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Let’s Talk Basements: How to Finish Your Basement so It Adds Value to Your Home

November 23, 2016 by Rhonda Costa

Let's Talk Basements: How to Finish Your Basement so It Adds Value to Your HomeAre you on the hunt for home renovations that will boost usability and value? Look no further than that unfinished basement. In this article, we’ll show you how to turn that dusty cave into an amazing new living space.

Note: finishing a basement isn’t the easiest job. For most basements, it’s a lot more than a weekend do-it-yourself project. If you’re not comfortable with construction be sure to enlist the help of a professional.

Step 1: Plan Everything Out

The first step is to plan out how you’re going to use the space. Are you going to make an office? A full suite? Is there any plumbing or wiring involved? Will you need to create full walls? Map out how you plan to use the available space so you have an idea of what you’ll need.

Step 2: Measure And Deal With The Floor

Once you figure out how you’ll use the space, you’ll need to measure everything out. Height can be an issue — especially in basements not designed as a living space. You can solve height problems by digging out the concrete slab. Once you get down deep enough, you pour a new slab.

Step 3: Frame Everything In

Is the basement at a good height? Next you’ll need to start framing everything in. Depending on how you have your walls mapped out, this might take a while. You may also need permits or to enlist licensed tradespeople, such as an electrician. If you’re just framing in a single room to add walls, it will be easier.

Step 4: Insulate And Install The Walls

After the framing process, you’ll insulate everything before installing the walls. Adding insulation can drive energy and heating costs down by a lot. So much so that in colder areas of the country, new homes must have insulated basements. After the insulation is in place, you’ll install the drywall and ready the walls for painting.

Step 5: Paint, Carpet And Finish Up

The final step is to get everything painted and finished. If you chose to go with a carpeted floor, you’ll want to save this for last. Once the painting is complete, install the carpets, baseboard and trim. Touch up any final areas and you’re all set.

Finishing your basement into a usable space is an excellent way to add value to your home. To learn more about building your home’s equity, give us a call.

Filed Under: Around The Home Tagged With: Around the Home, Homeowner Tips, Upgrades and Renovations

Reduce Your Home’s Carbon Footprint With These Energy-Saving Tips

November 16, 2016 by Rhonda Costa

Reduce Your Home's Carbon Footprint With These Energy-Saving TipsDo you believe that humans are changing the climate? As of today, the debate over carbon dioxide and climate change continues to rage. But regardless of your political standpoint, there’s always a case for reducing electricity use. Because who doesn’t like saving money, right?

Let’s explore a few ways that you can save energy while reducing your home’s carbon footprint.

Leverage The Power Of Automation

The technology behind home automation is improving at an amazing rate. Thermostats from companies like Nest make home heating and cooling simple. They learn from your use to automatically set temperatures up and down as needed. Going to be home late from work? No problem — you can use your smartphone to ensure your heat doesn’t come on until later.

Wash Cold, Hang Dry

You might not be aware of this, but cold water washing makes sense. Most washing machines and detergents are just as efficient with cold water as hot. So it makes sense to switch to washing in cold, especially if you have a newer washing machine.

To cut back even more, hang your clothes to dry instead of using the dryer. The technology behind clothes dryers hasn’t improved much over time. They still rely on warm air, forced ventilation and spinning around. All of which use a lot of energy.

Note: if you have to use your dryer, add a clean, dry towel to each load. Adding a towel will help your clothes to dry faster, thus saving you both time and money.

Modernize Your Home Lighting

Have you made the switch to power-efficient LED light bulbs yet? This one change can save an immense amount of electricity depending on the size of your home. And you can take things a step further by automating your home lighting as well. Systems from companies like Philips allow you to turn lights up, down and off as needed. You can also control these from your smartphone.

Kill Off The Vampires

Finally, watch for appliances and accessories that draw power when they’re not in use. ‘Electricity vampires’ like smartphone chargers, laptops and televisions can draw power 24/7. It’s a bit of a pain to have to unplug everything all the time. Instead, consider having these appliances plugged in to power bars. When you’re finished using them, you can switch the power bar off and go on with your day.

The above are just a few ways that you can reduce your home’s carbon footprint. If you’re interested in upgrading to a power-smart home, talk to your local real estate agent today. We’ll be happy to recommend local homes that are high-value and low-carbon.

Filed Under: Around The Home Tagged With: Around the Home, Homeowner Tips, Upgrades and Renovations

7 Easy, Inexpensive Home Storage Hacks That Will Free Up Your Space

November 15, 2016 by Rhonda Costa

7 Easy, Inexpensive Home Storage Hacks That Will Free Up Your SpaceEven small spaces can feel spacious when the art of storage is mastered. Here are 7 inexpensive storage hacks to free up space in your home.

