Is Your Home Ready For The Holidays?

I'm lucky and have a guest room always ready for out-of-town or holiday guests. But even with a dedicated space, preparing my home for the annual onslaught of friends and family takes time and forethought.

Some preparations for holiday guests take only a few minutes; some take a lot longer. My advice: Start preparing your home for the holidays now.

Prioritize

The day before guests arrive is no time to pull apart junk drawers and clean out linen closets. Declutter guest rooms and public areas — foyer, kitchen, living room, den, and dining room. Remove anything unnecessary from countertops, coffee tables, and ottomans; if it’s out of sight, keep it out of mind, for now.

If you run short of time, bag up the clutter and store it in car trunks, basements, and out-of-the-way closets. Sort and arrange after your guests depart.

Safety

Light the way: Even though you can navigate your home blindfolded, your guests can’t. Make sure outside lights are working so they don’t trip on the way to your door. Put motion-activated night lights in hallways, bathrooms, and bedrooms to ensure safe passage after the sun sets.

Child proofing: Ask parents to bring hardware that keeps their small ones safe, such as baby gates and cabinet locks. Transfer toxic cleaners and medicines from base to wall cabinets. Hide matches and lighters.

Fire prevention: If you didn’t freshen smoke detector batteries when you switched the clocks to Daylight Savings Time, change them now. After your guests arrive, run a quick fire drill: Make sure they can locate exits and fire extinguishers, and that they know how to open windows and doors.

Entryway upgrades

Your home’s foyer is the first place guests see, so make a good first impression.

Upgrade exterior entry doors or give old doors a new coat of paint. Polish and tighten door hardware, and oil hinges to prevent squeaks.

Remove scratches from hardwood floors, stairs, and wood railings. Place a small rug or welcome mat at the entrance to protect floors from mud and snow.

Clear out shoes, umbrellas, and other clutter.

Add extra hooks to walls so guests can hang coats and hats.

Add a storage bench where guests can remove boots and shoes.

Kitchen prep

Your kitchen is command central during the holidays, so make sure it’s ready for guests and extra helpers.

To increase storage, install a pot rack to clear cooking items off countertops and ranges.

Move your coffee station into a family room so guests don’t crowd the kitchen when you’re trying to fix meals.

If you like to visit while you’re cooking, place extra stools and chairs around the perimeter of your kitchen so guests can set a spell.

Sleeping arrangements

If you’ve got a guest room, replace the ceiling fixture with a ceiling fan and light combo, which helps guests customize their room temperature without fiddling with the thermostat for the entire house.

To carve sleeping space out of public areas, buy a folding screen or rolling bookcase, which will provide privacy for sleepers. Fold or roll it away in the morning.

Bathroom storage

Bring toilet paper, towels, and toiletries out of hiding, and place them on open shelves so guests can find them easily.

If you don’t have enough wall space for shelves, place these items in open baskets around the bathroom.

Also, outfit each tub with a bath mat (to avoid falls) and each toilet with a plunger (to avoid embarrassment).

What tips do you have for getting ready for guests this holiday season?

Safety Tips for Decorating This Holiday Season

Holiday Decorating Tips

Christmas trees are involved in about 300 fires annually, resulting in 10 deaths, 30 injuries and an average of about $10 million in property damage and loss. In addition, there are more than 13,000 candle-related fires each year, which result in 140 deaths and $205 million in property loss.

Holiday decorations, like candles, lights and Christmas trees, add a joyous and festive mood to the holiday season. But when these decorations are not used properly, they can cause fires, injuries and death.

Each year, hospital emergency rooms treat about 12,500 people for falls, cuts, shocks, and burns due to incidents involving faulty holiday lights, dried-out Christmas trees and other holiday decorations.

To prevent these injuries, the Consumer Protection Safety Commission (CPSC) monitors holiday lights and other decorations sold at stores and on the Internet. CPSC works with the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection to identify and detain unsafe holiday light sets posing fire risks from being distributed in the U.S.

"The flickering light of candles can add beauty and tradition to the holidays," said CPSC Chairman Stratton. "However, when left unattended or within a child's reach, burning candles can turn your celebration into tragedy. Following a few simple safety tips can help prevent holiday decoration-related fires."

