#23 of the series
Replace the front door – Upgrading and sealing around an exterior door could save as much as 25% on your heating bill. Polystyrene or polyurethane core fiberglass doors have the best R-values and safety ratings.
Disclaimer: For Information and Entertainment purposes only.
Radon is a naturally occurring form of radiation. The tasteless, odorless, invisible gas which comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. It seeps into homes and results in almost 20,000 lung cancer deaths a year according to the EPA.
How do you know if you have Radon in your home? You can get a Accustar certified test from your local home center ($25). If you get readings above 4 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L) in the U.S., immediately call your local EPA for a list of certified mitigation contractors. Done incorrectly you could risk increasing radon levels and compromising your home’s air quality. For around $800 to $2500 your house could be more safe.
Removing Radon from your home
How will this effect value? Real Estate Appraisers do not do these test when inspecting properties. Usually the only way we find out about the problem is when the home owner notifies us of it. If we were notified we would determine how much it would cost to solve the problem and how that cost would affect value. Contact the appraisers at www.socalappraisalserv.com for your value questions.
Would we recommend a person considering buying a property to invest in a $25 test kit – YES.
Disclaimer: For Information and Entertainment Purposes Only.
Posted in Real Estate
Tagged epa, lung cancer, mitigation contractor, radium, radon, uranium
#22 of the series
Update the windows – High performance windows can shave 10 to 25% off your heating bill and 10 to 15% off cooling costs. Look for windows labeled “low-emissivity” or “spectrally selective.” Also look for the Energy Star label. Go to: http://dsireusa.org/ to see if there are rebates in your state.
Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only.
Posted in energy savings, Uncategorized
Tagged door, insulated window, window, windows
Green Real Estate Appraiser 