House and Style Update: Green is the New Black

These days, everyone is talking about going green. To keep up with the times, increase the value of your home, stay healthy and do your part to save the world- you should think about greenifying your home! Making your home "green" can be costly in the short term-but it doesn't have to be.

There are plenty of little ways to go green with little effort and cost. Wrapping the water heater in a padding blanket keeps it from losing radiated heat and can be done at around $20. For $50, you can buy a water-heater timer that will shut down the water heater overnight. If you have ceiling fans, using them in both the summer and the winter will circulate the air from the furnace and the air conditioner- using less energy as a result. Not only do these changes help the enviornment but they will also save on your monthly utility bill! For a little more effort, but still low cost, using low- or no-VOC paints and finishes is also a good idea. It will even improve your health!

If you are willing to spend a bit more money to make your home green, putting in solar panels are the best way to do so. This is probably the most costly change you can make but it will pay off in three ways: an increase in the value of your home, a decrease in your utility bill, and a healthier home. Putting in energy efficient appliances such as EnergyStar rated appliances is another way to make a big difference. If you are installing a new furnace, make sure it has a high SEER rating to measure its energy efficiency. Our last suggestion is to put a rain barrell under your rain spout to collect water. This water can be used to water your plants and lawn.

Making your house earth friendly will pay off in the long run. It will make your home soar in value when it comes time to sell your home and you will be doing your part to work towards a greener planet. It's worth it!