4 Easy Ways to Increase Your Home's R-Value

By increasing your home’s R-value you will immediately impact your comfort, and potentially save you hundreds a year on your heating and cooling expenses. That is why you might want to spend a little bit of time figuring out what steps you can take to improve your home’s insulation and overall efficiency. Plus, optimizing your home will help it last longer.

Use Blow-In Insulation

There are quite a few reasons why so many people have switched over to blow-in insulation in recent years. In addition to being very easy to install, blow-in insulation usually has a high R-value as well. This type of insulation can also be installed directly over older batts and rolls that are aging or damaged. As long as you have a weekend to spare and a place to rent an insulation blower, this is a fairly simple project that doesn’t require any training.

Swap Out Exterior Doors

All of the exterior doors throughout your home are going to have a big impact on your heating and cooling expenses. Older doors are notoriously inefficient and they are going to allow quite a bit of heat to escape. Replacing older exterior doors with fiberglass or high-efficiency storm doors could have an immediate impact on your energy bills, and that project should require nothing more than a screw gun or screwdriver.

Replace Old Weatherstripping

Weatherstripping is used in a few different places throughout a home, and that includes exterior doors. Over the years, that stripping is eventually going to become damaged from heavy use, moisture, and direct sunlight. When the weatherstripping is cracked, you will probably notice unwanted temperature fluctuations inside your home. This is another straightforward project that can usually be completed in a single afternoon with a few basic tools.

Upgrade the Windows

In addition to upgrading the exterior doors and weatherstripping, you might want to think about window glass replacement as well. Many building contractors use single pane glass because it is inexpensive, but that type of glass has one of the lowest R-values. Modern double-pane or even triple-pane windows will capture and redirect UV rays before they get a chance to heat your home. After the window panes have been replaced, you can then put up thicker curtains for improved efficiency.

Before you begin the process of improving your home’s efficiency, you should consider investing in a thermal leak detector. That simple device will show you exactly which materials and areas are the most inefficient, and that will help you come up with a comprehensive plan for improving the insulation.

Accessories Every Pool Owner Needs To Buy

What good is owning a pool if you don’t have all the fun accessories to enjoy? Are some pool accessories more essential than others? We’ve put together a list of accessories every pool owner needs to buy so that you’re ready for that next pool day.

Water Toys

What pool is complete without water toys every member of the family can enjoy? There is such a variety of toys on the market that you’re sure to find something for everyone. The list includes:

• Water blasters

• Pool noodles

• Pool loungers and rafts

• Pool rockets and rings for diving

• Any inflatables

• Water volleyballs and beach balls

Don’t forget about the pets, too! Grab them their own pet life vests if they need them and a few frisbees for your dogs to enjoy fetching while they leap into the water.

Pool Cover

A pool cover is an essential accessory every pool owner needs to buy. It will keep the debris from dirtying the water and clogging the drain. It will also prevent wild critters like rabbits, squirrels, birds, snakes, frogs, toads, and other animals from entering your pool. A pool cover could also save the life of a child or anyone else who accidentally falls into the pool unsupervised. Ensure you’re securely fastening the cover; otherwise, it could become a hazard.

Towel Rack

This item seems obvious, but most pool owners don’t think about it until they need one. It’s also nice to have when you’re having a party. You’ll have a designated space for all the towels, and people will know whose towel is whose.

Waterfall

If you want to up the luxury factor with your pool, install a water feature. Waterfalls provide a soothing and serene quality to your swimming pool to help relax you on the busiest of days. They make you feel like you’re on vacation right in your backyard. Waterfalls are also beneficial because they help circulate the water, among other reasons.

Fire Pit

A fire pit is another accessory every pool owner needs to buy that will create a luxurious, resort-like experience in your backyard. It’s perfect for those chilly evenings after a lazy day of relaxing in the pool. Roast some s’mores and gather all your friends around the fire.

Should You Buy a Home With a Damaged Roof?

If you have recently found your dream home but it happens to have roof damage, then you are probably wondering if the home will be worth the potential trouble. While minor roof damage probably won’t be a dealbreaker in every situation, there are some important variables to consider before you make an offer or walk away.

Dangers of Roof Damage

Some homeowners might not realize just how dangerous roof damage can be, and that is why many people ignore leaks and other problems for years. When a damaged roof isn’t addressed immediately, it could lead to serious structural issues throughout your house. Roof damage is also going to increase your risk of mold, mildew, pest infestations, and a wide variety of other problems that could make your life miserable.

Types of Roof Damage

Even though most modern roofs are incredibly durable, those structures must withstand quite a bit of wear and tear every year. Everything from hailstorms to high winds could crack roof tiles, bend flashing, and rip shingles off of your roof. Over time, that type of damage will most likely result in cracks and pinholes that let water into your attic. Standing water on top of the roof can also cause major mold outbreaks that destroy the shingles and supporting beams.

