As we enter into the shorter daylight hours of fall and winter, landscape lighting is one of the best ways to make your home safer and more appealing.  You can highlight your home’s best features and light an unfamiliar pathway to your entry for guests.

• Step back from your home so you can see the whole house and yard in daylight and at night.
• Do you have elegant brickwork, bay windows or a patio to showcase?
• Are there fountains, pools or other features you’d like to show at night? Is your home beautifully landscaped?  Are there trees or plantings you’d like to shower with attention?
• How well-lit are your doors, pathways, steps and parking from the street?

One benefit of pathway lighting is that it can radiate several feet.  You can install solar-powered walkway lamps that are attractive and affordable.

Spot lights can be put low on the ground or high on a wall, or they can hang from the eaves of your home to focus on specific features.  Each light provides unique shadows and can bring architectural and landscaping features center stage.

On the ground, install flood lights that shoot light up against your home, bushes or trees. Motion detectors can flood the area with light which discourages pests.

Outdoor lighting can make your home more attractive at night, but it can also make your home more attractive to future homebuyers, as a beauty and safety feature.   And that’s always a good investment.

Winterizing your home is one of the best ways to get comfortable and save energy costs. It’s not too late to get a few projects done before the holidays, so here’s a short weekend list of to-dos to help you.

Check the furnace. Typically, a heating system has a heat/cooling source, distribution system, and thermostat, so there is plenty of room for error. Make sure that your system is properly inspected and cleaned and has fresh filters according to maintenance directions. Call a master certified plumber to look for potential dangers such as carbon monoxide leaks.

Check detectors. Since you’ll be indoors more, it makes sense to also check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Smoke detectors with a UL rating have a useful life of 10 years so don’t just push the button to see if it’s working.  Stick a real flame source, such as a candle or a match, to see if the detector can actually pick up on the smoke being emitted.

Check insulation. Energy leaks put a hole in your wallet, so do your best to identify and seal all leaks in your ceiling/attic and cracks in or around your windows and doors. A quick way to check if you have enough insulation is to go into your attic and look at your rafters-if you can see ceiling joists you can add some more insulation. Though this will be an expensive process, your heating costs will drop right away.

According to EnergyStar.gov, the average American household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills, with nearly half of that amount spent on heating and cooling. Here are six easy, low-cost ideas to cut those bills down.

1. Change your air filters. It’s a chore that’s easily forgotten, so put it on your calendar every one month to three months. Dirty filters slow air flow causing your heat and air conditioning units to work harder and break down faster.

2. Wash clothes in cold water. This one’s a surprise, but energystar.gov claims that cold water saves energy and can be just as effective as hot. For dark, bright colors that bleed or delicate fabrics, use cold water (80°F). For man-made fibers, knits and jeans, use warm water (90°F). For whites, typical dirty clothes and diapers, hot water (130°F or above) is best to remove germs and heavy soil.

3. Seal and insulate your heating and cooling ducts. Air ducts can waste energy, so sealing and insulation can save as much as 20 percent on our energy bill or more.

4. Seal windows and outside doors. All it takes is a little caulk and you can stop small leaks that add up to big money. Test for leaks on a windy day by lighting a candle and holding it near window seals. If the flame moves, you’ve got a leak.

5. Upgrade to a programmable thermostat. If you’re gone at the same time every day, a programmable thermostat can lower or raise the temperature which saves energy… and saves, you nearly $200 a year.

6. Have your HVAC serviced regularly. A service check of you Air Conditioner in the spring and your furnace in the fall can improve efficiency and possibly prevent equipment breakdowns. The technician will test air flow and parts that may need replacement.

During the winter, home utility prices can skyrocket. In order to keep your home warm and cozy this winter, it’s important to spend time winterizing your home. Taking the following steps to winterize your home will improve your home’s efficiency and help you save money on monthly fee when buying a house.

1. Seal windows with plastic & caulk
The first step toward winterizing your home is to seal your windows. There are a few steps you can take to make sure your windows aren’t letting in a draft. The first step you can take is to caulk the edges of the windows. This is a good option for windows that don’t open in both directions. Sealing the edges of the non-moveable area of the window will allow you to seal the cracks and prevent them from letting in cool air. If caulking isn’t an option you can take it to the next level and seal each of your windows with plastic. There is special window plastic that you can buy which allows you to seal the window frame with an air tight layer that prevents window drafts.

2. Cover cracks under drafty doors
Another step you can take toward winterizing your home is to cover cracks under your doors to prevent a draft from getting through. You can do this by simply rolling towels into long snake like shapes to cover each door crack. You can also buy pre-made double sided door draft stoppers from a home decor store.

3. Get a furnace tune up
You should also winterize your home by getting a furnace tune up. A tune up includes changing your furnace filter and making proper adjustments each year to reduce energy costs. Most tune ups can save you up to 5 percent on your monthly heating bill in the winter, so this is an effective cost saving tip for winterizing your home.