CPSC suggests following these tips to make your holiday a safe one.

Trees

• When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire, it does indicate the tree is more resistant to burning.
• When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent between your fingers. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.
• When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Because heated rooms dry live trees out rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.

Lights

• Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory, such as UL or ETL. This indicates conformance with safety standards. Use only lights that have plugs containing fuses.
• Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Throw out damaged sets. Always replace burned-out bulbs promptly with the same wattage bulbs.
• If using an extension cord, make sure it is rated for the intended use.
• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
• Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.
• Stay away from power or feeder lines leading from utility poles into older homes.
• Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect the lights from wind damage. Use only insulated staples (not nails or tacks) to hold strings in place. Or, run strings of lights through hooks (available at hardware stores).
• Turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.
• Use caution when removing outdoor holiday lights. Never pull or tug on lights – this could cause stress on the connections that could create a fire hazard.
• Outdoor electric lights and decorations should be plugged into circuits protected by ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) to protect against electric shock. Portable outdoor GFCIs can be purchased where electrical supplies are sold. GFCIs can also be installed permanently to household circuits by a qualified electrician.

Candles and Other Decorations

• Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.
• Keep burning candles within sight.
• Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles out of reach of children and pets.
• In homes with small children, take special care to avoid sharp or breakable decorations, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children who could swallow or inhale small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.
• To avoid eye and skin irritation, wear gloves when decorating with spun glass "angel hair."
• To avoid lung irritation, follow container directions carefully while decorating with artificial snow sprays.

Fireplaces:

• Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that, if eaten, can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting. Keep them away from children.
• Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. Wrappings can ignite suddenly and burn intensely, resulting in a flash fire.
• Place a screen around your fireplace to prevent sparks from igniting nearby flammable materials.

Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission

5 Tips to Increase Your Home's Value

Housing prices may have dropped in your neighborhood, but there are smart ways to invest in your home right now to help hold its value. Here's what veteran real estate professionals from around the country have to say about what home improvement projects pay off, whether you are selling now or in the future.

1. Create Space
Knock out a non-structural wall, or even remove that kitchen island. Anything that opens the space and creates a sense of flow in the house is generating a response from buyers who can afford to be choosy. For the price of a few hundred dollars, you'll transform the feel of the house. "Right now buyers want a wide open floor plan, the living room right off the kitchen. They are into big spaces," says Kristin Wellins, Senior Manager of Program Development for ERA Real Estate.

Seattle broker Reba Haas says a kitchen island can be an asset, creating needed storage space. But if the kitchen has enough cabinets, it could pay to haul the island away. Haas says homeowners might want to consider a moveable island. "You can adjust them to you needs," she explains.

2. Landscape, Prune and Limb

Tangled trees and unkempt bushes can obscure views, darken interiors, promote mold, and block a good look at the house.

"People forget about their trees more than almost anything," says Roger Voisinet, a thirty-year veteran of the Charlottesville, Virginia real estate market. Yet, landscaping is one of the top three investments that bring the biggest return. According to a 2007 survey of 2,000 brokers conducted by HomeGain, an online real estate marketing site, an investment of around $400 or $500 dollars in landscaping, can bring a return of four times that. "It could really make a significant difference in the price. Nobody likes to spend money, but landscaping might even be the most important thing, even if owners have kept up the house," says Voisinet.

Reba Haas agrees, "Overgrown landscaping is a problem at all price points." Haas says it hurts with marketing too. "People say, 'Where's the house?" If buyers can't see what they are getting, they just move right on." 

And if neglected, mother nature may go wild at considerable cost. Voisinet looked at one house recently where a fallen limb from a poorly cared for tree caused $2,000 in damage.

3. Let in the Light

The number one item on the 2007 HomeGain survey, lighting—everything from a dimmer switch to the increasingly popular sun tubes—noticeably enhances a home's appeal. California broker Robert Bailey says, "Dimmers allow you to create a mood." 

