December 2016 - albaninspect

US housing market bouncing back [Video]

After 2008, the housing market took multiple blows as homeowners defaulted on loans, residential values dipped drastically and a lack of job creation led to a stagnant sector. Since then, The Wall Street Journal reported that home buying has bounced back.

Roughly 5.5 million homes were sold in May of 2016, the most since February of 2007, according to available data gathered by the National Association of Realtors. Even with the jump in sales, the average home still sells $40,000 less now than it did in 2005.

The low national unemployment rate suggests these trends will continue, making it a competitive market for sellers. Get a step up on the competition and have your home inspected so you can obtain the price valuation you’re looking for.

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Homeowner’s guide to reducing energy consumption

When was the last time you took a long, hard look at how your home uses the energy you're paying for?

Energy consumption may not always be at the top of a homeowner's mind, but it's an important trait in any house. Whether it be natural gas or electricity, reducing utility use isn't just healthy for the environment, but it's beneficial for your wallet, as well.

Get the whole picture
First and foremost, schedule an energy audit. You can't know which changes will have the greatest effect if you don't have insight into exactly how your home uses its utilities. Nerd Wallet reported that an assessment only costs between $300 and $500, and provides the following:

Energy rating.
Energy efficiency number, also known as the Home Energy Rating System index.
Detailed information on how the aforementioned figure will improve based upon renovations you plan to make.

The typical newly built home is given a HERS rating of 100 and is used as a jumping off point for evaluating energy consumption, according to the Residential Energy Services Network. If your home receives a score of 80, that would mean it's 20 percent more energy efficient than the standard. Likewise, getting 120 would mean the house is 20 percent less efficient.

It's time to take some real steps to improving energy efficiency, instead of just unplugging appliances when they're not in use.

Time for a change
Now that you have an idea of how energy efficient your home is—and what changes will have a lasting impact—it's time to get started on improving your home. In terms of saving money, perhaps the most important upgrade you can make is installing a smart meter, the U.S. Department of Energy reported.

Utility providers upcharge for electricity used during peak hours, usually from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This means that running your dishwasher during the day while you're at work could be considerably more expensive than turning it on at night. A home energy management system allows you to program exactly when and how you want to use energy during the day and at night, giving you total control over how much you're charged.

With how far technology has advanced over the last few decades, the next part is easy—start installing energy efficient appliances. Be sure to check and compare the kilowatt per hour consumption of each new piece of equipment you buy with your old one, whether it be a dishwasher, clothes dryer or refrigerator. Nerd Wallet reported that just because it has the Energy Star certification, doesn't necessarily mean it's an improvement over what you already have in place.

Those looking to make energy efficiency improvements to sell their home may want to renovate the insulation or windows to trap more heat. While these can be expensive projects, energy-conscious homeowners will pay a premium for them and the savings over time will help to return the investment.

Finally, don't forget to take another look at your water heater, lighting, heating and cooling. According to the DOE, these can all have sizable impacts on how much energy your home consumes.

4 ways to improve home value

After a number of years in a down market, homesellers may now find their listing is just one of many in the area.

A burgeoning economy and steady job creation has led to both increased home value and a splurge in selling among homeowners, The Wall Street Journal reported. While there hasn't been a better opportunity to sell a house in the last five or so years, householder's will need to do everything possible to improve their residence's value—and separate it from the competition—before hitting the open market. Here are a few ways to do so:

1. Make green-friendly improvements
LEED certification is popular among commercial building owners, but residential homes can receive recognition as well. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED homes leverage safe, environmentally friendly building materials and appliances in an effort to reduce energy consumption, improve air quality and cut back on carbon emissions.

Some renovations are simple, like installing compact fluorescent lightbulbs, which trims electricity usage by up to 75 percent, Bankrate reported. Others, such as incorporating renewable energy or windows that efficiently trap heat in the home, could take more time, but are well worth it in the end.

2. Get advice from an expert
Flashy improvements can get buyers in the door, but a solid foundation prompts them to dot the i's and cross the t's. HGTV recommended getting a home inspection to identify any issues that aren't visible to the naked eye, like water leaks or termite damage.

Don't wait until the house is on the market to get an inspection—getting out ahead of any minor interior issues can be a selling point to a homebuyer trying to decide between two or more homes.

Make sure the front yard is in pristine condition.

3. Do some yard work
Buyers looking at a number of different homes might do a drive-by test to narrow down the list. If someone were to give the front of your home a quick glance, would it stand out from the crowd in a good or bad way?

Spend some time cutting the grass, trimming any trees or bushes and giving the exterior of the home a fresh new coat of paint. HGTV reported that these types of improvements are low effort, high reward. For the cost of a Saturday afternoon, you can ensure your home entices any would-be buyers to add it to their list of houses to tour.

4. Find the right price
Often times, it isn't a lack of effort on the sellers part that lowers a home's value, but instead a mistake. According to Consumer Reports, mistakes made when listing a home can cost up to 20 percent of the house's value.

Spend time vetting local real estate agents—jumping into a professional relationship with a bad company could bring on mistakes that ultimately devalue your home. Similarly, the source reported that pricing your residence well above market value could dissuade buyers, and lead realtors to stop showing your home. Conduct research on residential prices in the area and figure out what the right asking price for your place is.

