19 Things a New Homeowner Should Do Immediately to Save Money

Jan 21, 2017

So you’ve just moved into your nice new home. You’ve unloaded the boxes and started to unpack your life.

Right now is the perfect time to walk through a checklist of ways to save money on your home for years to come.

Starting on these things as early as possible will allow you to start saving money sooner rather than later. Plus, some of them will be easier to accomplish before you hang pictures or get too settled in — and lose your move-in momentum.

Here are 19 things to check or do immediately that will reduce the energy and maintenance costs of your home over the long haul.

  1. Check the insulation in your attic – and install more if needed.

If you have an unfinished attic, pop your head up there and take a look around. You should see insulation up there between the beams, and there should be at least six inches of it everywhere (more if you live in the northern part of the United States).

If there’s inadequate insulation up there – or the insulation you have appears to be damaged – install new insulation. Here’s a great guide from the Department of Energy on attic insulation , including specifics on how much you should have depending on where you live. Many states offer financial incentives, up to a 75% refund for instance, to encourage homeowners to better insulate their homes.

  1. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius).

This is the optimum temperature for your hot water heater. Most people don’t use water hotter than 120 degrees — indeed, water hotter than that can scald you or a child — and thus the energy needed to keep the water above 120 degrees isn’t used effectively. Lower the temperature, save money on your energy bill, and you’ll never skip a beat.

  1. Toss a water heater blanket over that hot water heater as well.

While most modern hot water heaters are well-insulated, some are insulated better than others, and many older heaters aren’t insulated well at all. A small investment in a blanket for your water heater will slowly and gradually save you money on your heating bill over time by keeping the heat in the water instead of letting it disperse slowly into your basement or utility closet.

The Department of Energy recommends being “careful not to cover the water heater’s top, bottom, thermostat, or burner compartment.” And of course, on-demand (or “tankless”) water heaters don’t require this treatment.

  1. Install ceiling fans in most rooms.

Ceiling fans are a low-energy way to keep air moving in your home. Because of the air circulation effect, you can get away with keeping your thermostat a degree or two higher in summer and a degree or two lower in winter, netting a rather large savings.

A while back, I wrote a guide to maximizing ceiling fan use. The most important thing to know is that the air directly below the fan should be blowing down on you in the summer and should be pulled upwards away from you in the winter — you can use the reversal switch on your fan to switch between the modes at the start of each season.

  1. Wrap exposed water pipes with insulation.

Exposed hot water pipes lose heat as they move water from your heater to your faucet or shower. Wrapping them in  pipe insulation , especially in cold basements or garages, can make a two- to four-degree difference in the temperature of the water, and also allows hot water to reach your faucet faster.

Check the pipes into and out of your hot water heater first, as the first three feet out of the heater (and the last few feet of inlet water) are key. Use good-quality pipe insulation for the job, which is actually quite simple —  here’s a tutorial.

  1. Install a programmable thermostat – and learn how to use it.

A programmable thermostat allows you to schedule automatic increases and decreases in your home’s temperature, saving money on cooling in the summer and heating in the winter.

They’re easy to install and easy to use, especially if you keep a fairly routine schedule. Just program the thermostat to drop a few degrees at night while you’re sleeping or off at work during the day, and set it to return to your preferred temperature just before you wake up or return home from work. You won’t notice the difference — until you see your lower utility bill.

  1. Replace your air filters.

When you first move in, you almost always need to replace the air handling filter  or the filter on your furnace or AC unit. Don’t worry, it’s easy to do – it takes about 10 seconds.

Go down to your air handling unit, find where the filter is (it’s almost always a large rectangle), and mark down the measurements (printed around the edges). Then, go to the hardware store and pick up a few of them. Go home and replace the old one with a new filter, and save the rest so you always have a clean one ready to go. An outdated filter not only doesn’t filter air as well, it also has a negative impact on air flow, meaning your air handling system or HVAC unit has to work harder — and use more energy — to pump out lower quality air.

  1. Make sure the vents in all rooms are clear of dust and obstructions.

None of the vents in your home should be covered or blocked by anything – doing that makes your heating and cooling work overtime. You should also peek into all of your vents and make sure they’re as dust-free as possible, and brush them out if you see any dust bunnies. This improves air flow into the room, reducing the amount of blowing that needs to happen.