He's a booster of sun tubes, too. Less expensive than framing in a skylight, sun tubes—also known as light pipes, sunscoops, and tubular skylights—use reflective material to funnel natural light from a globe-capped hole cut in a rooftop down through a ceiling fixture and into a room. Bailey says, with tubular skylights, sunlight is nice, and moonlight is even nicer. "I'm putting six of them in my house. I don't need a skylight, but I do want the natural light." 

A few other ways to light things up: Fix broken panes, make sure windows open, and consider lights that use motion detectors to turn themselves off. Remember high wattage bulbs make small spaces feel larger, and soft lighting brings warmth to empty spaces. 

4. Maintain Your Home

Before thinking about a fancy upgrade to the kitchen, address the basics. Insulate the attic, repair plumbing leaks, replace rusty rain gutters, inspect the furnace and the septic system, replace or repair leaky windows, install storm doors, weed the flower beds. As broker Robert Bailey says, "What you don't notice as a weed, I see as a weekend of work." 

These kinds of fixes go a long way toward value. Jessica Gopalakrishnan with HomeGain says, "Starting with a couple hundred dollars on a few things could increase the value of your house by a few thousand dollars. People are surprised by that. It's exciting. People think they have to put in a lot of money to see a big difference and they really don't." 

Investing in maintenance and repairs is not only moneywise; could also be crucial to a sale. Brokers and agents from across the country say the houses that get attention in this buyers market are in tip-top shape. John Veneris, the regional vice president of the National Association of Realtors in Downers Grove, Illinois, says, "What's important in this market, now more than ever, because there is so much inventory, the houses that sell are in pristine condition and are priced to the market." 

5. Go Green

If maintenance and repairs are in hand, Virginia broker Roger Voisinet says put the greenbacks into green efficiency. If your heating or air conditioning systems are old, "new ones are so much better, with savings of up to 30 to 40%." Another example he points to: for $7,000 for the unit and installation, with $2,100 back in green tax credits, a solar-powered water heater could save you as much as 80% on your water-heating bills. 

Research published by The Appraisal Journalestimates that energy savings add twenty times the annual savings to the value of your property. Though Roger Voisenet cautions, "a lot of appraisers don't know that yet," he says buyers appreciate now what appraisers will recognize later: Energy savers make your house more desirable. Says Seattle broker Reba Haas, "Do the update green, because everyone is now, for the first time in five years, asking about the utilities."

TIPS to Save Up to $20k Within 2 Years to Purchase a New Home

Making the move from renter to homeowner is challenging for nearly everyone, and the highest hurdle for most first-time buyers is saving enough money for a down payment. If your No. 1 priority in the next few years is to become a homeowner, financial experts say you'll likely need to make some aggressive moves to cut your spending, boost your income, or both.

The National Association of Realtors reported that the national median home price in June 2013 was $199,900 (and prices are rising again). For the purposes of this article, we assume that your goal is to buy a house in two years with a 10 percent down payment of $20,000.

To get started, set a timeline and break up your savings goals, suggests Anna Behnam, an Ameriprise financial advisor in Rockville, Md. To save $20,000 in two years, you'll need to save $833 a month for the next 24 months.

"Create an account that will hold only savings designated for your new home," Behnam suggests. "This can help keep you organized and track your progress."

Start Big

If you're truly committed to buying a home and can handle some big changes in lifestyle, you could move in with family for a defined period of time. You could also move to a smaller apartment.

"Going from a two-bedroom to a one-bedroom can drop your rent by 25 to 30 percent, depending on where you live," says Rob Jupille, president of RTJ Financial Management in Los Angeles. "If you have a spare room, take in a renter until you save what you need."

Another possible lifestyle change is to bring in more income by working overtime if possible or taking on another job.


Timothy Murray, a certified financial planner and owner of Murray Financial in Chantilly, Va., suggests looking for a job doing something that interests you outside of your current career, such as working at a Lowe's or Home Depot if you're a home improvement enthusiast or want to learn more about how to take care of the home you plan to buy.

"If your savings goal is aggressive, you may decide that you're willing to make large trade-offs to meet your goal," says Behnam.

