Thursday, November 20, 2014

10 Projects to "Green" Your Charleston or Mount Pleasant Home

10 Projects to "Green" Your Charleston or Mount Pleasant Home

"Going green" means living in a way that's environmentally friendly. It uses less water, less electricity, and less fuel, conserving natural resources while protecting the environment. It also saves money on utility bills, which is something all homeowners can appreciate. From simple to elaborate, here are a few ways to green your house and property.

Focus On the Light

Replacing your most-used light bulbs with CFLs will lower your electric bill while producing less heat and lasting longer than your incandescent bulbs.
While you're at it, consider adding dimmer switches, motion sensors, and timers for when you're away from home in the evening. Also, keep your light bulbs clean: Dirt and grease coats the bulbs and not only reduces the available light, but causes the bulb to burn out sooner.

Mix Your Own Cleaners

Many commercial cleaning products contain bleach and other harsh chemicals. Switch to natural products and solutions you mix up yourself. Clean up hard water deposits with vinegar, for instance, or use it to wash your windows. White vinegar mixed with hydrogen peroxide also sanitizes countertops (killing 99 percent of E. coli).

Go Low-Flow

Low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators (the tip that screws on to the nozzle) cost little and can save about half the water without sacrificing water pressure. Low-flow toilets are another option. Look for a water-saving toilet displaying the WaterSense label. Alternatively, fill a 2-liter bottle with water and drop it in the toilet tank to displace some of the water. This will force the toilet to use less water per flush.
If you're in the market for a new water heater, consider choosing a tankless water heater. It allows you to use the same amount of water, but it heats the water only when it's needed, so you save a lot of energy. Wrapping a conventional (tank-based) water heater with a special insulation and insulating all the hot-water pipes also conserves energy.

Spread the Greenery

To really green your house and property, visit your local plant and tree nursery. Outdoors, shade trees not only cut your cooling costs (up to 25 percent), but in the winter, trees and shrubs also break the wind and affect your heating costs. Inside, plants not only make a home feel more comfortable, they also help purify the air and produce oxygen.

Reduce VOCs

Indoors and out, you're surrounded by volatile organic compounds. VOCs are any carbon-containing substance that "off-gasses" (meaning it becomes a vapor, or evaporates) at room temperature. VOCs pose a significant health hazard. Paints, varnishes, cigarette smoke, pesticides, gasoline and other fuels, various glues and adhesives, cosmetic products, automotive exhaust, even cleaning products are but a few of the items that contain VOCs. When painting, look for low VOC paints, particularly those featuring the Green Seal.

Look for the Energy Star Logo

Getting rid of old appliances and upgrading to new, energy-efficient models can save you a significant amount of money. The EPA suggests replacing any appliance older than 10 years. Select models displaying the Energy Star logo to ensure energy efficiency.

Plant a Garden

Gardening can be a soothing activity, but this project also ensures you have healthy food. Home-grown food costs drastically less, enhances the outdoor environment, and reduces the environmental impact of commercially-bought food. Even if you have a small property, you can use containers and hanging devices to maximize your growing space.

Reduce Your Need for Paper

Register for paperless billing with utility and finance companies, and stop getting as much unsolicited mail as possible. The Federal Trade Commission offers a guide on how to "just say no" to junk mail.

Use Reclaimed Wood

Have a DIY project needing wood? "Used" wood is environmentally friendly and creates a beautiful look. Salvaged lumber can be used anywhere regular wood is used. You can even get creative and build a fence with wood pallets, for instance.

Move the Air

Insulating and sealing your home is critical. Another simple project to lower your heating and cooling costs is installing ceiling fans. In the winter, set the rotation to push warm air downward; in the summer, switch the blade rotation to draw warm air up instead. Moving air makes it feel cooler in the summer as well, allowing you to keep the thermostat a little higher.
As you green your home and lifestyle, be on the lookout for additional incentives. You may be eligible for tax benefits for some energy-saving projects. Going green doesn't have to be expensive, and it's always rewarding.

CONSIDERING TO SELL YOUR CHARLESTON HOME OR CURIOUS WHAT YOUR HOME IS WORTH?  GET YOUR NO OBLIGATION AND FREE ONLINE HOME MARKET EVALUATION ESTIMATE.  BASED OFF TAX RECORDS OF HOMES THAT HAVE RECENTLY SOLD IN YOUR AREA.IF YOU WOULD LIKE A MORE PRECISE MARKET ANALYSIS OF YOUR HOME WE CAN SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TIME THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU.  CONTACT INFO

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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Tips for Conserving Water at Home, Charleston & Mt Pleasant Homes

Tips for Conserving Water at Home, Charleston & Mt Pleasant Homes

Perhaps it's a little too easy to overlook the importance of water. It's simple, after all, to turn the tap and watch it flow. Consider, though, that only 1 percent of the Earth's water is useable. The rest is either salty or frozen. Not to mention the amount of energy used in acquiring, treating and transporting fresh water to consumers.
Saving water in and around your house battles high water bills while helping to save energy and conserve a precious resource.