4. Keep an eye on your thermostat
When winterizing your home, it’s also important to keep an eye on your thermostat. Typically in the winter you will turn the heat on to increase the room temperature higher than you normally would during other cool seasons. Because of this it’s important to adjust your thermostat when you’re not in your home during the day. This will help you save on energy costs by only being at the highest heat while you’re in your home. For every degree that you turn your thermostat down you can save between 1 and 3 percent on your heating bill, so it’s an important way to stay efficient this winter.

5. Add insulation to the attic
A final step toward winterizing your home is to add additional insulation to the attic. You can first remove the current insulation to find and seal leaks in the ceiling that may be causing a draft from the attic. Once sealed you can put the original insulation back in place and then add an additional layer to keep the heat in your home and prevent it from escaping through the attic.

As winter approaches, it’s important to make sure a home is ready for the colder months ahead.  Avoid these potentially costly mistakes.

Not protecting the outdoor faucet.  It’ll cost about $2 to buy a protector for an outdoor faucet, and that small investment could save owners up to $15,000 in potential damages. Frozen water can cause a lot of damage, and an outdoor faucet is particularly susceptible to freezing temperatures. Remove the garden hose from the outdoor faucet, drain it, and add a faucet protector, which will prevent cold air from entering the pipes.

Not removing icicles immediately.  Icicles hanging from the edge of a home is a sign of an ice dam, a buildup of ice in a gutter or roof that is preventing snow and ice from melting and draining through the gutters. Those ice blocks, left untouched, can lead to pricey roof repairs. Also, for homes more prone to them, it may be a sign of not enough insulation in the attic.  Tip:  A roof rake is a great tool for removing heavy snow from above the gutter area.

Skipping gutter cleanups.  When it rains, water pouring from gutters like a waterfall is a sign of trouble. That water can pile up on a foundation and cause damage. Clean the gutters a few times each fall to prevent clogs.

Letting cold air get inside.  This can be a costly mistake to heating bills. Sealing cracks with caulk can easily be done and will keep the cooler air out. HouseLogic suggests looking for visible cracks around window sills, baseboards, and dryer vents.

Not getting your furnace checked.  Forget to service your furnace and you could easily cut five years off the life of your system.  And those are costly – New units are around $2000 to $4,000 installed. Also, don’t forget to replace furnace filters, which has been linked with trimming potentially 15 percent off your energy bill.

Autumn is the ideal time to make little home improvements that could make a big difference once winter hits.

Get the furnace ready.  A clean, well-maintained furnace will perform better, helping to keep fuel costs down and making the home’s air quality better.  Remember to change the air filter every thirty days.  A dusty, clogged air filter will cause the furnace to work harder, reducing its efficiency and causing it to wear out sooner than necessary.

Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  With furnace weather on the horizon, you will also want to make sure  smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are functioning correctly.  The life expectancy of a smoke alarm is generally 10 years, after which point their sensors can begin to lose sensitivity.  The test button only confirms that the battery, electronics, and alert system are working; it doesn’t mean that the smoke sensor is working.  The detecting components of carbon monoxide detectors lose their effectiveness after 5 to 7 years and may no longer detect carbon monoxide.

Check the roof.  It’s important to check the condition of a home’s roof before winter. The key things to look for are cracked or damaged shingles and caulking issues.  Caulked joints can dry out and crack during the summer months making openings for melting winter snow to enter the home.

Improve the air quality.  Mold and mildew thrives during the summer in poorly ventilated areas like a home’s basement or around leaky pipes.  There a number of good products sold at places like Lowe’s and Home Depot that will help eliminate mold before you’ve button up the home for the winter.

Replace weatherstripping on doors.  There could be gaps that you can’t see and that can jack up your energy costs.  It’s a simple fix that can be done with items found at your local hardware store.

Clean gutters and downspouts.  Clogs in gutters and downspouts can cause ice to form into an ice dam.  With nowhere to go the water backs up under the shingles and leaks into your home.

Home owners looking to spruce up their homes need to make sure not to get duped by those who claim to be remodeling contractors.

How to spot a possible scammer:

1. Pay up-front. Home owners should see red flags when a contractor requests that a home owner pay for a project in its entirety before even starting work. Down payments for materials and initial labor are standard practice. But then phased payments are often made as the work is completed.

2. Door-to-door solicitations. So-called contractors may knock on a home owner’s door and talk about work they noticed needs to be done around the house. Home owners will want to make sure they check out the contractor very carefully.

3. Limited-time deals. Don’t let a contractor make you feel pressured to rush in order to receive a special discount. Reputable contractors offer savings but they won’t push a short deadline on you with pricing.

4. Unverified licensing. Be sure to verify credentials – licensing and available insurance coverage. Don’t just go on recommendations from friends and family. Look for examples of the quality of their prior work.

Source: Daily Real Estate News

The recent mid-November snowfall was a reminder of the frigid weather that is yet to come.  Give your home a once-over and tend to winter preparation tasks and repairs.  By being proactive, you’ll lower your energy bills, increase the efficiency and lifespan of your home’s components, and make your property safer.

Farm Bureau Insurance has put together a checklist of maintenance tips and reminders to help you keep your home running in top condition all winter long.  Print a copy of this helpful Winter Checklist