For a significant boost to your down-payment fund, consider more substantial cost-cutting and money-raising measures, such as selling your current car and trading down to a lower-cost vehicle.

Small Steps That Add Up to Big Savings

Finding other expenditures to trim requires creating a household budget to see where your money is going.

Some of the easier expenses to reduce or eliminate include new clothes, shoes, and other stuff; daily expenses like your morning specialty coffee; monthly expenses like a Netflix subscription; and gas and parking costs (consider carpooling or take public transportation), Behnam says.

"Keep in mind when you're in super-saver mode to ask yourself out loud, 'Do I need this or want it?' before you buy anything," says Behnam. "Shop in physical stores if possible (rather than online) and use physical cash rather than credit."

Take a critical look at all of your expenditures -- gym memberships, vacations, entertainment -- to see where you can cut back to meet your savings goal. While you don't want to drain all the enjoyment out of your life, you can keep spending in check without sacrificing much. For example, if you like to go to restaurants with friends, Murray says, limit your meals out to one a week, and invite friends over for potlucks instead.

Retirement Savings vs. Funding a Down Payment

If you're contributing more to your 401(k) than the company will match, temporarily scale back your contribution to the company match for a couple of years and put that extra cash in your down payment fund, suggests Jupille.

Scott Cramer, a financial planner and president of Cramer & Rauchegger in Maitland, Fla., says you might want to consider boosting your IRA contributions so you can use the funds for your down payment.

"The first-home exemption rule allows individuals to use up to $10,000 in IRA funds toward the purchase of a first home without incurring the 10 percent early withdrawal penalty that applies to withdrawals made from a traditional IRA before age 59½," says Cramer. "If you're married, you and your spouse can each pull from your retirement accounts, giving you $20,000."

Before you do this, though, be aware that even though the penalty is waived, you have to pay income taxes on the withdrawal. A Roth IRA withdrawal is considered a "qualified distribution" if you've had the account for at least five years, and Roth IRA withdrawals are tax-free, Cramer says.

Where to Stash Your Cash

When you're saving for a short-term goal, financial experts recommend you stick with a low-risk investment such as a high-yield savings account or a CD. A credit union or an online bank usually offers better interest rates on savings than most traditional banks.

While it is tempting to invest your down-payment savings for a higher return, be aware that there's always a risk that an investment will lose money. Murray says that the rate of return on your down payment savings is less important than making sure the money is available when you need it.

Whether your goal is to buy a house or meet some other financial obligation, you'll need discipline and an aggressive savings plan to achieve it. But following the savings tips above will help put your goal within reach
.

10 Ways To Winterize Your Home and Save Money

1. Seal The Gaps

Seal gaps and cracks in your foundation and walls. To prevent chilly air and sneaky rodents from coming inside, invest in foam and caulk. “It doesn’t take much to get rid of that outdoor draft that comes in,” says Cregier. To fill larger openings, use Great Stuff, an expanding foam filler that comes out of an aerosol can. (You can paint, sand, and stain it.) Around windows and doors, try a white, paintable caulk like GE Supreme Silicone. It should stay soft, so you can peel it off easily if you make mistakes, plus, it should last many years, says Segur.

2. Program the thermostat
Invest in a modern, programmable thermostat. Then set it to automatically turn the heat down when you’re not home — and up before you return to your nest. The gizmo can cost as little as $19. Shell out $250 for a fancy one that lets you program the temperature from your smartphone, suggests Segur. Keep it around 65 degrees while you’re at work, but no lower. “If you want it to go from 50 to 70, your furnace is going to have to work twice as hard,” he warns.

3. Keep the slush outsideA doormat with a rough texture helps remove mud and gunk from shoes before guests enter the house. Even more, a hard plastic boot tray and rubber mat will prevent water and salt from damaging wood floors, says Segur. No mudroom? No problem. “You can improvise by using stacked wire or laminate cubes by your entrance door,” says Cregier. Let your kids pick out one or two cubes apiece (from stores like Home Depot or Bed, Bath & Beyond) and ask them to stow their boots in one, and mittens and scarves in another, she suggests. Mix and match colors, or spray paint them at home.