5 home improvement projects perfect for winter

There's nothing better than waking up early on a Saturday during the dog days of summer to get started on a few home improvement projects, but don't discount what you can get done during winter either.

Truth is, this time of year is perfect for interior renovations, while warmer weather is better served for sprucing up the exterior. Here are a few projects you can get done even if it's snowing outside:

1. Find the leaks
Paying unusually high utility bills lately? This could be due to a couple of hidden air leaks around the home, according to U.S. News and World Report. Small holes found along your walls, especially in spots near outlets or vents, could be contributing to heat loss, which can add anywhere between a 15 and 35 percent premium to your bill, the source reported.

Grab a tube of caulk and a can of Great Stuff from your local hardware store and start hunting for those cracks. Use the foam as an insulator, apply caulk judiciously to patch up the hole, sand it down and paint over it if need be to give it the finishing touch.

2. Tackle the bathroom
You've always been saying how you want to give the tile grout a thorough cleaning—and now's your chance. Be sure to set aside some time to tackle the annual deep-cleaning bathroom tasks everyone tends to put off until they no longer can.

Grab both a stainless steel and a sponge scrub and your favorite disinfectants, then make sure you get to all of the built up mildew, dirt, dust, rust and everything in-between.

"Take advantage of material and appliance discounts during the winter."

3. Give the kitchen a new look
You don't need the warm weather to update your kitchen and spin it into a more modern design. McClurg, a design and building agency, reported that homeowners can take advantage of the discounts on materials and appliances often given in the winter—it isn't until springtime that everyone begins to make home improvements, and that's when retailers hike up the prices.

4. Clean the clutter
Why wait until spring to start cleaning? When the thermometer starts rising in temperature, you should be spending time outdoors, not digging ancient relics out of every nook and cranny. Quicken Loans recommended focusing on closets, the mudroom and other high-traffic areas.

If you plan on selling your home in the approaching months, consider going one step further and getting all of your warm-weather cleaning out of the way. As long as there isn't any snow on the ground, you should have no problem tidying up the place. With a major hurdle out of the way, you can go ahead and list it as soon as the first leaf starts to show.

5. Spice up the interior
Painting is perhaps the most fitting indoor project that can be accomplished during the winter. Give your home a brand new feel by dedicating a weekend to a room that needs a new coat, or a totally different direction in color. Painting can provide a new spin for houses of any age, and it's a fun home-improvement activity to boot.

The snowbird guide to home winterization

Every year, countless people migrate south to get away from the cold temperatures, leaving their homes in the north to face some rough winter weather.

Even if you have just one residence or multiple properties, clothes shouldn't be the only thing packed up before you leave for an extended period. Failure to winterize your house ahead of time could lead to accelerated deterioration—and a high bill to pay when you return from vacation.

Can't figure out where to begin? Don't worry, we've got you covered.

Laying the groundwork
Before you even begin thinking about what to pack up or take down, you first need to suspend most of your home services. This includes:

Forwarding mail to a post-office box or a neighbor's home.
Canceling or pausing phone, cable and internet.
Stopping the water bill.

Not only will these steps save you some money in the long run, but they help to create an appearance that someone is home to ward off would-be thieves. A pile of mail at the front door is like a red carpet for prowlers, but a clean pathway coupled with a motion sensor front door light—or one that's on a timer—deters most from trying to break in, Travelers Insurance reported.

Setting a motion sensor or timed light can help deter prowlers.

Heavy-duty work
Now that the groundwork is laid out, it's time to get your hands dirty. Remember that water service you canceled? You're not all set just because you stopped paying the bill. Now you have to flush the system.

Find the main valve where water flows into your home and turn that off, as well as the electricity to the water heater. Now you'll want to drain the system at every endpoint—sinks, toilets and appliances. Property Casualty 360 recommended contacting a professional if you don't have a great handle on how to do this. If you do it yourself, make sure you remember to fill the pipe traps with antifreeze to prevent cracking or bursting. Workshop On Wheels reported that homeowners should use the nontoxic propylene glycol mixture of antifreeze.

"Don't forget to fill the pipe traps with antifreeze."

Take time to clean your home's exterior and interior to remove any debris. Get leaves out of the gutter, seal off the flue to the chimney and trim any branches you think could put a hole in the roof during a storm. At this point, you want to be proactive with your cleaning. As Murphy's Law states, anything that could go wrong, likely will go wrong.

Since you're already in cleaning mode, this is a good chance to canvas the home for maintenance needs. This includes general cleaning, greasing door hinges and fixing anything that just needs a simple turn of the bolt to get it working again. Cold weather can exacerbate many minor repairs—especially if rust is involved.

If you're leaving your vehicles at the house, don't forget to winterize those as well. Many people forget to add fuel stabilizer before they go on an extended trip, and return to a car that won't start.

Before you set the timers
It's likely your home is looking all set to take a vacation of its own at this point, but before you lock it up one last time, there are a few last-minute tasks to do. Make sure to unplug all appliances in the household. Don't forget to defrost the freezer!

Make sure all windows are closed and locked, as well as the doors. Ensure the smoke detectors are in working order, and take one last look around the home before you head out. Making a list of everything that needs to be unplugged—there's a lot—can help put your mind at ease.

Turn on your home alarm system before you leave, then take one last look before driving to the airport to board your plane. Winterizing your home is as simple as that, and you'll give yourself a pat on the back for doing so the next time your home is inspected.