New homeowners may have heard that winterization is important, but in the hubbub of your first year living in a home you own (finally!), it can be easy to overlook the need to prepare for the cold weather ahead. After all, it’s just not something renters deal with; prepping pipes for winter is often the landlord’s job. Ideally, you should winterize your pipes in the fall, before winter seriously sets in. But if you’ve forgotten and all of a sudden you’re in the middle of a deep freeze, there’s still time to prevent disaster. Here are some … (0 comments)
winter: 12 Ways to Make Your House Brighter in Winter
- 11/09/18 10:40 AM
Meet you under the skylight, on the white sofa, with a cream cheese brownie. Fall and winter start cozy — who hasn’t used the colder temperatures as an excuse to binge-watch Netflix while swaddled in a couch blanket? But come January, staying indoors can feel less like a treat and more like you’re living in a cave. Here’s how to make your house lighter, brighter, and cheerier. #1 Take the Screens Off Your Windows You’ll get 30% more sunlight shining indoors without screens on your windows. Here’s the best part: Sunlight warms your room and saves you money on your heating bill. It’s solar power — for you! Be sure to store your … (1 comments)
winter: 3 Brilliant Hacks to Make Snow Shoveling Less Miserable!
- 12/07/16 06:58 PM
By: Jamie Wiebe Don’t break your back shoveling snow. Try these tips to make winter less of a burden. If you’re a homeowner in a snowy climate, chances are good you rue the winter: All that snow has to go somewhere, and it’s not getting there itself. Cue the snow shovel. Barring a move to a snow-free state or barricading your family inside all winter, there’s no way to avoid the endless task of shoveling snow. There are, however, ways to make the process much easier. Here are three simple hacks to make the morning after a snowfall much less stressful. 1. Spray Your Shovel … (4 comments)
winter: Make Your Home Cozy In The Winter Months!
- 10/27/15 03:43 AM
We’ve got more than 9 mood-lifting ideas to make your home more welcoming and efficient this winter. The dark days of winter can really do a number on your well-being. Shorter days trigger the blahs; freezing temps spark the sniffles. So we put together a list of ideas that’ll turn your home into a comfy haven. Cozy and Clever Energy Savers Here’s how to create a brighter and warmer home without using more energy or cranking up the thermostat. 1. Clean dirty light fixtures and dusty bulbs to make your home appear 30% brighter without turning on more lights. 2. … (2 comments)
winter: Farmers, October Storm Surprise: Get Ready for Wild Winter
- 10/31/11 11:26 PM
The Farmers’ Almanac is expecting some “clime and punishment” this winter, much like the October surprise snow storm that’s knocked out power to 3 million homes. Here’s how to prepare for the next big weather hit. Last week’s surprise snowstorm, which left 3 million people without power from Maryland through Maine, is just the beginning of what the Farmers’ Almanac is predicting to be an unusually cold and stormy winter. That could mean many days without power. So if you haven’t already bought a portable generator, now’s the time to purchase one at your local home center. And if you … (3 comments)
winter: Energy Monitors: Seeing is Believing — and Saving
- 10/28/11 12:50 AM
Posted on October 28, 2011 by Amy Mullen RE/MAX Energy monitors make managing your power consumption enjoyable and easy to do. And we’re using energy today! BRR! The Prius Effect in your living room Researchers have shown that the well-known hybrid car saves energy for two reasons: It efficiently uses both gasoline and electric power, and it also provides a display screen that lets drivers track their real-time MPG efficiency. Various environmental reports have suggested that home-based energy monitors have the same effect–keeping an eye on the display screens encourages savings of up to 10% of a home’s heating and cooling … (3 comments)
winter: Costs of Adding a Fireplace
- 10/14/11 12:59 AM
Everyone loves a fireplace…especially as we start the winter season here in New England but there is cost. Luckily there is still a tax credit too! Installing a wood-burning, gas-burning, gel-fuel, or electric fireplace to your house costs $400 to $10,000, depending on the type of fireplace you select. If your budget is really tight, a free-standing gel-fuel or electric fireplace eliminates installation costs. But be aware that some bare-bones alternatives don’t completely succeed in mimicking a real wood fire. Check local building codes for possible restrictions on the types of fireplaces that can be installed in your area. Costs of … (0 comments)
winter: Ready…set…WINTERIZE! Conduct Your Own Energy Audit
- 09/20/11 11:50 PM
Today feels warm and balmy but you know this time of year – it can turn on you in an instant! A do-it-yourself energy audit can teach you how to be more energy efficient and make you a more-educated consumer should you decide to hire an expert. What you’ll save on fixes By following up on problems, you can lower energy bills by 5% to 30% annually, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. With annual energy bills averaging $2,200, according to Energy Star, investing in fixes or energy-efficient replacement products could save you … (4 comments)
Even if you think they’ve already started to freeze.
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