Saving Water in the Bathroom

Turn off the water while you brush your teeth, shave and wash your hands. Work up the lather before turning on the water to rinse your hands. Use a glass of water to rinse your mouth. These habits can save gallons of water each day; the more people in your home, the greater the difference.
Take a shower instead of a bath. Better yet, time your shower to limit the water you use.
Place a large rock or a 2-liter bottle filled with water in your toilet's water tank. This displaces some of the water, forcing the toilet to use less water when flushing. Alternatively, replace an old toilet with a low-flush model, which uses about half the water. Feel adventurous? Try a composting toilet, which uses little to no water.
Switch showerheads. Older homes may have outdated showerheads, which deliver more than 2.5 gallons per minute (the maximum flow rate of modern shower heads). Opt for an even lower flow rate for greater water savings. Also, check if each faucet has a screw-on aerator attached to the spout to reduce water use. Low-flow aerators limit water flow to about 1 gallon per minute.

Using Less Water in the Kitchen and Laundry

Try implementing a few of these water-saving methods and, when it's time to replace your washing machine or dishwasher, purchase an Energy Star-approved energy and water-saving model.
Run the dishwasher only when it's full. Stack the items to ensure the machine operates efficiently.
Run full loads in the washing machine. Adjust the water level if you must run a smaller load. Also, avoid the permanent press cycle; the extra rinse cycle wastes water.
Use garbage disposal units sparingly. Try starting a compost pile with your food waste instead.
Avoid running the water while washing dishes. Fill a double basin with hot, soapy water on one side and clean hot water for rinsing on the other. If you have a single-basin sink, use a large bowl or pan for rinsing most items instead. Alternatively, stack them in a drain rack and spray to rinse all at once.
When rinsing vegetables, use a large bowl and then use the leftover water on your plants.
Keep a pitcher of cold drinking water in the refrigerator. This eliminates the need to run water until it's cold enough.

Conserving Water Outdoors

Sweep your driveway and sidewalk rather than washing it down with a water hose.
Instead of washing your car at home, take it to the car wash where the water is likely to be recycled.
Mow the lawn less often. Longer grass retains water better.
Water the grass and greenery only when absolutely necessary. Watering early in the morning and late at night, when it isn't windy or too hot, helps reduce evaporation. Deep soak the lawn rather than lightly watering for best results.
Mulch around plants, trees and shrubs. A 2- to 4-inch layer of mulch or compost helps repel pests, retains moisture and adds nutrients.
Cover the swimming pool or hot tub when it's not in use.
Install rain barrels. Even just one rain barrel, properly maintained, will collect a tremendous amount of water, which can be used for watering plants or even flushing toilets.
As simple as most of the above items seem, implementing even half of them will drastically cut down your water usage.

CONSIDERING TO SELL YOUR CHARLESTON HOME OR CURIOUS WHAT YOUR HOME IS WORTH?  GET YOUR NO OBLIGATION AND FREE ONLINE HOME MARKET EVALUATION ESTIMATE.  BASED OFF TAX RECORDS OF HOMES THAT HAVE RECENTLY SOLD IN YOUR AREA.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE A MORE PRECISE MARKET ANALYSIS OF YOUR HOME WE CAN SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TIME THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU.  CONTACT INFO

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Tuesday, November 18, 2014

How to Bring Nature Inside Your Charleston or Mount Pleasant Home

How to Bring Nature Inside Your Charleston or Mount Pleasant Home

What do you love most about nature and the outdoors? Is it the first sign of spring blooms, the colorful autumn foliage, or maybe the smell of fresh cut grass on a warm summer day? Do you enjoy the soothing sound of a trickling creek or a bright blue sky on a sunny day?
Incorporate these organic elements into your décor and invite nature into your home.

Don't Block Natural Views

One of the easiest ways to invite nature into your home is to ensure a direct connection through glass doors and windows. Leave them undressed to welcome in sunlight and enjoy unobstructed views of the outdoors. When safety and privacy are concerns, dress windows in airy, natural fibers that allow daylight indoors and can be easily opened. Ensure that windows are operable so that you can enjoy fresh air and relaxing breezes.

What Is Your Natural Color?

Choose a natural color palette for your home interior that represents your connection to the outdoors. Warm browns or hues of gold will evoke a hotter, arid climate. Shades of blue or green will remind you of the sky, water, tree foliage and grasses.

Incorporate Natural Elements

It is important to pull in natural elements for capturing an organic look and feel in your home design. Varieties of stone can work well for countertops and flooring. A stone hearth would make a fantastic addition, and consider incorporating an entire accent wall of stone or simply adding detail to archways.
Wood is another natural material that can provide a direct connection to the outdoors. Wood makes an excellent flooring option and is also durable and easy to maintain. Plan early to incorporate wood beams into your design, and leave rafters exposed for a rugged, organic look.

