Of course, nearly all of us have run into the opposite case: one of our handyman friends buys a “fixer-upper”, but it never quite seems to get up!  A project that looked an entrepreneurial sure-thing becomes something like a second job, but without the paycheck.

When you are a first-time buyer, how much renovation is too much is a complex question.

The factors involved include your skill set and your tolerance for living in a “work in progress”.

Renovations are important to consider when buying a house, and also when putting a home on the market.

A little-known fact about home renovation is that renovation projects very rarely add 100% of their cost to the value of a home.

The National Association of Realtors recently released their annual Cost vs. Value Report. It breaks down the complete range of home repairs and renovation projects, with an average cost and the associated value benefit.

There are plenty of geographic and price bracket variations across the country, but for almost every market and every price point, renovations such as a new kitchen, vinyl siding, or a bathroom upgrade return no more than 50-80% of their investment.

So why renovate at all? From a cold cash analysis, it doesn’t seem to make good money sense.  But cold cash is not the whole story when it comes to our homes.

When home owners renovate before they sell, they get to enjoy the new space themselves, not just make things more attractive to buyers. You could even say that the enjoyment factor is the primary return on investment for the home owner.

Recent renovations also make buyers’ lives easier. The opportunity cost of a higher quality of home life is hard to measure, but it’s real.

Making home improvements can also reduce seller stress by short-circuiting a buyer’s tactic of picking at defects to drive down the price.

Consider the market you’re in carefully, as in all decisions concerning your home.  You can overbuild for the neighborhood you are in, and never recover your costs.

Another study that indicates now may be a good time to renovate is the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity released by the Joint Center for Housing Studies.  It indicates that the demand for home renovation services will continue to be soft, even as the housing market improves.

Your local contractor is looking for work, and now may be a great time to negotiate your way to the new bathroom or home office that makes your house your dream home.

I can help you with home selection, finding the right contractor, and all the aspects of choosing, buying, and moving you into the home that’s right for you.

 There are five areas that builders, manufacturers and other energy-informed professionals (like me) look at when we think of green technologies:

• Save Energy
• Conserve Water
• Contribute to a Healthy Indoor Environment
• Protect Natural Resources
• Reduce Buildings’ Impact on the Community

Save Energy

Reducing the amount of energy a house consumes is the first thing many of us think of. This can include old-school strategies such as building orientation and window placement during the design phase.  Today we can include appliance selection, since Energy Star-rated appliances are on the market for all parts of the home.  For the very ambitious, features can be included in a house to generate your own energy, such as solar panels.

Conserve Water

Water Conservation is an important measure to take here in the Chesapeake.  The combination of agriculture, industry, and a dense population put a continual strain on the water supply and the fragile ecology of the Chesapeake Bay.  In product selection and landscaping decisions, I can help you find alternatives that conserve water while keeping your home comfortable and beautiful.

Contribute to a Healthy Indoor Environment

Some studies suggest that the air inside our homes is more polluted than the air outside!  Today’s green buildings also work to promote high air quality inside the home.  Formaldehyde-free cabinets, non-toxic caulks, sealers and adhesives, fume-free carpets and pads, and other products can help make your home breathable, livable, clean and green.  There are also products that actively remove indoor pollutants; ventilation equipment and air and water filters create a healthier environment for you and your family.  Other appliances such as Carbon Monoxide detectors, can be life-savers.

Protect Natural Resources

The materials we build with have been changing for the better in recent years.  Quality materials made from recycled content are becoming commonplace.  So have products made from agricultural material, such as wheat straw.  Even salvaged products that get a second life help reduce the impact we have on our forests and other natural resources.

Reduce Buildings’ Impact on the Community

Of course, impact on those around us is the most immediately perceived benefit of thinking in an energy-efficient.  When we use state-of-the-art materials and knowledge in building and renovating, we reduce our impact on our neighbors and enhance the quality of living for those around us and ourselves.

I am a certified Energy Saving Realtor and would be happy to help you regarding purchasing an Energy Efficient home, or if you are going to be selling your property, advising you on the new rules and regulations that you need to comply with when listing your home.

But how we chose to deal with nuisance ice can have an effect on our lawns, our neighborhood, and our ecosystem.  In your local store, your choice will boil down to either a salt (chloride) based compound or an acid compound (acetate).

Salt or chloride based products have been what we rely on for generations.  Sodium chloride, a.k.a. rock salt, is the best known de-icer.  Potassium Chloride, better known as part of fertilizer compounds, has been getting more use in recent years, as have de-icers using magnesium chloride as their active ingredient.

All salt-based de-icers pose environmental problem.  Sodium chloride can have damaging effects on plants and other features of your home landscape. Potassium chloride products may actually help your garden, but over time the cumulative runoff of such chemicals impacts the water supply downstream; this is after all fertilizer!  Even magnesium chloride, advertised as the most environmentally-friendly of the salt compounds, is considered to have a negative impact on groundwater.

One way to thaw that dangerous ice in a responsible way is to use a de-icer containing Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA).  This family of compounds has proved effective in places like airports and highways, including installations in environmentally-sensitive areas.  CMA is a water-soluble chemical similar to vinegar that can thaw ice and quickly breaks down harmlessly. 

Every variety of de-icer is sold under a number of brand names, and many claim to be “environmentally safe”.  The very best way to evaluate that claim is to look at the ingredients.  Only products with CMA or another acetate based compound are the organic choice.

Of course, when the ice storm is coming, you may be in a hurry.  How to tell the difference at a glance?  Look at the price.  CMA de-icers command a higher price than salt-based compounds.  As with many green innovations, we have to pay a little more up front.  But the benefits of clean water and healthy lawns are long-term benefits that protect your home’s value.

As a certified Energy Saving Realtor, I’m happy to help you purchase an Energy Efficient home.  If you are going to be selling your property, I can suggest ways to improve your home’s energy footprint and make it more attractive to buyers.  Call me today to learn more about energy efficient homes in your area.

That’s what led me to get my certification as an Energy Smart Real Estate Specialist (ESRES). This designation lets buyers and sellers both know that I am there with information on energy-saving (and money-saving) steps any homeowner can take.

Most of the hubbub centers on federal programs and government support for industries that promise to deliver new, cleaner technology.

But how does that help any of us deal with the cost of energy and the need to be energy-efficient?

There’s a gap between all the talk and the reality we face as homeowners. To address that gap, I’ve recently become certified as an Energy Smart Real Estate Specialist (ESRES).

A real estate agent is the best resource available to buyers and sellers when it comes to understanding the total cost/total value of a home. Now, advice to my clients includes suggestions on the most practical and affordable ways to make a house energy efficient.

As an ESRES, I can now help buyers and sellers look at the many ways design, construction, and landscaping can lead to reduced costs, better living, and a cleaner environment.

If you are a first-time home buyer, I can point you to communities that are using the best practices from the ground up. I can also suggest the best ways to retrofit an older house for maximum efficiency.

Sellers can also benefit from knowing just where their property stands in the market, and by taking advantage of cost-effective upgrades that help their homes move quickly.

Architects, landscapers, and developers can profit from the services of an ESRES like me.

From site selection and orientation, to the selection of building materials, through to the mix of major appliances, I can give advice that will save families thousands of dollars over the life of a mortgage.

In the weeks ahead, watch this space for articles with practical suggestions that will lower your bills and help the environment.