Delaware Valley Real Estate - OnPoint with Letitia Stevenson

Best Time to Buy an Air Conditioners - Winter

The price of air conditioners rises and lowers with the temperature. During summer months when the temperature and demand for air conditioners rise, prices skyrocket. As the winter season approaches, the temperature cools down and the demand for air conditioners drops, as does the price. Winter is a best time to buy air conditioners - a great time to buy a quality system at a discounted price. If you're planning on buying an air conditioning system, don't put it off until summer. Buy now - during winter months - and take advantage of all the great deals!

Best time to...

• Buy an air conditioner:  October-February (Best Months: January and February)
• Have your air conditioner checked and serviced:  February

When it comes to great deals, winter is also the best time to buy...

• Carpet and flooring
• DVD players
• Furniture
• Gas grills
• Hardware
• Linens and bedding
• TVs and home theaters

The following monthly newsletter is offered through my website and is from the February Real Estate Advisor:

IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE - Invest in Cool This Winter (February 2010)

• Heat Wave-Proof by March
• Value
• Savings
• A few buying tips

Enjoy! Letitia A. Stevenson

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INVEST IN COOL THIS WINTER - February Newsletter

Most of us spend the coldest months focusing on ways to keep our homes warm and cozy. Strange as it may sound, winter can actually provide the perfect opportunity to add air conditioning to your home (or to replace an aging cooling system). By bucking conventional wisdom you should be able to save money while making sure your home is as ready as you are for summer.

Heat Wave-Proof by March

Like shopping for tire chains during a blizzard, you don't want to find yourself desperately searching for air conditioning after the spring and summer heat have already hit. Start early and you will have time to fully research cooling options, review the needs of your home, and price shop both brands and local heating/cooling contractors. Choosing the right air conditioner or central air system for your home is not a decision you want to make when under the influence of a stifling heat wave.

Value

Air conditioning systems will typically add at least enough resale value to your home to cover the cost of purchase and installation. For warmer climates, or higher-end real estate markets, adding AC can improve your home's comparative value even more.

Savings

The big box stores may advertise eye-catching sales on air conditioner units at the start of summer, but all too often such offers are for limited quantities of specific models only and may not include the cost of installation. Winter can actually be a slow time for HVAC contractors, particularly those who focus on cooling systems, and as a result many may offer seasonal discounts.

A few buying tips:

• Comparative Size: An AC system that is too small for your home won't cool rooms properly and will result in wasted energy. A system that is too large or too powerful will shut down too quickly, prior to dehumidifying the air.
• Keep it Quiet: Pay attention to noise ratings on all systems. Noisy units can disrupt your sleep on their lowest levels or serve as a raucous distraction on high.
• Energy Efficiency: AC systems with higher efficiency ratings will cost you more up front, but will help save your household when it comes to future energy bills (they're more eco-friendly, to boot). Look for systems that feature programmable time settings to limit the system's use during non-peak times. 

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If you have any real estate questions, please contact me. Whether buying, selling, or just curious to learn more, I'm here to assist you.  Please contact me with your questions. I look forward to hearing from you.

Heating Your Home Efficiently

According to some forecasts, this winter could be much colder than in recent years. Colder temperatures cause heating systems to work much harder and use more energy. Couple this with rising energy costs and this could mean higher than average energy bills. Add a tough economy, and it's not hard to envision even more people struggling to pay their energy bills this winter.

Heating a home through the winter can take a large chunk out of your budget. The good news: There are cost-effective ways of heating your home efficiently. Some simple heat-saving strategies include checking your furnace, sealing leaks, improving insulation and adjusting the thermostat to 68° when you're home or 55° when you're sleeping or not at home - or lower, if health permits.

While the best time to check your home for heating efficiency is in the fall, it's never too late to manage your energy costs by employing some simple energy-saving, cost-cutting strategies during the heart of the winter season.