  1. Mark any cracks in the basement with dated masking tape.

Many homes have a few small cracks in their basement walls from the settling of the foundation and the weight of the house. In a stable home, the small cracks aren’t growing at all – they’re safe. If they’re growing, however, you’ll save a ton of money by getting the problem addressed now rather than later.

How do you tell if they’re growing? Take some masking tape and cover up the end of any cracks you notice inside or outside, and write today’s date on the tape. Then, in a few months, check the tape – if you see a crack growing out of the end of the tape, you might have a problem and should call a specialist before the problem gets out of hand.

  1. Hang a clothes rack in your laundry room (or better yet, an outdoor clothesline).

Even an efficient  clothes dryer can really eat up your energy costs, but it’s convenient for many people. If you’re willing to battle that convenience, you can save money by hanging a clothes rack from the wall in the laundry room and using it for some items; t-shirts, underwear, towels, and pillow cases dry great on clothes racks. If you can hang up 20% of the clothes in a load on a rack, you can get away with running the dryer 20% less than before, saving you cash.

Even better: If you can, install a clothesline  in your back yard and hang most of your clothes to dry outside, where a good breeze can do the work of a dryer in no time — and at no cost.

Even if you only use a clothesline for some of your clothes, it will save you plenty of money over time.

  1. Check all toilets and under-sink plumbing for leaks or constant running – and check faucets, too.

Do a survey of the plumbing in your home before you settle in. If you find a toilet is running constantly, it’s going to cost you money – here’s how to easily fix that constantly-running toilet.

You should also peek under the basin of all the sinks in your home, just to make sure there aren’t any leaks. Got a leaky faucet? You should repair or replace any of those, because the drip-drip-drip of water is also a drip-drip-drip of money; not to mention the terrible interplay between mold and home insurance.

  1. Install LED or CFL light bulbs.

LED  and  CFL  bulbs can save you a lot of money on energy use over the long haul, plus they have much longer lives than normal incandescent bulbs, making them well worth the upfront investment. Consider installing some in various places — especially in areas where the lights may be in use for long periods, like the living room or kitchen, or left on accidentally, like a back hallway or basement. CFL bulbs tend to be cheaper, but LED bulbs are usually preferable in terms of performance, and have come down in cost quite a bit over the past few years.

  1. Choose energy efficient appliances, even if you have to pay more up front.

Unless you were lucky enough to buy a fully-furnished home, you’ll likely have to do some appliance shopping. Focus on reliability and energy efficiency above all, even if that seriously increases the cost you have to pay up front. A refrigerator that uses little energy and lasts 20 years is far, far cheaper over the long run than a fridge that runs for seven years and guzzles electricity.

  1. Set up your home electronics with a SmartStrip or two.

Looking forward to getting your television, cable box, DVD player, sound system, and video game console set up? When you do it, set things up with proper surge protection (to shield your equipment from electric surges). You might also want to consider a SmartStrip , which makes it easy to “unplug” devices that aren’t in use.

A  SmartStrip  allows the on-off status of one device — say, the television — to control whether or not there’s power flowing to other devices (say, the DVD player or the video game console). Having the power cut automatically from such auxiliary devices can save a lot of money over time, especially since many such devices eat quite a bit of power as they sit there in standby mode, constantly draining your money.

  1. Plant shade trees near your house.

Mother nature can help you save significantly on your summer cooling costs — and heating costs in winter, too.

Plant deciduous trees — the kind that lose their leaves in the fall — on the western and eastern sides of your house. The leafy shade trees will naturally cool your home during the hot summer months by reducing the amount of direct sunlight that hits your house.

In the winter, they’ll lose their leaves, allowing that same sunlight to stream through your windows and heat up the home a bit more. And if you plant evergreens on the north and northwest sides of your home, they won’t affect the sunlight, but will  shield your home from cold winter winds.

As an added benefit,  mature trees can increase your property value. Just make sure to plant them a safe distance from power lines and your home itself (no one wants a downed limb poking through their roof). Plant them now, and they’ll grow and shade your house sooner.

  1. Change the locks and make spare keys.

One of the first things many homeowners do is change the locks on their new home. You don’t need to be particularly handy to install new door hardware, and a set of basic doorknobs and locks  for your front and back door will only set you back $20-$80 or so. It may seem unnecessary, but there’s no way to know whether there are copies of your old key floating around, and who might have them if so. Investing a bit of money and time today can protect you from burglary down the road.