4. Upgrade your Doors & WindowsDouble- and triple-pane windows are more energy efficient. To prevent drafts, buy a storm door with full glass. A good one can run from $69 to $600, plus $149 for installation, says Segur. Consider low-emissivity (or low-E) window glass treated with an invisible metallic coating that saves energy, reflects heat, and cuts down the UV rays that damage furniture. “It’s kind of like putting sunglasses on your window,” says Anna Marie Mavrakis, president of Mavrakis Construction and Cottage Draperies & Interiors in Canton, Ohio, and president of IDS.
For an inexpensive option, place a removable polyurethane film called Frost Kingon the inside of your windowpanes for the winter. Arm yourself with a hair dryer, which will shrink and pull the clear plastic tight so it won’t show wrinkles, says Segur. (Expect to spend about 15 minutes per window.) And invest in insulating-but-still-attractive window treatments, such as curtains with linings or wood blinds, says Mavrakis, who recommends the Graber line.

5. Add InsulationInsulation reduces drafts, cuts down on heating costs, and reduces sound, says Virginia Cameron, president of AC&R Insulation in Elkridge, Maryland. Make sure insulation is installed in your attic and basement, and around pipes. If you’re unsure whether you need any, hire an insulation professional to assess your home. Sometimes you can see how much you already have by taking off an electrical plate and fishing around beside it with a plastic (not metal) crochet hook, adds Cameron.The main insulation options are foam, fiberglass (which resembles pink cotton candy), and cellulose (which looks like old newspaper). If you’re planning to install cellulose yourself, wear a mask because it’s dusty. Fiberglass and cellulose run around $2,500 per house, while foam, the gold standard, can cost about $4,000.

6. Invest and Stock up on Heat TapeYou can run heat tape around the edge of a roof or around the bottom of your gutter to prevent ice from forming. It comes in 60- and 100-foot sections, which essentially look like an extension cord. Keep in mind that you need at least one outdoor electrical outlet for it to work, says Segur.

7. Don't forget the chimney
Buy a new rack for your wood if yours has become misshapen from the heat. Otherwise, it won’t burn as well because oxygen can’t reach all sides of the fire. Hire a professional chimney sweep; or get aCreosote log, which contains a chemical that eats away at soot, and buy a big, wire brush. Remember to close the flue so that heat doesn’t escape, and look for cracked bricks (or get a pro to do it). During the cold months, consider rearranging your living room and angling the sofa toward the fireplace, says Cregier.

8. Move Plants IndoorsPotted plants don’t like being outside in less than 50 degrees, says horticulturist Kathie Hayden, manager of the plant information service at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois. “Most of your houseplants are tropical, and they just won’t thrive in temperatures that low.” Relocate your flowers gradually. “Try to do it slowly so you don’t shock the plants,” says Hayden. “Bring them in at night to begin with. Then take them back out.” This “lessens the blow” and decreases leaf loss, she says.Beware of bringing fungal diseases into your house, though. “Inspect your plants for insect problems,” says Cregier. If you see any, hose off the plants with a forceful spray of water. If that fails, try insecticidal soap from the garden store. Prune any trees close to your house so that ice doesn’t build up, crack branches, and land on your gutters or roof, says Cregier. Sometimes the “snow load” can damage branches of boxwoods, says Hayden. One fun way to keep branches together: Wrap holiday lights around them to provide support.

9. Break out the cozy throws
“Add layers to your indoor decorating, much like you do with your fall and winter fashion,” says Cregier. Textured throw pillows and blankets can serve as “pops of bright colors” to combat dreary days. A trend to try this year? “The natural alpaca throws are big this winter season,” she adds.Protect cold toes walking across tile and ceramic floors with rugs or mats, says Segur. Textiles also cut down on slip-and-falls if water or ice gets tracked indoors.

10. Conduct an energy audit
To find a trained technician who can help you figure out where you’ve got leaks and cracks and how you could get the most bang for your buck, visit the Building Performance Institute’s site. For more info on how to save money, check out the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Database of State Incentives for Renewable & Efficiency. Lastly, learn about local Energy Star programs. Its site also answers questions, such as whether you can add new insulation on top of old. (The answer: Yes — unless it is wet, because then you may wind up with mildewed or rotted ceiling and roof rafters.)

