Organizing Tips for a Small House

Downsizing to a smaller home is becoming an increasingly popular way to save money. It takes less energy to heat a smaller home and a lot less money to actually build a smaller home. However, downsizing can be difficult and it can be hard to get organized when you don’t have as much space to work with. If you are going to a smaller home, consider the following organizing tips:

Closet Space

Many small homes are lacking ample closet space, which means you must take advantage of what you have in the home. Investing in a good storage system will make your life easier. Wire racks, shelving, and plastic storage bins will keep you organized and your space less cluttered.

Wall Space

In a smaller home, it is also smart to take advantage of your wall space. Walls lined with bookcases can keep your things organized in every room. Instead of using up all of your floor space, this will take advantage of the vertical space in your home and make your rooms look larger.

Ceiling Space

Many homeowners often neglect the space they have on the ceiling when it comes to organizing their homes. The kitchen ceiling is the perfect place to hang a rack that holds pots and pans. This is great if you lack cupboard space or just have a lot of large pots and pans that are difficult to store. If you have a garage, your garage’s ceiling space could be used for storing things like bikes, skis, kayaks, and many other types of large, seasonal items that can be very awkward to store. Using ceiling space will take some creative thinking, but it will keep your home uncluttered.

Unused Space

If you are moving into a smaller home, consider how you can utilize the usual unused space in your home. For example, the staircase takes up a lot of valuable space and, if you can utilize the space underneath for storage or even for a small half-bath, you will make your small home that much more livable.

Furniture Selections

Your furniture in your small home should be able to provide you with more storage space. A large bed could easily hold drawers underneath and an ottoman should offer storage space inside. Before you buy any piece for your home, determine whether or not it really can do double-duty for you. Smaller homes are being more and more popular as people in today’s world are more concerned about saving money. Whether you are thinking of building a tiny house or want to go with a more traditional type of small home, you can use the above tips to keep that home organized.

The Best Reasons to Replace Your Windows

Thinking about replacing your windows, but aren’t sure if it’s something you should really spend the money on right now? Replacement windows are a great investment in your home, but if you’re on the fence about getting them, ask yourself why you’re considering them. There are lots of excellent reasons to go ahead and get them, such as these:

Your Current Windows Just Aren’t Working Anymore

This is the best reason to replace your windows. One of the main purposes of a window is to keep the elements out of your home and if it can’t do that very well, it’s time for it to go. If a room in your house is always colder than you think it should be, you’re feeling drafts, or you’re seeing frost form on the inside of your window, it’s a good time to replace those windows Not only would replacing your windows make your home considerably more comfortable, you’d probably see a nice reduction in your energy bills, too.

You’re Getting Ready to Sell Your Home

If you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, one of the best things you can do to add some value to the property is replace your windows. Replacement windows tend to have a very good return on investment and since many homebuyers look for energy efficient features in homes they’re considering, new, energy efficient windows are something that will absolutely help give your home a little extra competitive edge. If it’s been a long time since your home had new windows installed, new windows could help improve your home’s exterior and potential home buyers are bound to love knowing they won’t have to worry about the windows anytime soon.

You Want To Reduce Noise

Windows aren’t just good for keeping cold air and rain out of your house, they can also be very good for keeping out noise. Your home should be a nice, quiet place for you to relax, so if you’re always getting disturbed by noise from traffic, sirens, or neighbors talking outside, replacing your windows could help make your home a lot more peaceful.

You Want Less Maintenance

Some types of windows require more maintenance than others. Wood windows, for example, look very nice but they need a lot of special care and maintenance that other types of windows just don’t require. Vinyl windows, on the other hand, are very durable and require a lot less attention from you. So if you don’t want to have to worry about wood rot around your windows or never want to spend another weekend scraping, painting, or staining your windows again, vinyl replacement windows would be a great option for you.

Benefits of Planting Trees in Your Yard

Spring is almost here, which means it’s time to start thinking ahead to what you want to do with your yard this year. Of course, planting some lovely flowers or new shrubs are always great ideas. But if you want to do something for your yard that can make a big difference for your home, you might want to consider planting a tree or two in your yard. Out of all the gardening and landscaping options out there, trees offer some pretty remarkable benefits.

They Add Value to Your Home

When it comes to the value of your home, landscaping and gardening is kind of in an interesting position. Since your yard is the first thing people see when they look at your home, it’s important to keep your yard looking nice and neat. A poorly-maintained yard can absolutely make a home more challenging to sell. But, on the other hand, elaborate gardens don’t necessarily add value to a home.

Trees are an exception, though. Having mature trees in a yard that looks neat and well-maintained can help boost a home’s value by between 7% and 19%. They can do a lot to improve a home’s curb appeal, in turn helping it sell faster, and many homebuyers love the added privacy that mature trees can offer.

However, be aware that trees don’t necessarily offer an instant return on investment. Mature trees are the most desirable and it can take trees five to seven years to fully mature.

You Can Save on Energy Bills

When you live in an area where summers get really warm, you might assume running your air conditioner on a high setting all day is a given, especially if your home is situated in a way where you’ll get a lot of direct sunlight. But having mature trees in your yard can help provide shade for a home, making it possible for you to run your air conditioner less in the summer. They can also help shield your home from cold wind during the winter, helping it stay warmer naturally.

According to the USDA Forest Service, trees properly placed around buildings can help you save 30% on air conditioner usage and 20%-50% on heating.

Improved Air Quality

In addition to helping cut down on energy usage, planting trees can have a lot of other environmental benefits, particularly when it comes to improving air quality. Trees are very effective in absorbing carbon dioxide and reducing smog levels while producing more of the oxygen that we need to live. A healthy tree can produce an average of 260 pounds of oxygen every year while the average person consumes about 386 pounds of oxygen annually, so just one tree can produce over half of the oxygen a person consumes in a year.

