tip may not affect the temperature control of your house but definitely affects your total energy consumption. When not in use, unplug your electrical appliances, TV sets and DVD players and so on. These electrical home gadgets, even if they are switched off but still plugged in, consume considerable amount of energy. In the state of California, the total amount of electricity required to power the switched off appliances, when they are showing just the time of day and perhaps fancy display screens, consume the equivalent output of one coal powered station. That's a lot of energy we can all save and help clean the environment.

You have decided to move. You can't wait to get to the new city or just a new neighbourhood. You just want to pack up, pick up and go.  But before you do, you have to sell your house first and that means you have to open the doors of the house that you have over the years turned into a cozy home, and welcome a parade of complete strangers, the prospective buyers. Preparing your house for sale means taking a step back and taking a deep breath. Once you have made the decision to move, you need to stop thinking of your home as ‘your home' and focus on making your home into a product to sell. Before potential buyers arrive, take the time to take a number of actions to make your home look its market-ready best.

GIVE YOUR HOUSE A WORKOUT

Start by looking at your house from the outside in. Creating curb appeal with an attractive and well maintained exterior will encourage buyers to stop and go through the steps to arrange a viewing of the interior.

Depersonalize your space. Remove as many of your personal items as possible. This helps the buyers see themselves living there. As well, decluttering allows the buyers to see the full size of the home and visualize how each room will function. The simplest way to start is by considering the colour of your walls. Bright or unusual colours can turn a buyer off, sending the message that they will have to go through the inconvenience and expense of painting. Instead, opt for warm, inviting, cozy colours that have a broad appeal.

Finally, heed your spouse's frequent requests and complete updates and repairs on the house. It has been proven again and again that buyers are willing to spend thousands of dollars more for a house that has been properly prepared and maintained. 

KEEP YOUR HOUSE CLEAN

The one thing that is a definite no-no is for the prospective buyers to walk into a busy, messy house. Regardless of how you have kept up your house prior to putting up for sale, while it is listed you need to discourage clutter and try to present the house as clean and tidy as possible. By seeing that the house is beyond the mere surface clean, you create greater trust with the buyer - that the house is loved, well maintained, no surprises lurking anywhere and ready to move in.

 TAKE THE TIME TO STAGE YOUR HOUSE  

Furniture placement is critical. Furniture shouldn't block traffic or a large window with a beautiful view or partially obscure a cozy fireplace. If a piece of furniture doesn't fit or serve a function, remove it. You are never going to lose by making the room look larger. Remember, you are selling the lifestyle that that the buyer's family can lead in the house, not the furniture and the decorations.

As a final touch, be prepared for the buyers to look everywhere - drawers, storage spaces, closets. If they open a closet door and an avalanche of items spills out, they will think there isn't enough storage space or that you have been a messy owner.   

FIRST IMPRESSION

As the saying goes, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. Make sure you create a great first impression both inside and out. In the home staging and decoration, appeal to a wide variety of potential buyers. The goal is to create an image of a life style that creates in the buyer a desire to move in. This approach will help to sell the house quickly and for the best possible price.

Peter Diamant is a realtor with Sutton Group-Admiral who specializes in Richmond Hill homes for sale and Richmond condos for sale. For more information about the real estate market or to search for available properties, please visit the website.