I found this useful article by Barbara Ballinger about important work you may want to consider doing on your home for yourself or in preparation of selling your home this Spring or Summer.
Besides cleaning closets and planting flowers and cool-weather vegetables,
spring should involve scrutinizing the condition of a house following the rough
winter. Repairs and replacements won’t just help owners enjoy their properties
more; they’ll also keep energy costs down as hot weather rolls in and attract
more buyers, many of whom have become meticulous about inspecting roofs,
appliances, and HVAC bills.
While most home owners need to prioritize costs, these 10 improvements are at
the top of many contractors’ lists. Some of them are even more affordable than
ever before, thanks to rebates from local communities, utility companies, and
the federal government.
1. Replace windows
If home owners’ houses felt drafty this past winter
and they have single-pane windows, there’s a good chance those were one of the
culprits. But replacing them all can be costly — $400 to $500 per window, plus
$100 to $150 for installation, according to home improvement expert
Tom Kraeutler of The Money Pit.
Whether that’s the place to spend dollars should depend on how long home owners
plan to stay put or what houses listed in their neighborhood offer if they’re
selling. “If they’re the last ones with old, rotting-wood windows, that negative
may affect buyer attention,” Kraeutler says. This year’s “Cost vs. Value” report
from
Remodeling
magazine pegs the payback for vinyl windows at 71.2 percent and for
wood windows at a similar 73.3 percent. A less costly alternative can be to add
storms, caulk, weather strip, or rim joists in a basement. Contractor Paul Eric
Morse of
Morse Constructions
Inc. in Somerville, Mass., suggests gradually replacing windows in any room
that owners remodel to make the cost less prohibitive.
12 Key Questions to Ask Before You Hire Home Improvement
Pros
1. Can you show me proof of a license, certification, or associations you
belong to?
2. Are you bonded?
3. Will you provide three
recommendations?
4. What are your specialties — kitchens, bathrooms, or
additions? Are there jobs you don’t like to tackle?
5. Will you secure
permits?
6. How much must I pay up front for work?
7. Do you have a
regular team of subs, or assemble different members?
8. How might we resolve
conflicts — will resolution be in the contract?
9. How often will you show up
at the job site to check progress?
10. How might I reach you — e-mail, phone,
text?
11. What is your typical clean-up schedule — daily or weekly?
12.
Will you provide a lien release when work is done?
2. Install a new heating system and change filters
If a seller’s furnace and boiler were on their last
legs this past winter, it may be time to install a new one, or at least provide
sellers with a credit toward new equipment. Any choice should carry an
EnergyStar label for best results.
Existing systems still in good condition should have filters checked monthly and
replaced when dark and clogged, a DIY project. For great energy efficiency,
Morse is installing more heat exchanges that provide both heat and air
conditioning and can be less costly than a new central air system with new
ducting and a new furnace.
3. Clean air conditioning units
Before summer temperatures rise and HVAC pros are
swamped, advise home owners to clean coils and change filters so their system
doesn’t have to work as hard. They should also have drain lines cleaned, so
moisture is eliminated, says Douglas Tompkins, with
Pro-Air Heating and
Cooling in Newburgh, N.Y. If they haven’t had air conditioning, now’s the
time to weigh choices of a central system, heat exchange, or room units.
4. Install more insulation
A home’s first line of defense to stop cold or hot
air — depending on the season — should be the attic, according to most
contractors. An energy audit can determine how much more is needed, if they
already have some. Seattle-based contractor
Ron Rice, of Your House Matters,
suggests adding more than the minimum 8 inches required by most local codes — up
to 16 inches. For cold climates, installing electric or hydronic radiant heat
under bathroom and kitchen floors will provide comfort next season.
5. Switch out inefficient appliances
Sometimes appliances are no longer smart to repair. The determining factors
for that should be their age and the cost of repair versus replacement. Here,
too, top choices carry an EnergyStar label. If home owners need to replace most
of their kitchen equipment and have a limited budget or plan to move, Rice
suggests they prioritize and first switch out the range, followed by the
refrigerator, dishwasher, and microwave — in that order.
6. Repair or replace roofs, gutters, and downspouts
Because of the tough hurricane season last fall and the winter blizzards,
roofing contractors in many parts of the country have been busy. Morse
recommends that those needing new roofs consider architectural asphalt shingles
because of their long warranties (often 50 years), affordable prices, and
attractive appearances that work with many house styles. In addition, many
contractors have the equipment and experience to install roofs of this material,
as opposed to metal. He also recommends that home owners have gutters and
downspouts cleaned come spring so that water can flow through them; gutters
should be angled away from a house to stop water pooling around a foundation and
seeping into the basement. Gutter covers can be helpful but often don’t
eliminate all debris.
7. Paint
Damage often shows up at this time of year, especially in climates where
there’s been a lot of snow melting or winter rains, Morse says. Use the time to
reassess your color choice for better curb appeal. Even changing the front
door’s color can make a difference.
8. Prune trees
Cutting limbs that may have been damaged during
winter and that might fall on a roof or allow squirrels to enter a house is
smart, and it can be a cost savings later on. Called “thinning out,” this method
gets excess foliage trimmed to allow more natural light into a house—and cut
down on artificial illumination, says Sacramento, Calif.-based landscape
designer
Michael Glassman. “It
opens the tree so you don’t have dead spots in the interior and lets the tree
take advantage of air flow rather than chop off the top,” he says. A
certified arborist
will know the best ways to do this without removing too much of a canopy, which
is useful for privacy and shade.
9. Mulch plantings
Along with fall, spring is a key mulch time. Mulch helps plants thrive by
holding back weeds, retaining moisture so soil doesn’t dry out, and adding a
tidy look, Glassman says. Use bark, shredded fir, leaves, straw, or grass
clippings.
10. Replace lightbulbs
When it comes to artificial light, most contractors
recommend switching burned-out bulbs to
LEDs,
which last longer than incandescents, consume less energy, and have come down in
price — now often just $10. Quality has improved, too, and they’re dimmable and
available in colors.
One more thing: Before you hire anybody to take on work, get a written
estimate. Better to be safe than sorry.
http://realtormag.realtor.org/home-and-design/architecture-coach/article/2013/04/spring-home-improvements-repair-replace-enjoy?om_rid=AAEhrn&om_mid=_BRdprsB8x7cvj0&om_ntype=BTNMonthly