Should I Make an Offer?

Well before you make an offer on any home that has roof damage, you should contact an experienced and reputable roofing contractor to explore your options. While a certified inspector should be able to notify you of the damage, they might not have the training that is required to give a thorough assessment. A roofing contractor can tell you how much damage has occurred and what will need to be done to fix it.

Repair and Replacement Options

Depending on the extent of the damage, you will most likely have a few different options to choose from. If you decide to make an offer on the home and there is severe damage, then you will need to contact a company that offers roof replacement services. For minor roof damage, your contractor might only have to replace a handful of tiles or shingles.

Once you have moved into your new home, you must make sure that your roof remains well-maintained and undamaged in the coming years. Your regular maintenance is going to include biannual inspections, replacing damaged tiles, and keeping leaves and other debris off the roof.

5 Reasons Using a Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home Is Worth It

We partnered with a real estate company for this post. The opinions in the post are honest. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based on our personal views. We are excited because we know you will love it.

Selling a property can be a time-consuming and complicated process. Especially if you’ve decided to forgo enlisting the help of a real estate agent and decided to do things on your own. Although there are many do-it-yourself guidelines available, the reality is that working with an expert is the most successful approach to selling a house. If you're getting ready to list your house, have you pondered why so many individuals prefer to delegate the heavy lifting to a professional agent?

Let's look at the top five reasons why it would be a good idea to use a real estate agent to sell your house rather than try to do things on your own.

Expert Advice

Experienced realtors have seen and heard everything there is to see and hear in their profession. They know what has occurred to many other individuals in your situation, whether that be amateurs that decided to do it themselves or people who have come to them for advice. This means that they’re a wealth of knowledge about the real estate industry that you can draw from. Getting their advice is extremely important, from providing honest input on your listing price to educating you on how to properly stage your house. A skilled agent assisting you may make the selling process much more painless if you're prepared to listen.

Extensive Network

There is no good realtor worth their salt that works in a bubble; instead, they focus on making professional relationships that will help them sell houses fast. Good realtors know other realtors who may have clients seeking a property like yours – but obtaining access to those individuals is something you wouldn't be able to achieve on your own. Partnering with a realtor gives you access to their network, which helps you to identify more possible buyers for your house.

Marketing Knowledge

One of the most important reasons to engage a realtor is for their marketing and advertising abilities. Good real estate agents understand the importance of advertising in the house selling process, about making your house look attractive to people looking to buy. They can take over the marketing initiatives so that your house has a higher chance of being discovered and, eventually, sold to someone who wants it. With the proper efforts, you'll be able to sell your house for a better price much faster than if you had attempted to do it on your own. Explore the benefits of having a real estate expert by your side, and consider checking out valuable insights at https://garrettwhitelock.co.uk/estate-agents/the-cut/ for additional guidance in the process.

Negotiation Abilities

Imagine trying to deal with a realtor who’s looking to buy your house for less than you’re selling it for. Then think about that same situation but with a real estate agent of your own ready to handle your side of the debates. A competent realtor should be an effective negotiator, assisting you in dealing with purchasers that want to pay the least amount feasible for your house and the realtors looking to talk down the price. When you're dealing with bargain-hunting purchasers, it's tempting to cave in to their requests merely to get your house sold and taken off your hands. However, when you partner with a real estate agent, you gain and possess a layer of protection that will enable you to have a stronger position when negotiation time comes.

The House Sells for A Greater Price

If you want to obtain the best price possible for your property, you should work with a realtor that has expertise specifically in selling houses. They will not only be able to assist you in staging and positioning your property to attract purchasers with genuine spending power, but they will also ensure the purchasers driven to your property will be willing to spend what you’re home is actually worth when buying it.

Remember that all of the marketing and networking a realtor performs can only benefit you, the seller, by putting not only more eyes and attention on your home but also the appropriate eyes and attention on it.

As has been discussed, there are several significant advantages to working with a real estate agent as opposed to on your own. Selling a house might be among the most significant financial choices you make in your life. As a result, it is quite prudent to enlist the assistance of a real estate specialist to be on your side as things proceed. It would especially be beneficial to you since almost everyone else would have a real estate agent of their own, so having someone on your side to call upon would simply mean having a fair advantage when negotiations begin. They’re a wealth of expert advice that come with their own networks of other realtors hoping to buy a house. Their marketing and advertising abilities can make your home look more attractive to potential buyers, and when those buyers come to look your real estate agent has the skills necessary to negotiate the best selling price. All in all, there are only benefits to be found when you decide to work with a real estate agent.