Sara Kareer Century 21 Millennium Inc Brampton Mississauga Vaughan Real Estate

GREEN TIPS FOR HOMEOWNERS - Energy Saving Tips for the Homeowner

One of the most obvious areas where a homeowner can go "green" is in the use of energy in the home.



The biggest energy hogs are heating, air conditioning, electrical appliances, lighting, and water usage. Here are some practical tips for saving energy and money at the same time.


1. Do an “energy audit”

A good place to start is with an informal energy "audit" to reveal where you are using the most energy and where you are wasting it. The average US home uses 31% of its energy consumption on heating, 12% on cooling, 12% on water heating, and 29% on appliances, lighting, and electronics such as TVs and computers. So these are obvious places you can cut back.


2. Insulate, insulate, insulate

If 43% of the energy used in our homes goes for heating and cooling this is the place to start. Insulation in your attic, outside walls and basement walls is critical. New products such as blown in insulation have made it easier to insulate previously difficult areas. But be careful to get professional advice before tackling a project like this yourself.


3. Seal doors and windows

Usually the worst areas of heat loss are windows and doors. Check for holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets. All of these can leak air into or out of your home. Have a professional take a look at your home and make some recommendations.


4. Turn the heat down

Wear warmer clothes and shoes in the winter so your house feels warmer. Then turn your thermostat down a few degrees. Set it to automatically lower the temperature at night. You'll save a lot of energy and you'll probably get fewer colds too.


5. Use less hot water

Be sure to have a highly efficient hot water heater. In some climates a tankless water heater may save energy, but research it thoroughly. Then study your hot water usage carefully. You may want to turn the temperature of your hot water heater down a bit. Consider replacing some appliances with more efficient ones. Use warm rather than hot water for washing clothes. Don't use the dishwasher for partial loads, shower for shorter periods of time, and don't let the hot water run when washing or shaving.


6. Turn off appliances and lights

When appliances are not being used they should be turned off or even unplugged (because many appliances use electricity even when they are not on). Set the energy saving features of your computer to shut down monitors and hard drives when not in use. Or turn your computers right off if not being used for an extended period of time.


7. Control your lighting

About 11% of the average home's energy usage goes to lighting, so this is an obvious area for significant savings. Replacing old incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) will save between 50 and 75% per bulb. And turning lights off when they are not required will (obviously) save even more.


Click the links below to view the previous GREEN TIPS FOR HOMEOWNERS:

GREEN TIPS FOR HOMEOWNERS - Eliminate Dandelions The Natural Way

GREEN TIPS FOR HOMEOWNERS - Simple Green Ideas for Your Lawn

GREEN Tips for Homeowners -- Starting a Compost Pile



Sincerely,

Sara Kareer
Sales Representative
Century 21 Millennium Inc., Brokerage

(tel) 905-450-8300
(toll-free) 1-888-450-8301
(web) www.SaraKareer.com
(web) www.century21.ca/sara.kareer

GREEN TIPS FOR HOMEOWNERS -Eliminate Dandelions The Natural Way



Now that chemical poisons are being outlawed in many parts of North America many homeowners have become involved in the quest for the ultimate "green" dandelion eliminator.

Here are some GREEN TIPS...

1. Mow the plants before they go to seed - If you can cut off the dandelion heads before they go to seed you will have at least eliminated the source of most new dandelion plants. Part of the solution is to mow your grass frequently. Of if you have just a few dandelions showing, cut off those heads before they go to seed.

2. Root them out - If you are going to manually dig out existing plants, be sure to pull out as much of the root as possible. There are inexpensive tools that do a pretty good job. But it is really back-breaking work if you have lots of dandelions in a large lawn.

3. Pick the leaves - Cutting, picking or grinding off (see #4 below) the leaves will eventually starve the roots. But this takes persistence and is only practical in a small lawn.

4. Trample them - Many people claim that trampling dandelions greatly impedes their growth. One person in particular, George Rotramel, states "Trampling this stem crushes it and exposes the plant to infection by plant pathogens. The result is a dead dandelion with no time-consuming digging, no pulling, and no herbicide application". He drew this conclusion by noticing that dandelion growth was much more extensive around the outside of soccer fields than in the playing area.

