Ocala Real Estate and Community News » “Green” Living

Here Are Some Ways To Increase Your Home’s Value

lheraty — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:55:18 +0000

Making the decision to hire a home inspector before you perform any major remodeling or updating could be one of the most cost-effective things you could do before adding value to your home. The inspector may find a small problem that could morph into something much bigger (and more serious) down the line, such as a termite infestation or a water leak.
Going green has been the latest buzz word lately – and it is not just for saving the environment, going green means you are also saving a lot of money on your household energy bills. Energy efficient homes that have upgraded items such as special windows and/or programmable thermostats, save you money and are a marketable asset. Even if you do not plan on placing your home on the market right away, the re-coup on your savings for the initial costs are usually recovered within a year – depending on what sort of systems you are installing.
Curb appeal is also a big factor in determining your home’s value – if your home looks worn and weather beaten it will look less desirable in this competitive market. Landscape improvements can range from lar shade trees (that also help to keep your home cooler and cut air conditioning costs up to 40%) to well manicured flower beds and programmable irrigation systems timed to the most efficient times of day for watering (and some even come equipped with “rain gauges” that keep your system off if there has been rain. You will not only be adding attractive features to your home, but it will help keep you energy efficient.
Surprisingly enough – your flooring may have a lot to do with your air quality. Many homes are now moving towards solid flooring such as hardwood, tile, laminate and the many updated versions of new vinyl flooring available. These items help keep dust and pet dander to a minimum that normally hides in carpeted floors. Previous water damage can also wreak havoc in your home (and to your body) by harboring mold and mildew spores. With so many different styles and types or flooring to choose from, any home can easily be upgraded to solid flooring. So not only will you be improving your home’s air quality, you will also be adding a feature that requires less maintenance than carpeting. Be sure to check under your old flooring in a test spot – you may just be lucky enough to have hardwood floors underneath!
Its all about the extras… By adding a small luxury item such as a water filtration system, you are adding value to your home and saving yourself money since you will no longer need bottled water. There are also tankless water heaters that require much less energy to keep than the ones that require over a hundred gallons of water to be hot 24 hours a day, you can also include instant hot water at water taps so you do not have to heat up plumbing pipes to put hot water out.
A bright idea – Replace old electrical fixtures such as an old ceiling fan for a newer, more updated-looking model. You may purchase a simple model or a wide range of styles and features to upgraded models such as dimming capabilities, remote controls and even outdoor ceiling fans to keep your covered porches cool in the warm Florida summers. Adding ceiling fans is a quick and inexpensive way to make your home more pleasant on hot days, and will appeal to buyers if you need to sell. Something as easy as turning on a fan and not having to run the air conditioning system to cool the entire house is a lot better option for a homeowner!

If you are thinking about selling your home, or would just like to know what a buyer would be willing to pay for it in today’s market, feel free to get in touch with us to request a free market analysis, we are more than happy to assist you.

You can email us at Info@TheShultzTeam.com or call us direct at 352-291-1276.

Art & Brigitte Shultz
The Shultz Team
#1 Team at Re/Max Premier Realty
Ocala, FL
Toll Free: 800-243-4087
Direct: 352-291-1276
Info@OcalaVisualTours.com
www.OcalaVisualTours.com
* FREE OCALA MOVING TRUCK WHEN YOU BUY OR SELL THROUGH THE SHULTZ TEAM! *

What You Need To Know To Start Your First Compost Pile

lheraty — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:27:55 +0000

Want the dirt on a great garden? Look no further! If you’d love to get your hands on some nice, fresh, organic “black gold” soil – look no further than your backyard!

You can use compost anywhere in your garden, including in and on the soil around trees, flowers, shrubs, vegetables and plants. The rotting process to make beautiful, rich compost happens when organic materials are piled on top of one another, layered and kept moist produces the best thing in the world for things that grow, good healthy compost.

Fresh compost material that is placed on the pile’s surface actually feeds the soil below and helps it to drain better. Having all that product on top attracts worms and other insects to help jump-start the decaying process which causes all kinds of microbial activity. If you want happy, healthy plants – you’re on your way!

Here are simple steps to help get you started:

Find a nice, partially sunny spot for your pile, away from your gardens.
Construct a 3′ x 3′ wire cage (the openness allows your pile to breathe and leaves good access for insects).
Create a base of broken twigs at the bottom of the pile. This will allow for air flow and drainage. (It helps it to decompose yet not be a stinky mess!)
Add a layer of leaves (both green and brown leaves preferably). The mix of green and brown will give you two different additions to your compost pile: Green is nitrogen-rich and brown is carbon-rich. You may also add kitchen scraps too (only vegetation like veggie cuttings, coffee grounds, filters if they are all natural & egg shells, never animal products as they will attract rodents).
You can speed up the decomposition process by adding one cup of blood meal, or finished compost which already has all of the necessary micro-organisms and bacterias.
Keep the pile moist with moderate watering and turn it with a shovel or pitchfork.

Want more tips on homeowner ship, or thinking of staging your home to put up for sale? Find more valuable information at our Ocala Real Estate Homepage! For more detailed statistics or a free market analysis, please call or e-mail us.
Info@TheShultzTeam.com or call us direct at 352-291-1276.

Water Conservation Is So Important For The Environment – How Can You Help?

lheraty — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:00:59 +0000

Want to do something for the environment and just not sure how you can help? People can make small changes in everyday life to reap the benefits of huge water savings. The Environmental Protection Agency’s experts say that not only are our drought-prone states in big trouble with water shortages, but that sooner or later the rest of the country will be affected by shortages as well. Shocking but true: the average American citizen uses 1,600 cups of water per day. To do your part to help conserve this precious resource, here are some tips.

To see if your toilet is leaking water, simply place a drop of food coloring into the tank. If this color shows up in your toilet without flushing, unfortunately you’ve got a leak. Fixing this leak will save you 200 gallons of water per day.
Installing an aerator on kitchen or bathroom faucets cuts water use all the while keeping a smooth and high-pressure flow. Or, go for the gusto and install a high-efficiency shower head.
Install a high-efficiency toilet. They use anywhere between 20% and 60% less water than regular toilets.
Install a water re-circulating pump or even a tankless water heater.
Upgrading to an ENERGY STAR washing machine will save you 7,000 gallons of water per year. This is enough water to fill three backyard swimming pools!
When doing your spring planting, choose low-water use plants as well as drought-tolerant grass, ground covers, shrubs and trees.
Mulching also cuts down on the need to water by keeping that moisture locked in for your plants.
Install timers and rain switches/sensors on your sprinklers.
Consider a drip irrigation system for your garden.

If everyone in the United States installed water-efficient appliances, our country would SAVE 3 trillion gallons of water, which equates to 18 billion dollars per year!