Prepare your home now for upcoming cold weather

Here's a timely article to get you and your home ready for the winter. Now is the time to do it. #CleanGuttersBeforeTheRain

This great article came from Homes.com.

5 Home Improvements You Should Tackle In Early Fall To Get Your Home Prepared For The Cold Weather

by YUKA KATOSEPTEMBER 16, 2016

There’s something about autumn that energizes many people, getting them to take on projects and plans that they may have been putting off for a while. So while you’re busy making plans for the winter months ahead, make sure you also take the time to take care of some home projects that are best done during the early fall months. These five projects are under $2000 each, and can help make your home more comfortable for the months ahead.

Furnace Repair

You don’t want to wait until the cold winter months to turn on your furnace and find that it isn’t working. That’s why early fall is the best time to schedule your furnace repair. This off-peak time often costs less than it will in January, and gives you plenty of flexibility to schedule the technician at your convenience. Waiting until winter to tackle this project will mean you pay a higher rate in labor fees, and you risk your furnace breaking down when you need it the most.

• Cost: The average cost to replace the heat exchanger on a furnace is $1000 to $1700.
• Money Saving Tips:
  • Make sure you change your furnace’s filter regularly to avoid putting a strain on the exchanger and causing it to burn out faster.
  • Call as early in the month as possible before rates begin to go up in preparation of the busy season.

Install a Portable Generator

If you live in an area that sees severe weather during the fall and winter months, you may want to invest in a portable generator to help keep your home running in case of a power outage. Portable generators come in many sizes so you can find the right fit for your home. Install one in early fall before costs go up during the colder months, and ensure that you’re ready for the first outage of the year. Once the snow begins to fly, you can expect the demand for generators to go through the roof driving up prices and limiting availability. Waiting too long could mean that you run the risk of not finding one at a reasonable price or that you need to go without power in the event of a storm.

• Cost: The average cost to install a portable generator is $2000.
• Money Saving Tips:
  • If you don’t use your whole home every day, get a smaller generator that can power only the essential areas for a significant savings.
  • Purchase early in the season before prices begin to rise to meet demand.

Mold Remediation

After a warm, humid summer, mold is a very common problem in a lot of areas. Basements, attics, and bathrooms are all particularly susceptible to mold growth. Before you spend more time indoors in the winter, you’ll want to ensure that any mold is removed before it can cause health problems. Once the weather dries out in the early fall is the best time to get this done. Mold that began in the summer months will continue to grow right through the winter, so the early all is the best time of year to tackle this job, while the air is dryer and the mold hasn’t had as much time to spread.

• Cost: The average cost of mold remediation for a 10×10 space is $500.
• Money Saving Tips:
  • Dry out the room with the mold thoroughly with dehumidifiers and fans to prevent it from spreading.
  • Take care of this issue as soon as you see it before it has a chance to spread to more areas of your home and make you or your family ill.

Install Gutter Guards

During the autumn months leaves and pine needles drop from trees at a very fast rate. These can collect in your gutter, clogging them up and forcing water back onto your roof. A gutter guard can help prevent this by stopping the debris from entering your gutters. Take care of this issue in early fall when it isn’t too hot to work on your gutters, but before the leaves start falling to get the best results. Wait too long and you may have to pay a higher cost in labor due to demand and the fact that your gutters will need to be cleaned prior to installation.

• Cost: The average cost to install gutter guards is around $200.
• Money Saving Tips:
  • You can install the guards yourself to save a lot of money on labor.
  • Opt for gutter screens if you have easily accessible areas; they cost less, but will need to be rinsed on occasion.

Clean Your Roof

Your roof can become the home to a lot of dirt and debris during the summer months, including algae, mold, moss, and leaves. The more debris that lands on your roof, the bigger the problem, because things like moss and leaves can trap water beneath them, weakening your shingles. When snow falls, this problem will become worse, potentially causing leaks. September or October is the best time of year to clean your roof; it’s not too hot to work, and you’ll want to get the bulk of the debris off before the leaves begin to fall, making it harder to clean.

• Cost: The average cost of cleaning a roof is around $250 to $300.
• Money Saving Tips:
  • If you’re comfortable on your roof, you can clean it yourself with a mixture of bleach and water and a soft-bristled scrub brush.
  • Schedule your roof cleaning early in the fall, as this is a busy time of year for roofers; the earlier you make the call, the less it will potentially cost.

Get Your Home Ready for Fall

September and October are great times of year to work on your home. The heat and humidity are over, but the cold winter months are still in the distance. Take care of these five projects as early in the fall as possible to get the best results and savings. To find out more about what things cost, be sure to visit Fixr’s Cost Guides.