For more information on winterizing your home or to receive a free-no obligation comparative market analysis of your current home, contact Carla Woodard at (770) 390 - 8160 or visit www.CarlaWoodardHomes.com

Article courtesy of Karen Springen for Good Housekeeping

Carla Woodard Homes Presents: 10 Ways to Save $$$ on your electric bill this Winter

This past week has marked a turning point in the South with temperatures noticeably dropping and long sleeves and pants making their comeback out of the depths of our closets. I routinely see my electric bill almost double during the winter while I switch on my home's electric heating unit.  Electricity costs can eat up a substantial portion of your monthly budget if you are not careful.  Households that use heating oil and gas do not fair much better either.  In fact the average home using heating oil spends over $320 per month and gas users pay over $160 each month according to Money Magazine.  But, there are ways that you can curb the cost of electricity, lower your heating costs, and save on your electric bill this winter. Below are ten easy and simple ways to keep the drafts out of your home and your wallet this winter while you save on your electric bill.

1. Add Weather Stripping To Your Doors

If you can slip a sheet of paper under your door frame or between the frame and the door itself, then the gap is too wide and you are losing precious warm air to the outside elements. You are essentially trying to heat the whole neighborhood like our parents always complained about when we were growing up. One way to solve this problem is by installing door sweeps and weather stripping that can block the draft and keep your warm air inside.

2. Insolate Your Attic

One of the biggest places that you lose the battle of hot air escaping from your home is where you enter your attic. Those little doors and drop down stairs are horrible energy wasters. One of the best ways that you can save on your electric bill and fix the problem is by installing an attic tent that securely fits over the hatch, and you can zip and unzip it to enter your attic when needed.

3. Free Home Energy Audits

Many electricity companies offer home energy audits that can help you locate where some of your heat is escaping your house and raising your electricity bill. Some electricity companies offer an online version of the audit, and others even come out to conduct a comprehensive in-home version. If you make big upgrades to your home, many states offer incentives for those improvements that can save you almost 75% or more of the upgrades.

4. Replace Your Most Used Light Bulbs With CFLs

This is a simple tip that you constantly hear from frugality experts. But, replacing even just the light bulbs of your two or three most used lights in your house with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and help you to see a drop in your electric bill by $40 per light bulb over the course of its lifetime. CFLs use 75% less power than a standard light bulb and last up to six times longer too. While these bulbs are expensive, you don’t have to replace all the bulbs in your house. For example, when was the last time you turned on the lights in your formal living room? You can save on your electric bill by adding these innovative lights.

5. Purchase An Programmable Thermostat

Have you ever wondered why you fully heat your house while you are at work or while you are on vacation? If you had an automatic programmable thermostat installed in your home, you could set it to increase the temperature right before you got home from work in the winter and to decrease it right after you left in the morning. You can set it to do the opposite in the summer of course too which will help you save on your electric bill.

6. Monitor Your Energy Usage With Gadgets

Do you know how much energy you use by leaving your computer in standby mode? Have you ever wondered how much it actually costs you when your children leave their bedroom lights on while they are at school? You can find out the cost of all your energy usage with devices such as the “Kill A Watt” Electricity Usage Monitor that plugs into your electric box or even small gadgets that plug right into your walls and appliances. You can purchase Electricity Usage Monitors like this one for as little as $25 on Amazon. Knowing exactly how much something costs to run or leave on will make you think twice about leaving it running in the background or while you are away.

7. Wash Your Clothes In Cold Water

Heating water accounts for a large percentage of your energy usage. Switching from washing your clothes in hot water to cold water can save you over 40 cents per load. If you wash as many clothes as my family of four, then that can add up to some real savings over the course of a year that you save on your electric bill.