1. Racks On Racks On Racks

It’s often the first mess you see when walking into someone’s home a clutter of shoes sprawled out by the entrance. Take care of this mess with a shoe rack, which will only take up a few feet of space but allow you to store numerous pairs of kicks.

2. Fold & Hang

Not your clothes, your chairs! If you don’t use chairs often or rarely eat at the table, consider buying folding chairs instead as they can easily be put away when not in use. Attach a few hooks to a nondescript area of your home and hang the chairs to store them.

3. Slide Into An Island

Need more counter space but can’t sacrifice your kitchen table? Well now you can have both (without renovating!). Install a small island that has a slide-in table: you can slide out the table during meals and slide it back in when finished. Perfect when paired with folding chairs.

4. Make The Most Of Your Cupboards

Install small storage solutions inside of your cupboards to make the most of their space. Hooks can hang mugs from the tops of shelves, and towel racks placed on the inside of a cupboard door can fit pot lids. For a large cupboard, consider a hanging shoe rack for compartmentalized storage space from top to bottom.

5. Multi-Purpose Furniture

When trying to maximize space, choose furniture that also offers storage, such as a bed frame with pullout drawers underneath it, or an ottoman that opens up to store remotes, books, or toys. There are countless pieces designed for small spaces, so find ones that meet your own unique needs.

6. Build Me Up Buttercup

When floor space is limited, you have no choice but to build upwards. Shelves allow you to make the most of vertical space, and can fit into almost any area. Corner shelves can help you take advantage of otherwise dead space, and tall shelving units can act as a room divider which is perfect for a studio. If you want to create a more open concept, choose wall-mounted shelves as they have minimal design impact.

7. Hang It Up

Along with every door comes a fantastic storage opportunity! Choose a door-mounted hanging storage system to keep clothes, robes, towels, or shoes off of the floor. Feel free to be creative you can use them to store whatever you like.

Want more tips on small space living? Contact your trusted real estate professional today.

Filed Under: Around The Home Tagged With: Around the Home, Homeowner Tips, Upgrades and Renovations

5 Futuristic, Connected Home Upgrades That You Can Install This Fall

October 28, 2016 by Rhonda Costa

5 Futuristic, Connected Home Upgrades That You Can Install This FallThe future is now! You may know that there are already many smart (Internet-connected) appliances and items that you can use to update your home for the connected age. But for your reading pleasure, here are five of them already on the market.

Energy Efficiency: The Smart Thermostat

One of the first smart home upgrades to make it big on the market is the smart thermostat, specifically the Nest Learning Thermostat. Connected to your heating system, and to your phone through Wi-Fi, this device ‘learns’ your energy use habits so it can adjust to them. It saves you money by tailoring its output to your usage, which means it is kinder on the planet as well. Smart tech for the win-win.

Intelligent Alarms: Smart Smoke Detectors

In the same vein is the smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector technology. These alarm systems assess the danger and speak to you. They report on multiple details, including what kind of danger you’re facing (fire or carbon monoxide poisoning), where it is exactly in your home, and whether it constitutes an immediate risk to you.

Turn It On!: Smart Light Bulb

A-ha! The intelligence continues. There are smart light bulbs now like the Philips’ Hue Connected Bulb which speak through your Wi-Fi. This light can be controlled remotely through your phone or computer, where you can change its color and adjust the brightness without ever touching the bulb itself.

Baby Care: The Smart Onesie

You know those moments you need to yourself, when you step out of your baby’s room to let them sleep? Well, there’s now a device to help keep track of them even then. The Mimo Baby Shirt is a smart onesie. Its organic cotton is woven with sensors that monitor elements like your child’s temperature or sleep pattern and streams that info to your device through your home’s Wi-Fi. It can be fitted with a microphone, again linked to your phone and it’s machine-washable!

The Next Mouthful: The Smart Fork

Last but not least, there’s the HapiFork. This smart utensil monitors your eating habits how fast you’re eating, the time between meals, how many bites it takes to finish the meal. These tidbits can be uploaded to your laptop or phone, and can help you track and change how you eat.

As technology continues to progress, our homes are becoming smarter and smarter. Keep up with the tech by staying abreast of new developments starting with these five. Oh, and one last smart thing? Reaching out to your local real estate agent for more information, recommendations or just to chat about the future.

