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Thursday March. 29, 2018
THE EASTERN NEW MEXICO NEWS
5 projects that can be stress-free (BPT)
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wning your own home is a life accomplishment for many adults, and keeping it looking sharp and adding your personal touches brings a sense of pride. It seems there are always things you want to improve, so don’t let a limited budget or lack of know-how hold you back from dreaming. There are plenty of ways to enhance a room or remake a space without breaking the bank, along with many resources out there to show you how.
(BPT)
How many miles per gallon does your home get?
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veryone wants the inside scoop on how to get the best deal. Ironically, consumers will do a bunch of research over a $500 smart phone and relatively little for the largest purchase of their lives, their homes.
Most home buyers focus on price and payments, however, factoring in a home’s energy consumption costs could save tens of thousands of dollars over years of ownership. Comparing the performance and construction quality of one home to another is often not apples to apples. Newly built homes tend to be more energy efficient than older homes, but total performance is also influenced by the builder and design, said CR Herro, a building scientist and vice president of environmental affairs for Meritage Homes. Home Energy Rating Score When buying a new or resale home, buyers can use a shopping tool to help them understand the anticipated costs of a home’s energy bills. The Home Energy Rating Score, or HERS, is the industry standard for measuring a home’s energy efficiency. It was created by the not-for-profit Residential Energy Services Network (RESNet), an independent consortium of building scientists and construction experts. Think of HERS like miles-pergallon fuel economy for your car, except that a lower HERS is better: · According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a typical resale home in the U.S. rates a HERS 130 and costs approximately $200,000 in utilities over a 30-year mortgage. · Utilities for a home that scores 100 would cost 30 percent less, saving $60,000 in operating cost. · Utilities for a home that scores 65
would cost approximately half, saving $100,000 in operating cost over 30 years.
Some builders, such as Meritage Homes, design homes to capitalize on energy efficiency and can achieve HERS scores lower than the 2016 U.S. average of 62 by including high-efficiency heating, cooling, windows, lighting and insulation in all their homes. How to know the score “Knowing the HERS score of your home can be the difference between a European vacation every few years or a kiddie pool in the driveway,” said Herro. “A lower HERS score could also raise the value of your home because the rating is being added to home appraisal standards.” Proposed federal legislation also could provide mortgage borrowing advan-
With a little research and a weekend or two of elbow grease, your budget and your abilities are more than enough to take on many smaller jobs. When you’re done, the satisfaction you’ll experience from a successful DIY project will give you plenty of motivation to start the next improvement. Before you launch your plans, here are a few tips for an affordable and stress-free DIY project. 1. Map it out Prioritize the projects you’d like to tackle first. Whether it’s painting the living room, replacing the kitchen countertops or retiling the bathroom, the project will be much less stressful when you have solid planning behind it. Set a realistic schedule, gather your supplies in advance and be sure and review instructions before starting. If you’re making an improvement for a special event or out-of-town guests, give yourself ample time to complete it so you’re not adding stress to the project. 2. Find creative ways to cover costs Make a budget for your project that includes a list of expected expenses and add padding for the unexpected. Assess what funds you have available, and if you don’t have enough, consider a savings plan so you can avoid paying interest and fees on a credit card. To speed up your progress, grab your change jar and bring it to a Coinstar kiosk where you can select cash or a no-fee eGift card from retailers including Amazon.com, Lowe’s, Home Depot and Sears. You’ll be surprised at how quickly a jar of coins can add up to purchase needed supplies on your list. 3. Learn through many available resources If you’re like most DIYers, you’ll find online videos and home improvement websites are great sources for how-to tips and information. And if you’re a novice, take advantage of the vast information that’s available at your fingertips and review several sources so that you completely understand the process and are confident before your dive in. Don’t be afraid to tap friends, family members and neighbors who have completed similar projects, as they can be good advisers and may even offer to help! You can reward them by inviting them back to your newly improved home to just relax and enjoy. 4. Keep it light
tages for homes with low HERS, he added. More than 2 million homes in the U.S. have been HERS rated for energy efficiency, generating energy savings of $268 million in 2016 alone, according to RESNet. More homes are being rated as home builders increase their participation in the HERS program and post the ratings for the homes they build. To find the HERS for a home, a list of participating home builders and tips for improving the energy efficiency of your home, go online to: http://www.hersindex.com/ knowthescore/.
Doing DIY projects with a spouse or a family member can be fun if you take the right approach. When working alongside each other, it’s all too easy to take a frustration out on each other. Two-thirds of those surveyed in a recent Coinstar survey said they do projects with others in their household, and 65 percent said they got into a disagreement during a home DIY project. Minimize tension by creating clear expectations and give everyone a defined role. Take needed breaks and acknowledge accomplishments along the way. Keeping things calm and positive ensures everyone feels good about their contribution. 5. Permission to make mistakes Most homeowners are not professional contractors and projects can and do go wrong. If you make a mistake, do your best to correct it and don’t beat yourself up. Focus on the fact you’re making progress in getting your house just the way you want it and saving money by doing it yourself. Next time, you will be that much more proficient! According to the survey, 90 percent of homeowners say they feel a sense of pride after completing a DIY project. Pat yourself on the back and plan your next DIY endeavor!