Archive for the ‘Green Home Tips’ Category
Saturday, April 21st, 2012
 According to the EPA, during summer months, lawn and garden watering account for roughly 40% of a typical home’s water use. It’s a statistic that reminds us how “green lawns” can be wasteful to both the environment and household budgets – especially with drought conditions expected and water costs rising in many U.S. municipalities.
As a homeowner in Lakewood , to help Mother Nature and your wallet, consider added a rain barrel to your home. A rain barrel is a rain-capturing system that collects and stores water runoff from your roof. Often attached to a home’s gutter system, a standard rain barrel collects and holds 55 gallons of water which can then be reused to water plants, wash cars, and clean driveways among other uses. Because the water is natural (i.e. not treated with chlorine or lime), it’s also ideal for window washing.
Rain barrels can be purchases at most hardware or garden stores, or online via Amazon.com, for example. Or, they can be hand-built.
This is a preview of Build Your Own Rain Barrel To Save Money, Environment . Read the full post »
Tags: EPA, Garden, Green
Posted in Around The Home, Colorado Living, Green Home Tips | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011
According to the Sierra Club, as the average U.S. home size increases, demanding more energy and materials, living smaller is a surefire way to reduce your ecological footprint. It’s also an opportunity to enjoy thoughtful design and a simpler lifestyle. To see more tips for making the transition: http://sierraclub.org/tips/home-garden.aspx
This is a preview of Green Remodeling Tips . Read the full post »
Tags: Colorado Real Estate, energy efficient, energy saving, green home, green real estate, green Realtor, home improvement, real estate inspiration
Posted in Around The Home, Colorado Living, Green Home Tips, Home Owner Energy Tips, Residential Real Estate, Selling a Home | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
Today’s garage has evolved almost as much as homes themselves. Four decades ago, garages were small enough to fit merely the family car. Now we expect our garage to house not only our SUVs, but also our gardening centers, tools, festive holiday garb, and sports equipment. Creative storage solutions are needed. Consider the following options:
Pegboard Wall Coverings Lying flush against the wall, a pegboard uses very little space, but can hold hundreds of tools and even small shelves. Easy for a do-it-yourselfer to install and allows for creative expression as tool are hooked around the wall. The pegboard display allows tools to be easily found as they hang out in the open.
Ceiling Mounted Shelf Come as simple as wire racks holding up to 250 lbs. or as complex as Tuff-Rak’s 600 lb. hanging capacity. Suspended from the ceiling, a simple ladder can help access stored items.
This is a preview of Garage, More Than Just Home for Cars . Read the full post »
Tags: Alaris Properties, Buy home, Colorado Real Estate, Four Seasons Property Inspections, garage uses
Posted in Buying A Home, Green Home Tips, Selling a Home | No Comments »
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011
At the grocery store when the bagger asks “paper or plastic” what is your response? In the past, mine has always been plastic, it saves trees. Right?
Wrong! Recently, I learned that plastic bags are polluting our environment and contributing to our dependence on foreign oil. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 12 million barrels of oil are used annually to make the plastic bags that Americans use. The United States International Trade Commission reported that 102 billion plastic bags were used in the U.S. in 2009. These bags often wind up in waterways or on landscape, becoming eyesores or degrading water and soil as they break down into small, toxic bits. The manufacture, transportation and disposal of plastic bags use large quantities of non-renewable resources and release equally large amounts of global-warming gases. Ecologically, hundreds of thousands of marine animals die every year when they eat the small plastic bits mistaken for food.
This is a preview of Paper or Plastic . Read the full post »
Tags: Alaris Properties, Colorado Real Estate, environmental impact of plastic, green real estate, green Realtor
Posted in Green Home Tips | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 20th, 2011
Have you ever stopped to consider whether the products you use to clean your home are safe for you and your family? This blog is not meant to alarm anyone. It is meant to help educate. In times past, I have felt helpless and I have wondered what I can do to make a real difference. I have watched some of the gloom and doom predicted by environmentalists, and have listened to Al Gore tell us that we all must do our part. Along the way, I have discovered some simple actions I can take that really do have a direct impact on my own health and that of my family. This blog will set forth some simple actions you can take that could really help you to be healthier and could really make a difference to your environment. The problem I have discovered in talking about environmental issues is that it can seem like environmental issues are so remote that there is little we can do. I am looking for ways to talk about environmental issues that affect us where we live.
This is a preview of The Health Benefits of EcoCleaning . Read the full post »
Tags: Alaris Properties, Colorado Real Estate, Daniel Berkerle, green home, home cleaning products, real estate
Posted in Green Home Tips | No Comments »
Saturday, March 26th, 2011
With all of the wild fires occurring in Colorado, Alaris Properties LLC wants to make sure you know what to do in the event an evacuation order is issued in your neighborhood. Be safe everyone!