Filed Under: Around The Home Tagged With: Around the Home, Real Estate Tips, Upgrades and Renovations

Buying a Solar-Powered Home? Watch Out for These Symptoms of Future Problems

October 11, 2016 by Rhonda Costa

Buying a Solar-Powered Home? Watch Out for These Symptoms of Future ProblemsSolar-powered homes are becoming more commonplace, and are an excellent step in the right ecological direction. That said, there are some aspects to consider if you’re thinking about investing in solar energy. Read on for some salient points about living by the sun.

The Sun And The Economy

As solar power has grown in popularity, the government has introduced incentives to help homeowners combat the once-high costs of purchasing and installing solar panels. And companies are springing up to rent you panels and cover the cost of installation. This means that your initial costs are smaller, but also that those third party companies reap the government incentives and may not always maintain strong relationships between you and your utility company.

The Sun And Your Roof

Roofs are the primary locations for solar panels, particularly on homes. Ensure that your roof has enough strength for the added weight of the equipment, and enough space for the proper placement (away from the edges, for example). The equipment comes with a lifetime guarantee so if the roof it’s on is already old, consider updating it before installation (which is an extra but necessary cost).

The Sun And Your Surroundings

A solar-powered home is all about location, location, location. Watch for tall and shady trees, or for high buildings that will shadow your panels and decrease or prevent their output. Look forward, too are there any plans for development in your neighborhood that would introduce such impediments in the future?

The Sun And Cloudy Days

The most obvious hiccup with solar power is that bane of a sunny existence: cloudy days. Location has influence here too: the climate of your area will determine how many panels you’ll need, where you’ll need to place them and how much energy you’ll be able to glean in each season. There are batteries you can purchase for collecting and storing solar energy but they’re still an expensive option. And solar power is still somewhat unattractive in the global economy because of how variable it is. Fossil fuels are more dependable, and therefore more marketable, than an energy source so tied to the weather although that looks to change if solar energy continues its rise in popularity with the masses.

All things considered, there is a deep and growing draw to solar-powered homes, but don’t enter into anything without looking at all sides of the equation. If you have questions, or want to know more about how solar energy works in your neighborhood, contact your local real estate agent.

Filed Under: Home Buyer Tips Tagged With: Buying A Home, Home Buyer Tips, Upgrades and Renovations

Bedroom Upgrades: How to Decide Between Hardwood and Carpet for Your Bedrooms

October 4, 2016 by Rhonda Costa

Bedroom Upgrades: How to Decide Between Hardwood and Carpet for Your BedroomsThe floor of your bedroom is important it’s the first thing you touch in the morning, and the last before you go to sleep. Not to mention all the other life moments that go on in there. So take time to consider what you want your bedroom floor to be made of and read on for pros and cons of carpeting and hardwood floors.

The Noise Factor

One of the biggest elements to consider is how sound will carry. Carpet is a very quiet medium, perfect for those bedrooms on higher floors, or in houses that want to keep a quiet profile. Hardwood creaks, and all movements can be heard from walking to a child playing, even to the acoustics of a TV or laptop.

Keeping It Clean

Carpets are hard to keep clean. Dirt, pollen, hair, food and other particles get ground into the fabric, especially if it’s a high-traffic area, and it can be expensive to get them out. Hardwood is easy to tidy and even stains can be refinished without too much cost or effort. On the other hand, carpets need only be vacuumed weekly, whereas a hardwood floor should be swept every other day.

The Life Span Of Your Floor

With careful maintenance, carpets can last for many years but barring anything unforeseen, hardwood floors last forever. They also never go out of style, and offer their rooms a sense of prestige. Carpets need replacing and the patterns can’t be changed with the ease that hardwood floors can be refinished or refurbished with area rugs.

The Cost Of It All

In initial costs, carpets are largely cheaper, although they cost more to maintain because they need to be replaced more often. Hardwood floors take a big initial payment, but because they are more durable the costs even out, in the end. Environmentally speaking, hardwood is often more sustainable (as long as it comes from an ecologically-sensitive company), but there are recycled options for carpeting too.

What Goes On In There

Consider what kind of life will be lived in the bedroom in question. Will it be a kid’s room, where the padding of carpet might be safer? Is it meant for guests, where the beauty of hardwood could make a strong first impression? Does the occupant have allergies, so that hardwood (which doesn’t gather allergens like carpet fabric) is a better choice?

Consider everything when making your decision. Remember, in the end, both hardwood and carpet have pros and cons. For a second opinion, or advice on what works in your neighborhood, talk to your local real estate agent.

Filed Under: Home Seller Tips Tagged With: Home Seller Tips, Selling A Home, Upgrades and Renovations

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Rhonda & Steve Costa

Rhonda & Steve Costa

Call (352) 398-6790
Sunrise Homes & Renovations, Inc.

Contractors License #CBC 1254207

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