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.

What You Should Know Before Buying a Fixer-Upper Home

No matter what you’re shopping for, it can be hard to resist a great bargain. This is particularly true when it comes to homes. Buying a home is one of the biggest, most significant purchases the average person makes during their lifetime, so when faced with the opportunity to buy a home at a great price, it can be hard to say no.

In many cases, these amazing home bargains are often homes that need some TLC. There’s an old adage when it comes to real estate that it’s smart to buy the worst home on the best block. Homes that are in a great neighborhood, but need a bit of work, can be a great investment opportunity, but renovating them can turn into a completely overwhelming, expensive, time consuming project if you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. If you’re thinking of buying a home and fixing it up, whether you want to live in it yourself or want to flip it, here are a few things you should keep in mind.

Don’t Get Too Excited Until It’s Been Inspected

When you walk into a home that you see a lot of potential in, it can be really easy to fall in love with it and lose sight of what condition a home is really in. Try to curb your enthusiasm until you’ve had an inspector come out. This is particularly true with very old homes. If you’re considering purchasing and renovating a historic home, you’ll want to make sure you’ll want to make sure you find an inspector who has a lot of experience working with older homes.

The most important things to look for in a home is that is has good bones: a solid foundation, no structural issues, and a roof that’s in good shape. If a home is at least in good, basic structural condition, you’re off to a good start. Even if you need to make other important improvements like installing vinyl replacement windows, upgrading the electrical and plumbing systems, or getting a new HVAC system, those sorts of things are easy when compared to something like foundation repair.

Expect Everything to Cost More and Take Longer Than You Thought

If you have an extremely limited budget or want to have it ready by a certain date, buying a fixer-upper home might not be the best idea. If a home is older or has been neglected for a while, there might be problems your contractor had no way of knowing about until they got in there and started working. Unfortunately, these delays can drive up the cost of the project and make it take longer than you originally expected.

Be Careful Not to Over-Improve

Believe it or not, it is possible to over-improve a property. Remember, people tend to look for homes in a certain neighborhood for a specific reason so in the end, you want your home to fit in with the rest of the neighborhood. For example, if your home is located in a neighborhood full of one story homes, adding a second story will make your home stand out like a sore thumb. Or a home full of added luxury features might actually be tough to sell in a neighborhood where the other homes are more modestly priced.

Do Your Homework on Historic Homes

Older, historic homes can be full of beautiful charm and architectural details that you just don’t find in newer homes, which is why they’re so appealing to so many people. But historic homes tend to be particularly challenging to renovate, so it’s best to do your research before you make the commitment. You may need to get special permits from the city or approval from the local historical society before you get started. Older homes tend to have a lot of unique needs, so you’ll also want to find contractors who have lots of experience in working on older homes. Not only do they know all the best ways to work on these special homes, they’ll know to anticipate things like asbestos or lead paint, which are very commonly found in older homes.

Buying a home and fixing it up can be an extremely rewarding experience that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Just be careful to not get in over your head!

Making the Most of Your Laundry Room

When you think of all the rooms in your home you’d like to improve, your laundry room might not be at the top of your list.  You might not go into the laundry room on a daily basis, but ultimately, everyone has to do laundry and having a nice, organized space to do it in can make it less of a chore.

The good news is that finding ways to fix up your laundry room doesn’t have to mean making big, expensive renovations or buying all new appliances. Think about how you do laundry and the time you spend in your laundry room. Is there anything that could make the process more efficient? There are lots of ways you can spruce up your laundry room and make it easier to get the job done without breaking the bank.

Get a Table or Counter

One thing every laundry room should have (aside from a washer and dryer, of course) is a flat surface to fold clothes on. After all, you don’t want to give your freshly washed clothes time to get wrinkled while you bring them to another room where you’ll have more room to fold them. Besides, that just creates more work for you.

Installing a counter where you have room to can make your job a lot easier. Some people who have side-by-side front-loading washers and dryers like to install countertops right over the top of their washer and dryer. Or instead of installing a counter, you could always get a table to use instead. If you have an old table that fits the space and isn’t being used anymore, you’re all set!

A Place to Hang Clothes

If your laundry room doesn’t already have an area to hang clothes, you’ll definitely want to get one. There are a lot of different ways you can go about adding one, depending on how much space you have to work with. If you don’t have a lot of room, you can always go with a rack that hangs from the ceiling or wall. For laundry rooms with a little more space, there are several different styles of drying racks and garment racks available that can easily be found at stores like Target and Bed Bath & Beyond. Or for something different, you can always make a good old fashioned clothesline with a piece of rope.

Maximize Your Wall Space

Laundry rooms aren’t typically one of the most spacious rooms in the house, so it’s smart to make the most of the space that you do have. In this case, finding ways to optimize their wall space is a good option. Wall shelves are a great way to do this and are usually pretty easy to install yourself. That way, your laundry detergent, fabric softener, and other cleaning products will be easy to grab anytime you need them.

Do you tend to have a lot of ironing to do? If so, you might want to look into getting a wall-mounted ironing board. That way, your ironing board will always be right there when you need it, but can very easily be moved out of the way when you don’t need it.

Pedestals for Washers and Dryers

Do you have a front-loading washer and dryer? You might want to consider getting elevated pedestals for them. These pedestals not only help raise your washer and dryer, making them more comfortable to use, they also have drawers for extra storage.

Baskets, Bins, and Other Storage Containers

Having a way to keep your different loads of laundry separated will help make laundry day a lot easier. Whether you prefer to use baskets, storage bins, or another type of storage container, it’s completely up to you! You can even have a separate container for all those random lone socks, for clothes that need special care, or things that get found in pockets. If you’re thinking of putting your home on the market soon, you might want to consider putting some effort into making sure your laundry room is in good shape. A home with a separate laundry room is one of the top features homebuyers are currently looking for in a new home. But even if your home doesn’t have a separate laundry room, making sure the laundry area you do have looks as efficient as possible can help make a good impression on a potential homebuyer.