Where to go:
- In the event of an order to evacuate, your local police, fire and/or sheriff’s patrol should be on site to help identify safe evacuation routes. It would be a good idea to make contact with your closest fire department to ask about this to be proactive.
- Identify a primary and secondary’ place to go (i.e. a friend or relative outside the threatened area or a hotel), and let members of your family know where you plan to meet since you may be coming from different places.
- Leave a note in a prominent place inside your house identifying where you plan to be and how to contact you.
What to take:
This is a preview of Fire Danger: Are You Prepared If An Evacuation Order Is Issued? . Read the full post »
Tags: Alaris Properties, Fire Evacuation Preparation Colorado
Posted in Green Home Tips | No Comments »
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Sometimes, we at Alaris like to write articles of general interest that does not directly affect buying and selling homes. We have a growing interest in building communities. Toward that end, we wanted to tell you about the concept of community gardens. With most fruits and vegetables traveling hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles, before arriving on your plate, it may make better sense to grow your own. Gardening season is upon us, but not all gardeners have the benefits of a large, sunny yard or plot of land. Yet, even those who have a plot of land may not have the confidence to jump in. Community gardening offers neighbors the chance to share both gardening land and gardening knowledge.
Think about joining a community garden as a way to meet your neighbors and form stronger neighborhood bonds. A garden creates a green space within a community, provides local organic fruits and veggies, promotes exercise, and helps with youth outreach. Exposure to the outdoors has proven to reduce stress and increase a sense of wellbeing. Aside from these facts, there is nothing more satisfying than eating food that you have personally grown.
This is a preview of Community Gardens . Read the full post »
Tags: Alaris Properties, Colorado Real Estate, community garden, green home, green real estate, home improvement, real estate
Posted in Green Home Tips | No Comments »
Thursday, February 10th, 2011
Green renovations and additions to your home may cost more upfront than taking the route of using traditional materials and methods, but does it pay for itself when your resell your home?
Lower Maintenance Costs
Green home renovations that target the tightening of your home’s envelope, upgrading old and inefficient building systems, as well as the installation of renewable energy systems will not only save you money while you live in your home, but they can help to increase your home’s resale value. We have also seen certain “green features” decrease the amount of time a home is on the market.
In the same way that you were inspired to make these upgrades, some home buyers may be willing to invest more upfront with the promise of saving on operating expenses in the long run. Right now, it is a buyers’ market and most buyers are looking for a bargain rather than paying more for a home. It is important to market the savings a buyer should expect during the time they own the home.
This is a preview of Does it pay to remodel green? . Read the full post »
Tags: Alaris Properties, Buy home, buyer, Colorado Real Estate, eco-broker, energy efficient, energy saving, green home, green home improvements, green real estate, green Realtor
Posted in Buying A Home, Green Home Tips, Home Owner Energy Tips, Residential Real Estate, Selling a Home | No Comments »
Thursday, January 6th, 2011
If you are a homeowner who neglected to take advantage of the energy tax credits in 2010, you will get another chance in 2011. This is a great relief to many who thought they missed the cut-off. We owe our thanks to the extension of the energy-efficiency improvement tax credits.
Supported by the Obama Administration, and passed by both houses of Congress, the extension as part of the legislation that renewed the Bush-era tax cuts. It allows individuals to receive tax credits for installing qualifying energy-efficient items, such as windows, doors, water heaters, roofs, insulation, heating and air-conditioning units, and biomass stoves. In order to claim the credit, these items must be installed at your principal residence.
Unfortunately, the extension has a significant reduction in the tax-credit amounts from 2010. In 2011, the credit cap will be reduced from $1500 to $500, and the credit percentage will vary depending on what improvements are made. The tax credit is also retroactive to December 31, 2005, meaning a homeowner who has claimed at least $500 in energy-efficiency tax credits between 2006 and 2010 will not be able to do so in 2011.
This is a preview of Tax bill keeps Energy Credits for 2011 . Read the full post »
Tags: Alaris Properties, energy efficient, energy saving, green home, green real estate, green Realtor, home improvement, real estate
Posted in Green Home Tips, Home Owner Energy Tips | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010
This time of the year when our forced air heaters work overtime, we need to pay particular attention to air quality as it can affect not only your wallet, but also your well-being.
Most homes are constructed in such a way that heating and cooling efficiency relies on airtight conditions. This saves energy and is safer for the house. Unfortunately, because air ducts are so tight, new air gets inside the house at a very slow rate. What this means is that the new air takes a long time to exchange itself with the stale air.
During the winter months, it is a good idea to air out your home once a day to let fresh air in. The best way to do this is get a cross breeze going for about five to ten minutes. During this time, it is best to turn off your thermostat. Once you have your windows and doors closed again wait about ten minutes to turn the thermostat back on.
This is a preview of Air Duct Cleaning . Read the full post »
Tags: Alaris Properties, energy efficient, energy saving, home air quality, home improvement, real estate
Posted in Green Home Tips | No Comments »
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