While you’re at it, get an extra copy of your key made and leave it with someone you trust, so you don’t have to shell out $100 to a locksmith when you inevitably lock yourself out.

  1. Air-seal your home.

This isn’t such a problem in new homes, some of which are built tight as drums, but in older homes, it’s important to look for any places where air may be leaking directly into or out of your home. Common trouble spots are around doorways, windows, and even electric outlets.

These aren’t just air leaks – they’re money leaks. Thankfully, fixing small air leaks is pretty easy – here’s a great Department of Energy guide to caulking and weatherstripping , which will keep such air leaks from sucking the heat – and money – out of your home.

  1. Take advantage of tax benefits and other incentives.

The energy tax credit, which was set to expire in 2014, was renewed at the last minute in December. That means homeowners who made  energy-based improvements to their homes  last year were eligible to receive a tax credit for 10% of the cost, up to $500 lifetime. Whether this popular credit is renewed for another year, however, is anyone’s guess. A whopping 30% tax credit toward the cost of solar energy systems , residential wind turbines, and geothermal heat pumps is in effect through 2016.

Your state or city may offer even more benefits, from no-interest loans to rebates, so do some research when you invest money improving the efficiency of your home — you may save even more money than you expected.

Many states and local utility companies also provide home energy audits for free or at a discount. Someone will thoroughly inspect your home to find where you’re wasting energy. They’ll look for air leaks and uninsulated pipes, test the efficiency of your heating and cooling equipment, and even replace any older incandescent light bulbs for free.

  1. Develop a home maintenance checklist, and run through it for the first time.

One final tip:  Create a home maintenance checklist. This list should include regular home maintenance tasks that you’d want to do on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Then, make it a habit to run through the items on this list every so often. Doing so will extend the life of almost everything in your home, saving you buckets of money over time.

 

LINKS FOR ARTICLE

 

Benefits of Seller Inspections

By Tory Lora • 01 Jun, 2020
When most people think of home inspections, they do so from the position of the buyer. However, seller inspections are also available, and they can be a valuable asset to anyone who wants top dollar for their home. If you are wondering what they provide, here’s a look at the benefits of seller inspections. Home Condition Overview A property’s condition has a major impact on its value. The issue is, most homeowners have unrealistic views of the home, usually because they are emotionally invested in the property. This could make them idealistic when it comes time to set a sales price, leading them to choose a figure that’s too high. Then, their house sits on the market. With a seller inspection, you can get an accurate assessment of your home’s condition. The inspector isn’t emotionally invested, so they will use an objective eye when reviewing the property. Once complete, the seller gets a report that gives them insight into their home’s actual condition, making it easier to assess its value. Problem Identification Many homeowners are only mildly to moderately aware of their home’s issues. Unless they have an issue that needs addressing, most property owners don’t examine their appliances, systems, and structure closely. Then, if they go to sell and the buyer schedules an inspection, the results catch the seller off-guard. Additionally, they get bombarded with repair requests or price reductions from the buyer based on the newly discovered problems. In the worst-case scenario, the buyer may even back out of the deal, leaving the seller to start again from square one. With a seller inspection, these difficulties become avoidable. An inspector will assess the property, noting any issues, and providing the current owner with a report. Then, you can take action, handling any repairs or issues in advance. When you get a seller inspection, you significantly decrease the odds that a buyer’s inspection will reveal a hidden issue. As a result, the deal is more likely to go through. Advertising Point If you get a seller inspection, you can add that detail to your home’s listing. When you do, there’s a chance your property will stand out from others in your area, especially if seller inspections aren’t overly common. When a buyer sees that the seller completed an inspection, it gives them peace of mind. They’ll know that an expert examined the property already, which may make them more comfortable. Additionally, if you pursued repairs and note they were addressed, the buyer is aware that you’ve handled problems proactively, increasing the sense of trust and making them feel safer about potentially buying your home. Process Acceleration When you get a seller inspection, you may be accelerating the purchase process. In some cases, if your seller inspector was highly reputable, the buyer may be willing to use those results in lieu of getting their own inspection. By going that route, the buyer saves time and doesn’t have to spend their own money on an inspector, making it an attractive choice. If that occurs, they could knock days or weeks off of the entire process, and that benefits you both. Ultimately, a seller inspection is a valuable tool. If you want to make sure your home is ready to list, consider making a seller inspection your first step.