5. Poach them - Pouring boiling water over dandelion plants will shrivel them up and render them impotent. Or at least that's what we've been told.

6. Pickle them - Use a 5-percent solution of vinegar as a weed killer against perennial weeds such as dandelions, foxtail, velvetleaf, smooth pigweed and thistle. Heating the solution is said to work even better.

7. Burn them out - Some say you can torch dandelions and other perennial weeds with a weed burner torch, but others claim this is a pretty ineffective and inefficient way to get rid of them.

8. Corn Gluten Meal - If you don't have time for any of this manual digging or spraying, then you may want to try corn gluten meal (CGM) applied to your entire lawn. This is called a "pre-emergent" solution that prevents roots from forming during seed germination. It will not kill already existing plants, but it will prevent additional germination from taking place during growing seasons - especially in the spring.

9. Replace grass with Dutch clover - You may want to try replacing at least some of your grass with Dutch clover. This has some advantages. Clover is nice and green and will grow almost anywhere. It requires less water, does not require fertilizer, needs less frequent mowing, chokes out weeds, and grubs and other common lawn pests do not like it.

For more GREEN TIPS FOR HOMEOWNERS, please visit my Century 21 Millennium BLOG.

Sincerely,

Sara Kareer
Sales Representative

Century 21 Millennium Inc., Brokerage
(tel) 905-450-8300
(toll-free) 1-888-450-8301

(web) www.SaraKareer.com
(web) www.century21.ca/sara.kareer

What’s new in the BRAMPTON VALES OF CASTLEMORE and the HIGHLANDS OF CASTLMEORE area?

The residents of the Brampton Vales of Castlemore and the Brampton Highlands of Castlemore have been waiting a long time for this. The construction has been completed and the wait is almost over!






The Grand Opening of the new SOBEYS grocery store is scheduled for this Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 9am.













The store is located in the Country Trails Plaza at 10970 Airport Road (at Airport Road and Countryside Drive).

The final touches are being done today to the landscaping surrounding the store and the Grand Opening is on target for tomorrow! And the best part ..... Sobeys will be open 24 hours.












Sobeys is a leading national grocery retailer and food distributor in Canada. In business since 1907, Sobeys is headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia and has operations across the country.

Other retailers in the Country Trails Plaza include: Shoppers Drug Mart, TD Canada Trust, and the recently opened Pizza Pizza, and Subway.

Beginning July 29th, Just add Sobeys. Can’t wait!



If you would like more information about the homes for sale in the Brampton Vales of Castlemore or the Brampton Highlands of Castlemore area, please give me a call.

Sincerely,


Your trusted friend in the Business,

Sara Kareer
Sales Representative
Century 21 Millennium Inc., Brokerage

(tel) 905-450-8300
(toll-free) 1-888-450-8301
(web) www.SaraKareer.com
(web) www.century21.ca/sara.kareer

Market Statistics - BRAMPTON VALES OF CASTLEMORE - HOMES FOR SALE


Here are the latest statistics for homes in the BRAMPTON VALES OF CASTLEMORE area as of July 24/09:

• There are 24 homes for sale in The VALES OF CASTLEMORE ranging in price from $309,000 to $789,900
  
• 23 Detached homes
  
• 1 Semi-Detached
  
• The average home in this area is priced at $555,470
  
• 3 homes have undergone a recent price reduction.

If you are interested in moving into this sought-after area of the VALES OF CASTLEMORE, give me a call and I will be happy to provide further information.

If you're thinking of selling your home in this area, why not call someone who knows your neighbourhood...
call me today!

Sincerely,

Sara Kareer
Sales Representative
Century 21 Millennium Inc., Brokerage

(tel) 905-450-8300
(toll-free) 1-888-450-8301

(web) www.SaraKareer.com
(web) www.century21.ca/sara.kareer

Here are a few easy steps to Stage Your Home for a Quick Sale.

If you're thinking of selling your home, I can offer you additional advice on how to Stage Your Home to ensure you receive positive feedback from prospective buyers.

Call me today!

Sara Kareer
Century 21 Millennium Inc., Brokerage
(tel) 905-450-8300
(toll-free) 1-888-450-8301

(web) www.sarakareer.com
(web) www.century21.ca/sara.kareer