Great Ways to Save

From the 15th Annual AARP 99 Ways to Save Edition on Your Home and Yard!

This blog is packed with money saving tips to employ on your real estate investments. They consulted with professionals to get their best advice for saving on home and garden improvements. Not every tip will work for you, but try a few and see if you can't keep some of those hard earned dollars. Saving can be habit-forming, and following these experts' advice can help make you more mindful of money-smart attitudes. Find the tips that fit your lifestyle, and watch your savings grow!

Home Improvement

Insulation - If you can see the top of the floor joists in your attic, you'll likely save energy dollars by adding insulation. The EPA estimates that homeowners can save an average of 15% off their utility bills by adding insulation in attics, floors over crawl spaces, the attic access point and basements.
Know When to Prime - Painting over low gloss and using a similar color? Skip the primer. But in other situations, primer will save you money. Use primer when painting porous surfaces, such as bare drywall, wood or surfaces with high gloss paint.
Wait for Winter - Many don't want to start indoor projects during the winter due to the cold and holidays. But this means contractors are looking for work during those months and are more likely to give you a better deal as well as their full attention.
Know How to Improve Home Value - Talk with your agent but if you plan to see your home down the road, check out Remodeling Magazine's annual Cost vs Value survey. Most financially helpful in 2023 was converting a fossil-fuel furnace to an electric heat pump, averaging and $18,366 return on $17,747 in cost. By comparison, a $23,430 deck would return just $9,325.
Rehab Your Tub - For $150 or less, you can refinish a stained worn out tub with an epoxy based finish, such as Ekopel 2K or the Rustoleum Tub and Tile Refinishing Kit. A tub replacement could run $10,000 or more.

Yard and Garden

Go Native - Plants indigenous to our region provide severs cost saving benefits: They thrive in local soil (so less fertilizer is needed) and at local rain levels (so less watering).
Partner with Your Neighbors - If you all hire the same mowing/landscaping service the business may be open to offering a discount since it can take care of many homes at once.
Give Your Air Conditioner Space - Proper airflow around your outdoor condenser unit allows it to work more efficiently.
Make Beds that Last - though mulch and flowering annuals look beautiful, you will need to pay to replace them seasonally. Using perennial plants and hardscapes that last for many years will lower your outdoor maintenance expenses.