Prepping Your Home for an Inspection

By Tory Lora • 01 Jun, 2020
Home inspections are a critical part of the buying and selling process. With an inspection, homebuyers gain valuable insights into a properties condition, a situation that could give them extra confidence, spur to repair requests, or lead them to back out of the deal. Since so much rides on the result of the inspection, sellers need to be diligent, ensuring their property is ready for the process. If a home inspection is on the horizon, here’s what you need to do to prepare. Make Everything Accessible During the inspection process, the inspector is going to examine every inch of your home. Ideally, you want to make sure their journey is unimpeded, ensuring the inspector can easily reach critical areas and systems. Begin by unlocking any gates or doors that aren’t accessible via a lockbox or other means. Additionally, any crawlspace access points need to be clear, including those located on the exterior and interior of your home. The same goes for attic access, which not only needs to be easy to open but simple to get inside. If the door has an attached ladder, make sure it can open fully. If a step ladder will be necessary, make sure there’s enough room for one to sit under the opening. Manage the Perimeter A home inspector doesn’t just look around inside your house; they also examine the exterior. You want to make sure that the perimeter is easy to look at, so it’s wise to clear away anything that could impede the inspector. For example, move garbage cans, barbecue grills, and patio furniture away from the walls. Additionally, clear away or cut back any plants that may be in the way. Address the Roof and Gutters If you haven’t examined your home’s roof or gutters recently, now is the time to do it. Grab a ladder, safely climb up, and look for issues you can address. For instance, if you see moss or debris, remove it. Clean out your gutters and check downspout positions. Examine your shingles for damage and, if needed, schedule repairs before the inspection. Clean the Interior While dirt doesn’t equal damage, that doesn’t mean cleanliness doesn’t matter during a home inspection. If an inspector sees grim or has to navigate a ton of clutter, the inspector’s mindset might skew negative. They might assume that, since your house isn’t clean, you don’t care for it properly. As a result, they may spend more time looking for issues or assume that some exist when they might not. Replace Bulbs, Batteries, and Filters Burned out light bulbs and dead smoke detector batteries won’t help you during a home inspection. Since the inspector won’t look into why the light is out or the smoke detector isn’t working, they may assume that an electrical, fixture, or device issue is to blame. By replacing your lightbulbs and batteries before the inspection, you can sidestep this potential problem entirely. Additionally, it’s wise to take a moment and replace your furnace filter. When a fresh one is in place, the inspector is more likely to believe that you maintain your home, increasing the odds that they’ll view the property in a positive light. Plan to Leave Early, and Take Your Pets As a seller, you won’t be present during the inspection. Make sure you are ready to go at least an hour before the appointment. If you have pets, then bring them with you, too. That way, they aren’t in the inspector’s way and won’t incidentally influence the process.

