2006 Sellers Home Energy Inefficiencies Can Sour Buyers
Chicago,IL (ContentDesk) January 3, 2006 -- Forget the real estate bubble, energy prices are primary concern for homebuyers. Stung by rising mortgage rates and higher commuting costs from recent increases at the pump, homebuyers in the last three months have paid extra attention to energy costs during their home searches. "From my experience and hearing client reports as they look for seasonal homes in southern climates, natural gas, heating oil and electricity costs have moved dramatically up the list as potential deal-killers," according to Mark Nash in his fourth real estate book, "1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home".
Sellers should be prepared for buyer inquiries about energy consumption and efficiency improvements. Energy questions apply to condominiums and single-family homes.
The following are some do's and don'ts from Mark Nash's new book:Do's:--Provide the last three months electric and natural gas/heating oil bills. Buyers appreciate pro-active sellers providing these costs without asking. Buyers can usually can energy history from utility companies.-Be honest about how you set the temperature in your home. If you blast your furnace for a new baby or practice conservation let buyers know. Disclose that you have turned the thermostat down on the hot water or pool heater too.-If you have your pool opened up for showings and have a solar cover, let buyers know.
Pool energy costs are a second-tier energy expense to buyers.-Install a programmable thermostat if you don't already have one. Buyers look for this telltale sign of energy-awareness .--Make readily available manuals from energy star appliances (appliances that significantly exceed the minimum national efficiency standards).
Save yellow energy use labels from furnaces, hot water heaters and appliances.-Inform buyers that you have solar-energy systems. Buyers might miss these systems while taking in other features of your home on their first visit.-Disclose active or abandoned buried oil storage tanks. Most state residential property disclosure laws require sellers to inform buyers of the location, size and age of tanks.-Display furnace and air-conditioning service histories.
Buyers love to see maintenance records.-Verify that all radiators valves work properly. Buyers love the even heat from this old system but want to know that they can control heat levels. Buy radiator valve keys at the local hardware store.-Provide receipts from recent insulation or window replacement projects. Highlight special features such a double glazing and low-e coatings.-Reports from energy audits on your home completed by your utility company.Don'ts:- Forget to replace your furnace filter once a month. Home inspectors and home shouldn't discover filthy filters.
Ditto water filters in your refrigerator and sink. Check dryer and range-hood filters too.-Cover windows and doors with plastic sheeting. Buyers want to see views and use doors on property tours. Plastic coated windows looks like a energy band-aid. Boomers remember the coated couches and lamp shades.-Pile straw bales around the foundation.
Buyers consider this a quick fix for problem crawlspaces. -Close all the blinds to save air-conditioning costs when showing your home. You won't sell your house if it is dark and closed up for property showings or buyers have to fumble in the dark for lights.-Remember to vacuum floor vents and ventilation supply ductwork. Many a homebuyer has moved-on from pet-hair tumbleweed coming from the bowels of a heating system.-Leave exhaust vents running in bathrooms and kitchens during home showings. They suck the heat out and appear wasteful to buyers.-Neglect covering window air-conditioners in the off season.
Drafty air-conditioning units aren't a selling plus and emit outside noises . Don;t forget to clean filters on window units.-Ignore installing storm windows during heating season. Buyers need to see that you have storm windows for maximum heat retention. Make the screens visually available. Buyers always ask about them and sometimes verify the number matches window and door count.-Disregard build up of dust on refrigerator and freezer coils.
Move appliances out and vacuum before listing your home . Mr. and Ms. clean-obsessed buyer might question overall home maintenance at a home inspection if they discover excessive debris around refrigerators and freezers.Mark Nash's fourth real estate book, "1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home" (2005), and working as a real estate broker in Chicago are the foundation for his consumer-centric real estate perspective which has been featured on CBS The Early Show, Bloomberg TV, Chicago Sun Times, Fidelity Investors Weekly, Dow Jones Market Watch, MSNBC.com, The New York Times, Realty Times, Universal Press Syndicate and USA Today..
Easy Clean Steps for Carpet Spots and Spills
8 STEPS TO USE FOR ALL CARPET SPOTS & STAINS
1. Treat spills and stains immediately. The longer the spot remains in the carpet, the more difficult it will be to remove. Remove spots before they dry.
2. Blot up as much of the spot a possible using a clean absorbent white towel or paper towel.
If the spot is solid or semi-solid, scrape up with a spatula or rounded spoon. Be careful not to damage the carpet fibers. If the stain is solid, vacuum away as much as possible.
3. Next pretest any spot removal agent in an inconspicuous area of the carpet to make certain it will not damage the carpet fibers or dye.
4. To remove the spot, apply a small amount of cleaning solution to the stain or to a white absorbent towel and gently blot away the spot.
Do not use a very soapy solution as it will be difficult to completely remove and the residue left in the carpet will re-soil more rapidly. Keep applying solution to a fresh area of the towel and continue...
Easy Clean Steps for Carpet Spots and Spills
Vacuum cleaners > Easy Clean Steps for Carpet Spots and Spills
Brevard's White Squirrel Predicts Long Summer
BREVARD, NC (ContentDesk) June 4, 2004 --
Pisgah Polly, Brevard, N.C.'s famous white squirrel, predicted a long lazy summer by sniffing and savoring, rather than digging and burying, a pile of nuts.
"Her indifference to her own innate drive to gather, store and bury nuts certainly points to a lengthy and enjoyable summer vacation period" said Brevard Mayor Jimmy Harris.
The prognostication was made over Memorial Day weekend, at the height of the 1st Annual Brevard White Squirrel Festival in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains.
While several local meteorologists were invited to come and match skills against Polly, apparently they were intimidated by the animal's uncanny forecasting capabilities.
Calls to local weather stations and Punxsutawney Phil were not returned.
It's believed that Polly's forecast is actually based on consultations she had, previous to her prediction, with the other 800 white squirrels in and around downtown...
Brevard's White Squirrel Predicts Long Summer
Vacuum cleaners > Brevard's White Squirrel Predicts Long Summer
Zapp It Bowling Products Making Strides in the Bowling Industry
Zapp It Bowling Products has released it's first product to the marketplace.
The development of Zapp It Bowling Ball Cleaner is the first step to providing quality products that actually work.
This product has been tested and approved by the American Bowling Congress.
In their letter of approval to Zapp It Bowling Products, they state that even prolonged application of this product will not harm the surface of a bowling ball.There are many bowling ball cleaners on the market today.
Many of these products only give the appearance of cleaning.
While they appear to be removing black substance from your bowling ball, what you are really seeing is oxidation from the chemicals in the product being exposed to the air.
Some of these cleaners leave microscopic cracks on the surface of the ball not visible to the naked eye. Using these cleaners, the replacement of a bowling ball is necessary much sooner than it should be.Zapp It Bowling Ball...
Vacuum cleaners > Zapp It Bowling Products Making Strides in the Bowling Industry
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