They Can Help You Relax

Some studies have shown that trees have some very legitimate stress-relieving benefits. One study by Texas A&M University found that simply looking at trees helped reduce stress levels within just five minutes. Communities that have more trees planted in the have also been linked to lower crime rates and anxiety. Plus, it can be easier to relax and enjoy your home when you have the extra privacy that trees offer.

Before you start planting your trees, be sure to do your research to figure out which type of tree would work best in your yard. Some types of trees work better in certain climates than others, so you’ll want to make sure you pick a type of three that will thrive in your yard. Also, be sure to consider how a tree’s roots will grow and if they might cause any problems. Silver Maples, for example, have roots that tend to grow pretty shallowly, which can cause roots to pop up through lawns and disturb concrete. The last thing you want is for your beautiful new trees to cause problems for you later on.

Avoiding Home Air Duct Cleaning Scams

Have you ever gotten a flyer in the mail from a company offering a great deal on cleaning your home’s air ducts? Maybe it featured some impressive looking before and after pictures of an air duct filled with dust, debris, and who knows what else next to a nice, clean air duct and it got you thinking about what might be lurking in your home’s air ducts. But is air duct cleaning something that absolutely needs to become part of your home’s routine maintenance?

First of all, know that home air duct cleaning scams are very common. Avoid any company who sends you coupons or a flyer promoting extremely low prices, $100 or less, for air duct cleaning. In many cases, these companies will come out, do a very minimal job and try to upsell you on more expensive services or use scare tactics to make you think there are big, expensive problems like mold to deal with. Even worse, these workers might be very inexperienced duct cleaners who could potentially damage your HVAC system. A legitimate air duct cleaning typically takes several hours to complete and will typically cost a few hundred dollars. Be aware that although it is possible for mold to grow in an air duct, it actually isn’t very common. So if an air duct cleaner says they found mold, you might want to get a second opinion from a mold tester.

To find a reputable air duct cleaner, look for someone who is a member of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA). Be sure to find out whether or not the cleaner is bonded and insured.

Also be wary of any company that makes big promises about air duct cleaning having health benefits. Although many people will swear up and down that their allergies improved after having their home’s air ducts cleaned or that other health problems cleared up afterward, it’s important to remember that these testimonials are purely anecdotal. Currently, there isn’t any scientific evidence to definitively prove that air duct cleaning offers any health benefits. The people who swear by air duct cleaning may simply be more sensitive to dust and other allergens, so it’s possible they may see stronger results than you do.

But just because there isn’t any hard proof linking air duct cleaning to better health doesn’t mean air duct cleaning is a complete waste of time or money. Having your air ducts cleaned can help your HVAC system run more efficiently. When your air ducts and other parts of your HVAC system get blocked by debris, your HVAC system has to work harder to do its job, which can help drive up your energy bills.

If you want to figure out if you might benefit from air duct cleaning, take a look at a heating vent or register in your house. Remove the cover and try taking a picture inside with the flash on your camera on and see what it looks like. (Just be careful not to drop your camera down the air duct!) You might see some debris fairly close to the register that could be cleaned up pretty easily with a vacuum cleaner. But if the debris goes back further than you can reach with your vacuum cleaner, you might want to look into having your ducts professionally cleaned. It’s also good to have them cleaned if you see signs of mold or rodents.

Know Your Garage Door Options

If you’re looking for a way to add some extra value to your home, there are a lot of different ways you can go about it. Unfortunately, not many of them are fast, easy, or inexpensive. There are also a lot of projects homeowners undertake in the hopes of boosting their home’s value, but end up being disappointed to find out that they didn’t add as much value as they’d hoped.

But one home improvement project that has a consistently excellent return on investment is replacing a garage door. According to the 2016 Cost vs. Value report by Remodeling magazine, garage door replacement typically costs just a few thousand dollars ($1,652 for mid-range jobs, $3,140 for upscale jobs) sees a return on investment upwards of 91%. Replacing your garage door can help improve your home’s curb appeal, add some extra security, and in some cases, help improve your home’s energy efficiency. Depending on the type of garage door you currently have, you might be able to replace it with a different style of door that requires less maintenance. Best of all, garage door replacement is a relatively fast, easy, and inexpensive project to take on.

You might think that garage doors are pretty basic things, but there are a few different types of doors out there. Vinyl garage doors are very popular because of how well they resist denting and how little maintenance they need. Steel and aluminum doors are pretty inexpensive, but dent easier than vinyl doors. If you live in a very humid area, you’ll want to be sure you use steel or aluminum doors that have been treated to resist rust and corrosion. Garage doors made of fiberglass won’t rust the way steel or aluminum doors do, but they can also get damaged easier. Wood garage doors look fantastic, but can cost more and require more maintenance than other types of garage doors. However, composite wood garage doors have the same great look of wood doors, but are less expensive and aren’t prone to as many problems real wood doors are.

If your garage is attached to your home, you might want to consider getting an insulated garage door to help improve your home’s energy efficiency. An insulated garage door would also be absolutely worth considering if you’ve converted your garage into a living space or spend a lot of time working in your garage.

Do you live in an area that tends to get hit by high winds, tornadoes, or other strong storms? Wind load garage doors are an option you might want to consider. They aren’t necessarily “tornado proof” or “hurricane proof,” but they will stand up to the elements better than other types of garage doors.

Choosing the right garage door not only helps to add value to your home, it can make your home more enjoyable until it sells.