Connect with Doug Reynolds Real Estate via Facebook, YouTube, and Follow his Blog.

clear skies,

Doug Reynolds

Realtor

916-494-8441

         

www.RealEstateWithDoug.com

Helpful Tips for Garage Organization

I'm about to get my garage cleaning on soon. Here's a few tips to help you and myself. #GarageMakeOver

This great article came from RisMedia.com.

Don’t Be A Pack Rat: 4 Steps for Quick Garage Organization

Posted on Sep 16 2016 - 4:02pm by Housecall

By Meghan Belnap

It's not unusual to go into a garage and wonder how it became a toxic waste dump. Let's face it, the most convenient thing to do is cram anything and everything in there when there's no room for it in the house.

Let's get that garage straight. Organization will make it less cluttered and more presentable. Secondly, you avoid potential accidents when your stuff is neat. Get busy with these four steps.

Use Space Smartly

Take advantage of ceiling and vertical space. After you've taken everything out, organize items by groups, including a group of what you're getting rid of. If possible, box groups, even if they're already in boxes. As best you can, group and label. When you begin stacking, start in the farthest corners and go floor to ceiling. The goal is to create organized storage while leaving physical space to maneuver and find things.

Prioritizing

Create a layout based on a criteria that suits your needs. Think of it in terms of real estate and "location, location, location." Items most likely to be needed should be toward the front and higher up on stacks, or within reach on shelves. Be careful of your garage door system. Boxes that are too close to the sensors can keep your Best Doors from opening as they should. Coincidentally, stacking items too high to the roof can have the same consequence.

Related: Boosting Your Curb Appeal with Your Garage

Recycle and Discard

This will likely be the tough part: donate or trash items you don't use or that don't fit into any of your categories. The reason our garages become so cluttered is because our first instinct is to save a broken bar stool for repair rather than just get rid of it. If you don't want to throw certain things out or you have a project for them in mind, save their storage for last so that they're always visible.

Use Innovative Spacing Systems

Create a system of modular storage or built-in cabinetry. You can put in mounted pegboards and wire grids for garden tools and sports equipment. Overhead shelves can be mounted to the ceiling. If you have clothes, buy sealing bags that can be compressed with a vacuum cleaner.

Once you have the garage organized, keep a close eye out. It will be easy to end up back where you started. An organized garage will be especially helpful if you use your garage for parking. You want enough room for a vehicle without being cramped or knocking things over.

Connect with Doug Reynolds Real Estate via Facebook, YouTube, and Follow his Blog.

clear skies,

Doug Reynolds

Realtor

916-494-8441

         

www.RealEstateWithDoug.com

www.CollegeGlenRealEstate.com

Home Improvement tips and ideas for this Spring

Spring Home Improvements: Repair, Replace, Enjoy!

APRIL 2013 | BY BARBARA Ballinger

Besides cleaning closets and planting flowers and cool-weather vegetables, spring should involve scrutinizing the condition of a house following the rough winter. Repairs and replacements won’t just help owners enjoy their properties more; they’ll also keep energy costs down as hot weather rolls in and attract more buyers, many of whom have become meticulous about inspecting roofs, appliances, and HVAC bills.

While most home owners need to prioritize costs, these 10 improvements are at the top of many contractors’ lists. Some of them are even more affordable than ever before, thanks to rebates from local communities, utility companies, and the federal government.

1. Replace windows

If home owners’ houses felt drafty this past winter and they have single-pane windows, there’s a good chance those were one of the culprits. But replacing them all can be costly — $400 to $500 per window, plus $100 to $150 for installation, according to home improvement expert Tom Kraeutler of The Money Pit. Whether that’s the place to spend dollars should depend on how long home owners plan to stay put or what houses listed in their neighborhood offer if they’re selling. “If they’re the last ones with old, rotting-wood windows, that negative may affect buyer attention,” Kraeutler says. This year’s “Cost vs. Value” report from Remodeling magazine pegs the payback for vinyl windows at 71.2 percent and for wood windows at a similar 73.3 percent. A less costly alternative can be to add storms, caulk, weather strip, or rim joists in a basement. Contractor Paul Eric Morse of Morse Constructions Inc. in Somerville, Mass., suggests gradually replacing windows in any room that owners remodel to make the cost less prohibitive.

2. Install a new heating system and change filters

If a seller’s furnace and boiler were on their last legs this past winter, it may be time to install a new one, or at least provide sellers with a credit toward new equipment. Any choice should carry an EnergyStar label for best results. Existing systems still in good condition should have filters checked monthly and replaced when dark and clogged, a DIY project. For great energy efficiency, Morse is installing more heat exchanges that provide both heat and air conditioning and can be less costly than a new central air system with new ducting and a new furnace.