Benefits of Pre-Purchase Inspections

By Tory Lora • 01 Jun, 2020
A home is a major investment, and a pre-purchase inspection is a critical part of the buying process. Think of it this way; when you become a homeowner, you aren’t just securing shelter and getting a place for your stuff. Instead, you are selecting a property for the long-term, a place where you may raise a family, gather with loved ones, and celebrate special occasions. Over time, a home becomes filled with memories. Preferably, more good memories than bad. With a pre-purchase inspection, you may come face-to-face with some less than ideal situations, including some that could leave you stressed and regretting your investment. Comparatively, by getting a pre-purchase inspection, you are ensuring you have an opportunity to spot problems and have them addressed. Then, you can move forward with your purchase with confidence. If you are wondering what the benefits of pre-purchase inspections are, here’s what you need to know. Spotting Issues You Won’t Notice When you prepare to buy a home, it’s normal to view a property through rose-colored glasses. You may adore the layout or the architecture, causing you to overlook subtle things that could indicate big trouble. Additionally, unless you work in the construction field or a similar niche, you might not know an issue when you see one. A lack of expertise makes identifying problems tricky, if not downright impossible. With a pre-purchase inspection, an expert will come in to examine the property. They aren’t emotionally invested in the process, so their opinion won’t be skewed. Additionally, they are trained to identify problems, including subtle issues or warning signs that indicate trouble is on the horizon. Getting Needed Repairs or Discounts Once the pre-purchase inspection is complete, you’ll receive a report from the inspector. The document outlines precisely what the inspector discovered, including any potential hazards, structural problems, water leaks, appliance issues, or other defects and concerns. With the report in hand, the buyer has the ability to address the seller regarding the results. In some cases, the prospective buyer can request repairs based on what’s in the document, ensuring the seller addresses any issues before the purchase proceeds. Alternatively, if the prospective buyer is willing to shoulder the responsibility of the repairs themselves (and the issues wouldn’t prevent a loan or insurance from going through), they could request a lower sale price. With this approach, the buyer accepts the property in its current state but uses repair cost estimates to justify a lower offer, offsetting what they’ll need to spend on the fixes. Essentially, a home inspection can act as a bargaining chip. With the report, the buyer can make requests to alter their original offer, including repair conditions or price changes. Planning for the Future Planning for the Future At times, a home inspection will reveal wear-and-tear that isn’t bad enough to justify an immediate repair or replacement. When this occurs, it gives buyers helpful information that can make it easier to plan for the future. For example, a detailed pre-purchase inspection includes estimated “life expectancy” for appliances and systems. It lets the buyer know approximately when those items will need replacing, empowering them to prepare for the associated costs. Ultimately, pre-purchase home inspections are valuable tools. Without one, buyers may be caught by an unexpected issue. With one, they can have peace of mind and, with homes being such a major investment, that alone makes getting an inspection worthwhile.

October Spooktacular Events

By Tory Lora • 10 Oct, 2018
Here you can find links to some of this Fall’s best events local to the Sacramento community: Bel Air Carmichael Succulent & Pumpkin Party – https://business.facebook.com/events/471230853367382/ Join us for our first Fall Floral workshop! You’ll create your own beautiful Harvest centerpiece using succulents, pumpkins and Fall-floral accents. Danielle, our Floral Team Leader will be your […] The post October Spooktacular Events appeared first on .

Preventing Mold Growth During Winter

By Tory Lora • 04 Oct, 2018
Keep In Mind Mold spores are all around us, but the growth of mold can be prevented. Mold needs moisture, warmth and food in order to grow in your home. When you deprive mold of moisture, warmth and food, you will stop it from growing, but you won’t kill the mold that is already there. The […] The post Preventing Mold Growth During Winter appeared first on .

Prepare Your Home For Winter

By Tory Lora • 02 Oct, 2018
Easy Tips To Winterize Your Home Like raking leaves and planting bulbs, installing storm windows and cleaning gutters are telltale fall rituals. But what else can you do to prepare your home for sweater weather? Which steps can you take now to make this winter safe, comfortable, and healthy? To prepare your property for snow, […] The post Prepare Your Home For Winter appeared first on .

Golden State Inspection Services Launches Termite Control Company!

By Tory Lora • 14 Dec, 2017
We are excited to share with you the official launch of our pest inspection service, Defender Termite & Construction. The post Golden State Inspection Services Launches Termite Control Company! appeared first on .

Do You Need A Mold Inspection? #MoldInspection #PropertyInspections #HomeInspection

By Tory Lora • 27 Jul, 2017
Golden State Inspection Services inspects every kind of property for mold.   Whether you’re a home buyer looking at a property or a business owner concerned about your employee’s well-being, a mold inspection ensures your safety and health. Catching mold before it spreads means you save more money on repairs or save yourself from making […] The post Do You Need A Mold Inspection? #MoldInspection #PropertyInspections #HomeInspection appeared first on .

Why You Need A Commercial Inspection

By Tory Lora • 25 Jul, 2017
A commercial inspection can help your business’s structure stay in top shape.   Regular inspections enhance the durability of the roof. Roofs are exposed to the harshest weather conditions and will degrade in quality over time.   A regular check on your roof’s condition will extend its longevity. Contact Golden State Inspection Services today to […] The post Why You Need A Commercial Inspection appeared first on .

Seller Inspection – Property – Prevention

By Tory Lora • 18 Jul, 2017
Having your property inspected before you list it could be the perfect form of preventative action.   Home buyers, sales agents, or lawyers generally recommend an inspection. In this case, what’s good for the buyer is also good for the seller. Because surprises are equally damaging to sellers of property, the seller should get a […] The post Seller Inspection – Property – Prevention appeared first on .
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