How to Reduce Water Heating Bills

From RealEstateJournal.com: "When the days grow nippy, nothing beats a long, hot shower to warm things up. But at what expense? The Department of Energy says water heating accounts for 14% to 25% of the energy consumed in your home.

Here are tips from the department for reducing your water heating bills:

• Set the thermostat on your water heater to 120 degrees F. If you lower it by just 10 degrees F, you'll save 3% to 5%. For most homes, 120 degrees F, or even 115 degrees F, is sufficient.
• Consider getting a more efficient water heater for your home. Natural-gas-on-demand or tankless water heaters can save you up to 30% compared with standard natural-gas storage tank water heaters. Or, just buy a new energy-efficient water heater. It costs more up front, but you'll save over time.
• If you buy a solar water heater, you might be eligible for a tax credit or rebate. Look for details in the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy at www.dsireusa.org.
• Drain a quart of water from your tank every three months. You'll remove the sediment that lowers the efficiency of your water heater.
• Place heat traps on the hot and cold pipes connecting to your heater -- you'll prevent heat loss.
• Insulate your hot water pipes -- doing so can raise water temperature 2 to 4 degrees F."

Another tip not on this list - consider a water heater insulation kit. Kits come with supplies to wrap up your water heater and insulate it. Many are in cooler basements or outside altogether and insulation around the heater can improve efficiency.

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If you need to find a local water heater company to install, repair, or maintain your water heating system - save time and money by posting your request for free with us. At ConstructionDeal.com, we'll match you with local Water Heater Experts who will contact you instead of searching and calling at random from a phone book.

How to Sell Your Home

How to Sell Your Home This Season - or, at least give your home a chance to sell. These months are usually the off-season for real estate sales and this winter a particularly bad time to try to sell with a depressed housing market.

According to Bankrate.com, winter can be difficult when showing a house because the days are shorter, greenery is in short supply, and weather can really be an issue.

Here are some of tips to help you sell your home over the next few months:

"There are good reasons for selling in the winter -- namely, less competition. But you still have to work hard to attract the best customers. It's all about home staging:

• Keep walkways and driveways clear of snow and ice. You may not have to mow the lawn or trim the shrubs, but in the winter, consider this duty your 'yard work.'


• Present a warm and cozy home. Make sure the temperature is comfortable and not too cool for visitors coming in from the outside. Turn on gas fireplaces if you have them.


• Show during 'high-daylight' hours and make your home as light as possible. Clean blinds and curtains and keep them open during daytime showings. Put the highest wattage bulbs in amps and fixtures, and turn the lights on when you show. And wash your windows -- even a little bit of grime gives the impression that the home isn't well cared for.


• Set the mood with a little soft background music and some pleasant smells. Light a few candles that give off a nice scent, such as vanilla. Just don't overdo it -- you don't want people to think you're trying to mask a bad smell.


• Ask prospective buyers to remove their shoes or slip on paper booties over them. Doing so shows buyers that you are proud of your home and take meticulous care of it.


• Emphasize the features of your home that make it a good place to live in the winter. If your roads are regularly plowed and de-iced, be sure to make it known."

Something else to keep in mind. It's a good idea to wait to show your house until AFTER the Super Bowl. Why? Well, it can be pretty difficult to get men up off the couch on the weekends to go look at a house - until all the football games are done for the season. Naturally.

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Here's a tip - if you need to find a contractor to update any part of your home, you can avoid flipping through the yellow pages to pick a contractor at random - you can post your project on ConstructionDeal.com and we'll have contractors call you. Saves you time. And, with multiple bids, you'll also save money.

Even if you don't use ConstructionDeal.com to find a contractor fast - get as many quotes on a project as you can and go with the company that is the right fit for you and your budget.

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Home Maintenance: Termite Troubles?

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The Latest Kitchen Remodeling Trend

According to the Washington Post's article on 'The Hot and the Not' in home remodeling, the hot stainless steel appliance trend is on the way out.

The author of the book 1,001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home Mark Nash interviewed hundreds of real estate agents and the results were surprising.

The remarks about stainless steel appliances stuck out the most with me. Besides wanting a granite countertop, the next most requested item for any kitchen remodel is usually the gleaming silver, industrial look from those appliances. There is apparently a negative backlash to the stainless steel surface from many potential homeowners.

As much as people "love the look" of various additions to a remodeling project, it always seems to come back to function and maintenance. If it looks great but is hard to maintain, it can quickly fall out of favor. This may be what's happening with stainless steel. The surface is easily marred with fingerprints, especially in a heavily-used kitchen or a house with one or more children or even pets. Keeping something clean will eventually outweigh the value of the pure aesthetic appeal of almost any new product.

The author received a lot of feedback from real estate agents, "I'm hearing people say, 'I'm tired of it,' " Nash said. "They say: 'I don't have time to polish it. I have kids. I have dogs. It's too high maintenance.' "

While stainless steel appliances in the kitchen might still seem like a great idea for your kitchen renovation project, consider what the value of those items will mean to potential buyers in 5 to 10 years. Many of the those buyers may have already had steel appliances in their homes and are fed up with them. Think of some of the "hot" kitchen trends from as recently as the 90's -- many of those have fallen out of favor and are being replaced in today's modern kitchens.

Many of the agents, however, did say that stainless steel appliances are still a big item. They provide a "wow" factor and can still sell homes. Many love the neutral look they give to any style of kitchen - whether it's a sleek Contemporary kitchen or a French Country kitchen. One agent said, "'People here walk in and see that stainless steel, and it dazzles them,'"

I think it's important to weigh your options and your needs when it comes to deciding how best to renovate your kitchen. For you, having those gleaming steel appliance surfaces is worth a little extra elbow grease to keep them looking great.

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If you're interested in updating your kitchen and talking with a professional kitchen design company, post your request with ConstructionDeal.com. It's a fast, free and easy way to find a local kitchen company. Simply list your project details and kitchen experts will call you - no more looking up companies in the yellow pages and calling them at random! That saves you time.

And you'll get four quotes - usually in minutes. This gives you multiple bids. Many bids can mean you'll get the best pricing options. That saves you money.

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Demolition Contractors - Get 4 Bids from Local Pros

Need to knock down a wall in your home? Or do you need to knock down the whole house?

You could pick a demolition company from your phone book, or... you could use ConstructionDeal.com.

You'll save time - get 4 quotes instead of one or two. And demolition contractors will call you.

You'll save money - multiple quotes from demolition companies means you can choose the best price.

You'll get your project done. We'll match you to quality demolition pros the same day - at no cost. Simply submit a request and get 4 bids. It's that easy. And it only takes a few minutes. And there's no obligation to hire anyone.

Demolition contractors can knock down walls, a room, an old barn or garage, and even the house. They'll clean up and haul away all the demolition debris. And you'll be ready to build or remodel in no time.

Submit your project and get your demolition quotes now!

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Reducing Light Pollution

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