The following monthly newsletter is offered through my website and is from the January Real Estate Advisor:

IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE  - Heating Your Home Efficiently (JANUARY 2010)

• Stopping Air Leaks
• Duct Problems 
• Keep your Home Insulated
• Fireplace Issues
• Thermostat Solutions
• Ceiling Fans

Enjoy! Letitia A. Stevenson

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HEATING YOUR HOME EFFICIENTLY - January Newsletter

Regardless of what the weather brings this winter, heating your home efficiently is probably something on your mind. Keeping your home a comfortable temperature when the weather turns bad doesn't have to be a financial drain. Here are some places to start:

Stopping Air Leaks 

The first step to making your home more heat efficient is to identify air leaks. Common air leak sources such as recessed lights, attic entrances, doorframes, window frames, ducts (which we'll cover next) and electrical outlets can be a big drain of heat and money. You can check for air leaks yourself by walking through your home with a lit incense stick (horizontal smoke indicates a leak), or you can hire a technician for a more thorough inspection. Simple fixes like sealing around outlets and switches, caulking gaps in the framing, and plugging gaps surrounding pipes will typically result in noticeable savings.

Duct Problems

One of the most important systems in your home may be quietly wasting your energy dollars. Often overlooked, typical duct systems lose 25-40% of the heating or cooling energy put out by the central furnace, heat pump, or air conditioner. Common duct system problems include:

• Leaky joints or visible holes in the duct surface
• Disconnected ducts that have fallen away from each other
• Inadequate or poorly finished duct work
• Un-insulated or poorly insulated ducts in attics and crawlspaces

Most duct repairs should be made by or with the help of a trained professional, especially those that will take place in unconditioned spaces. A qualified pro can also help you more accurately assess the duct problems that you have. If you decide to make minor duct repairs on your own, keep in mind that duct tape is usually only intended as a temporary fix. Silicone caulking or cement with mastic are better sealing options. Improving your duct system efficiency can cut your annual utility bills by as much as $300, and will improve the overall air quality in your home.

Keep your Home Insulated

Properly insulating your home is one of the most cost-effective ways to cut down on your energy loss. Improving the insulation in your home can cut your heating and cooling costs by as much as 30%, and will create a more uniform, comfortable temperature in your home. Better insulation will also help decrease outdoor noise. Check the insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawl spaces to see if they meet recommended standards for your area. Insulation is measured in R-values: the higher the R-value, the less transfer of heat through the material. Typically the easiest and most cost-effective way to improve your home's insulation is to add insulation to your attic.

Fireplace Issues

Despite their undeniable aesthetic appeal, fireplaces are not desirable in terms of energy efficiency. Only about ten percent of the wood's energy is transferred to the room as heat, the rest escapes up the chimney. When in use, the fireplace also pulls cold air into your home through cracks and leaks, and when not in use the brick and stone mass of most fireplaces readily conducts heat from your home to the outside. To minimize energy waste from the fireplace in your home, make sure the damper or flue is shut tightly when the fireplace is not in use. Consider the benefits of things like tempered glass doors, fireplace inserts that seal dormant openings, and heat exchangers that recover some of the energy that would otherwise be lost.

Thermostat Solutions

That little box on the wall can be a tool for big energy savings. You can save up to 3 percent for every one degree that you lower the temperature in your home over a 24-hour period in winter. You can also save up to 10% annually in your heating and cooling bills by adjusting your thermostat down 10% to 15% for an 8-hour period each day. Turning the heat down while you sleep or while you're away at work is a simple and logical energy efficiency solution. If the prospect of waking up to a chilly house doesn't excite you, buy a programmable thermostat. They are inexpensive and adjust the temperature in your home based on the schedules you determine.

 

Ceiling Fans

While most people think if ceiling fans as a cooling solution, they can also help maintain a warm temperature in your home during winter. Running a ceiling fan in reverse circulates rising warm air back down to living areas. Consider ceiling fans for your home, particularly if you have rooms with high ceilings that seem to stay colder. Ceiling fans vary in price depending on things like material and size, but many are inexpensive and easy to operate.

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If you have any real estate questions, please contact me. Whether buying, selling, or just curious to learn more, I'm here to assist you.  Please contact me with your questions. I look forward to hearing from you.