Daily Archives: August 17, 2009

Summer tips for staying cool without spending a fortune

Here are some tips from ecobeco,

Your first goal is to keep your conditioned air in the home longer.
• Close your windows and doors tight (lock them to be sure).
• Draw your shades closed to keep out the light.
• Weatherstrip your doors and windows.

To save money on cooling, try these:

• Get a Home Energy Audit to help identify places that need air sealing and insulation augmentation.
• Replace your oldest HVAC appliances with ENERGY STAR appliances.
• Incandescent lights not only use lots of electricity, but they also emit lots of heat. Switch to CFLs to cool down your home.
• Turn on your ceiling fan when you are in a room with a fan to create a breeze that cools your skin by 5-8 degrees. When you leave the room, shut the ceiling fan off. Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. (ps – don’t use window fans! we want to circulate conditioned air, not fresh hot humid air)
• Use a programmable thermostat to raise the temperature in the home when you’re not there. You’ll be surprised how quickly your AC can cool the home when you get home.
• De-humidify the home. Your AC unit does this naturally, but if your home is still too humid (over 60% relative humidity) then buy a dehumidifier. Humidity makes rooms feel warmer than they really are.

Hope these tips help!

Let’s Talk Budget

It happens so many times… I am talking with a client and ask the big question; “what is your budget” and there is a silence on the end of the phone. Why is everyone so hesitant to talk about it?

At Urban Referrals we ask the budget question for a couple of reasons. Please keep in mind, all reasons, are designed to provide the customer and contractor with the best possible home renovation experience.

Foremost, knowledge is power (haven’t we heard that since we were in middle school!). Homeowner’s (including myself) need to be educated on the costs of remodeling our homes, from minor plumbing repairs to adding a two story addition.

Second, we want to help alleviate sticker shock. We don’t want clients getting their hopes up for that new kitchen that cost three times what they have to spend. Discussing budget allows for discovery about renovations that can be completed based on available funds.

Third, we want to match consumers up with the best possible company, for all of their home improvement projects. For every referral we provide we’ve reviewed desired time frame, project location, trade, and of course budget. Each contractor prices their services differently; services different areas and some have project minimums that need to be met.

Contact us for a copy of the 2009 Cost vs. Value report to learn what renovations cost in the DC Metro area and what your return on investment can be. Fill out this form and we’ll email it to you right away.

Happy Remodeling!

Erin