8. Turn Down Your Water Heater’s Temperature

Having an efficient Energy Star rated water heater can save you up to $300 on your electricity bill each year. Turning down the temperature on your water heater can also be an easy way to save you money on your electricity costs. Most hot water heater’s thermostats are set to 140 degrees. Most experts recommend that you turn your water heater’s thermostat down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

9. Check The Area Around Your Dryer Vent

New homes tend to have nothing more than a gaping hole in the wall where the dryer vent went out of the wall to the backyard. A cheap collar around the opening and the pipe was an easy fix to block the hot air of the house from escaping with our dryer lent into the yard.

10. Smooth Out Your Monthly Electric Bill

Most electricity companies allow you to smooth out your bill after they have twelve months of usage data built up on you and your family. While this will not exactly save you money, per se, it will help you budget your money better because each monthly payment will be the same. Some months you will pay more than the electricity that you are actually using, but in the summer and winter months when your usage is high, you will still be paying the same amount for your electricity. Your company probably has this program, but it may be called a fancy name. It is well worth investigating this option.

For more information on home buying, selling, commercial properties, etc. Please visit www.CarlaWoodardHomes.com

Curb Appeal: Getting Buyer's Inside YOUR Home

Curb appeal is the attractiveness of your home's exterior when viewed from the street. Studies show that a majority of buyers will not get out their car if they do not find your home's curb appeal visually attractive--that is, if they visit your property at all. With more and more people shopping for homes online, potential buyers could be turned off from viewing your property, just based on the listing photo alone! Addressing your home's curb appeal is a critical component in marketing and selling your home.

Why is curb appeal so important in selling your home? It forms potential buyers’ first impressions of your home. Curb appeal sets the tone for your entire home. Buyers associate the condition of the exterior and landscape with the condition of the interior. Your home's curb appeal must invite buyers to view the rest of the property. In a buyer's market, curb appeal can mean the difference between a home that sells quickly for the asking price and a home that sells after months of sitting on the market for below the asking price.

Assessing Your Home's Curb Appeal

In order to boost your home's curb appeal, you must first identify your trouble areas. This means taking a careful inventory of repairs you need to complete before you begin showing your home. Here are a few tips to help you make a thorough evaluation:

• Stand across the street from your house in order to get the fullest view of the front, the driveway and the sides. Note any painting, repairs or replacements needed. Identify bushes or trees that are overgrown.
• Walk towards your home following the path that a potential buyer would most likely take. Note landscaping needs such as edging, raking, weeding, pruning and trash removal. Look for items that should be removed or hidden such as hoses, sprinklers, trash cans or toys.
• Look through windows to note interior views that detract from your home’s curb appeal.
• Inspect your home’s walkway entrance. Note any cleaning, repairs, painting and lighting needs.
• Perform this evaluation again in the early morning and late evening. Many home buyers will pass by a property on their way to or from work. Seeing your home at different times of the day can reveal other trouble areas.

Enhancing Your Home's Curb Appeal

Once you have identified and addressed your trouble areas, you can then focus on items that enhance your home’s curb appeal. Even with a limited budget, you can greatly enhance your home’s visual appeal by focusing on a few key areas. Items you may consider include:

• Adding colorful seasonal plants to existing flower beds.
• Purchasing new house address numbers and a mailbox.
• Installing a new door with glass inserts.
• Placing a new welcome mat and a grouping of potted plants at the entrance.
• Installing lighting along your driveway or sidewalk.

Photographing Your Home's Curb Appeal

Make sure the photographer takes the best pictures. Great pictures of your home increase your chances of a successful sale. According to the National Association of Realtors, 70 percent of home buyers view a home for the first time from a picture on the Internet. Most Internet shoppers will skip listings with no pictures, and many will skip listings that only have a few pictures. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what is 20 or more pictures’ worth?

Here are few tips from professional real estate photographers:

• Make sure your lawn is mowed and edged.
• Remove cars, pets and toys before shooting.
• Request shots from multiple angles and levels.
• Find angles that show most of your property without looking cluttered or untidy by the surrounding landscape. Relay this information to the photographer.
• Include as much of the front lawn and landscaping as possible. If your landscaping is not at its best, request the photographer shoot from an angle that includes more sky.

Want a FREE NO OBLIGATION Comparative Market Analysis to find out what your current home is worth?  Contact Carla Woodard Homes to schedule your appointment TODAY!