Nature-Inspired Décor

Another easy way to invite nature into your home is through natural décor. Consider furniture, window treatments, pillows and throws made from natural materials and fibers such as wood, cotton, wool, rattan or natural grasses. Stick to an earthy color palette.
Display items that are found in nature such as sea shell varieties, birdhouses made from bark, or hurricane vases filled partially with river rock and topped with candles. Add beloved animal figurines and photos exhibiting some of your favorite outdoor scenes or personal memories.
The easiest way to add a touch of nature to your home is with houseplants and flowers. They also improve air quality, so be generous and add them throughout your home. Decorative terrariums in beautiful glass containers are an elegant option. For an eclectic look, create vases using glass jars and bottles in varying sizes, shapes and colors, and use them to hold seasonal flowers or even sprigs of ivy.
Stimulate your senses by adding scented candles to mimic your favorite natural scents, such as lavender, basil or pine. Consider purchasing or constructing a water feature if you enjoy the sound of a trickling creek or a rushing waterfall.
To bring your relationship with nature into your home, create an indoor environment that represents your most beloved outdoor experiences.

CONSIDERING TO SELL YOUR CHARLESTON HOME OR CURIOUS WHAT YOUR HOME IS WORTH?  GET YOUR NO OBLIGATION AND FREE ONLINE HOME MARKET EVALUATION ESTIMATE.  BASED OFF TAX RECORDS OF HOMES THAT HAVE RECENTLY SOLD IN YOUR AREA.

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Monday, November 17, 2014

Measuring the Value of a View in Your Charleston or Mount Pleasant Home

Measuring the Value of a View in Your Charleston or Mount Pleasant Home

Measuring the Value of a View

Suppose you own a castle on the flats and your brother owns one high atop a hill that features amazing, unobstructed views. Aside from location, the two castles are identical. Which one has the higher resale value?
If you guessed that it's the hilltop castle, you are correct. When valuing two similar pieces of property, location is king and everything else is secondary.
While it's easy to say that the home with the view is "worth more" than the home without one, there are no rules on how much value the amenity adds.

Agents and Appraisers

Real estate professionals are at odds over this. Some claim that there is no premium for a view while others say that a view can add up to 15 percent to the value of the home over others lacking the amenity.
Researchers Mauricio Rodriguez and C.F. Sirmans reject the notion that a view has no impact on home value. Their study, published by Texas Christian University, shows that a view adds between 5 to 8 percent to the market value of a home.
Professional appraisers—those folks that tell your lender how much your home is worth—are given vague guidance by the Appraisal Institute that when valuing a property they must consider the view. What the institute doesn't tell them, however, is how to arrive at that value.
Then there is the fact that a view may be distasteful. An auto dismantler or a rundown apartment building out of the dining room window, for instance, will drag down the value of a property. Either way, views are challenging to measure, whether that view is good or bad.

View Orientation

Is what you're seeing out the window located close or far away? Patrick Brown and Beverly McCabe, in a report prepared for the American Appraisal Institute, claim that a close-up view is worth more than a faraway view. For instance, the Golden Gate Bridge right outside your window is worth more than if the bridge were located several miles away.
The pair also finds, though, "In some contradiction, a near view of a prized view object is preferred over a far view, while the ability to see a far distance is prized over a vista that is foreshortened."
Then there is the orientation of the view from within the home. A view from the back of a house influences the home's value more than a view from the front, according to the pair.
"What really counts is the (ground level) view from the back, because that's where people live," Ernest V. Siracusa, a Southern California real estate market analyst, tells MSN.com.
This is because almost no one spends much time in the front of a house; most of the "living" goes on at the rear. Siracusa claims that he would give a view from the front of the home "zero view premium."
The additional value is added if the view is from areas of the home that are used the most, such as the master bedroom, dining room and kitchen.

The Worth of a View

After spending years studying the subject of the value of a view in newly constructed homes, Siracusa has come up with a range to measure the value added for different types of views and view orientations. It runs from 1 percent to 2.5 percent for a home overlooking open space to 15 to 20 percent for a water view, as long as the view is unobstructed.
He goes on to point out that if that view is of the ocean, the home may command up to 30 percent more than similar homes without the view.
That's helpful information for builders who are attempting to put a price on new construction, but what about older, existing homes?
Earl Benson, Western Washington University marketing and finance professor, may have hit on the answer. He tells Marilyn Lewis of MSN Real Estate that his studies of Bellingham, Wash. assessor's records combined with his own calculations showed that a home in that area with a water view would sell for $117,600 more than a home that lacks that view.
Put that house on the shore of either the ocean or a lake, and it would command a whopping $253,280 more at close of escrow than if it were located somewhere less attractive.
While the value of a residential view fluctuates depending on orientation, the subject of the view, and the amount of obstruction, studies seem to show that the amenity does add to the resale value of a home.
If you're fortunate enough to live in a room with a view, ensure that your real estate agent factors it into the calculations he/she performs to determine market value.

CONSIDERING TO SELL YOUR CHARLESTON HOME OR CURIOUS WHAT YOUR HOME IS WORTH?  GET YOUR NO OBLIGATION AND FREE ONLINE HOME MARKET EVALUATION ESTIMATE.  BASED OFF TAX RECORDS OF HOMES THAT HAVE RECENTLY SOLD IN YOUR AREA.

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