3. Clean air conditioning units

Before summer temperatures rise and HVAC pros are swamped, advise home owners to clean coils and change filters so their system doesn’t have to work as hard. They should also have drain lines cleaned, so moisture is eliminated, says Douglas Tompkins, with Pro-Air Heating and Cooling in Newburgh, N.Y. If they haven’t had air conditioning, now’s the time to weigh choices of a central system, heat exchange, or room units.

4. Install more insulation

A home’s first line of defense to stop cold or hot air — depending on the season — should be the attic, according to most contractors. An energy audit can determine how much more is needed, if they already have some. Seattle-based contractor Ron Rice, of Your House Matters, suggests adding more than the minimum 8 inches required by most local codes — up to 16 inches. For cold climates, installing electric or hydronic radiant heat under bathroom and kitchen floors will provide comfort next season.

5. Switch out inefficient appliances

Sometimes appliances are no longer smart to repair. The determining factors for that should be their age and the cost of repair versus replacement. Here, too, top choices carry an EnergyStar label. If home owners need to replace most of their kitchen equipment and have a limited budget or plan to move, Rice suggests they prioritize and first switch out the range, followed by the refrigerator, dishwasher, and microwave — in that order.

6. Repair or replace roofs, gutters, and downspouts

Because of the tough hurricane season last fall and the winter blizzards, roofing contractors in many parts of the country have been busy. Morse recommends that those needing new roofs consider architectural asphalt shingles because of their long warranties (often 50 years), affordable prices, and attractive appearances that work with many house styles. In addition, many contractors have the equipment and experience to install roofs of this material, as opposed to metal. He also recommends that home owners have gutters and downspouts cleaned come spring so that water can flow through them; gutters should be angled away from a house to stop water pooling around a foundation and seeping into the basement. Gutter covers can be helpful but often don’t eliminate all debris.

7. Paint

Damage often shows up at this time of year, especially in climates where there’s been a lot of snow melting or winter rains, Morse says. Use the time to reassess your color choice for better curb appeal. Even changing the front door’s color can make a difference.

8. Prune trees

Cutting limbs that may have been damaged during winter and that might fall on a roof or allow squirrels to enter a house is smart, and it can be a cost savings later on. Called “thinning out,” this method gets excess foliage trimmed to allow more natural light into a house—and cut down on artificial illumination, says Sacramento, Calif.-based landscape designer Michael Glassman. “It opens the tree so you don’t have dead spots in the interior and lets the tree take advantage of air flow rather than chop off the top,” he says. A certified arborist will know the best ways to do this without removing too much of a canopy, which is useful for privacy and shade.

9. Mulch plantings

Along with fall, spring is a key mulch time. Mulch helps plants thrive by holding back weeds, retaining moisture so soil doesn’t dry out, and adding a tidy look, Glassman says. Use bark, shredded fir, leaves, straw, or grass clippings.

10. Replace lightbulbs

When it comes to artificial light, most contractors recommend switching burned-out bulbs to LEDs, which last longer than incandescents, consume less energy, and have come down in price — now often just $10. Quality has improved, too, and they’re dimmable and available in colors.

One more thing: Before you hire anybody to take on work, get a written estimate. Better to be safe than sorry.

clear skies,
Doug Reynolds
Realtor
916-494-8441
 
www.SellWithDoug.com
www.BHGshortsales.com

SMUD Program Rewards Energy Efficiency

SMUD Program Rewards Energy Efficiency
By Howard Posner, SMUD Ward 3 Director

If you’ve ever thought about making energy-efficient upgrades to your home to help lower your monthly electricity bills, this is the time to do it.
SMUD secured a $20 million dollar federal grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that will help fund an innovative energy efficiency program. With an array of generous rebates that could reach $9,000 per home and $2,800 per apartment unit, SMUD’s Home Performance Program aims to retrofit about 2,000 single-family-homes and 2,500 multifamily homes with energy-saving upgrades.
Earlier this year, SMUD nearly doubled the rebates available to customers who improve the efficiency of their residences through such measures as duct sealing, new insulation, and new heating and air conditioning systems.
Here’s how the program works for single-family homes: Efficiency improvements are determined after the home is inspected by a qualified energy professional. The inspection normally costs about $500 but is being offered for just $99 through the Home Performance Program.
After the inspector makes recommendations, the homeowner can decide what upgrades to make, with rebates increasing on a sliding scale. Upgrades that boost the home’s efficiency between 20 and 50 percent will qualify for rebates ranging from $2,500 to $9,000. Projects that don’t meet 20 percent may still qualify for a $1,500 rebate under certain circumstances.
Financial incentives for multifamily dwellings are paid to the retrofit contractor to help offset the cost of efficiency upgrades.
For more information on SMUD’s Home Performance Program, please visit www.smud.org.

clear skies,
Doug Reynolds
 
www.BHGshortsales.com