Managing Home Maintenance Costs

Is central air conditioning better than split or room air conditioning? Central AC vs Split Air Conditioning systems is a question we have wondered about for some time. There are pro’s and con’s to both which we will list in this post! Before we begin, we thought we should explain these terms so that everyone is on the same page. Central AC is installed in many homes. There is one air conditioning unit that provides cool air throughout the home from one location. Usually in the basement for homes with basements and from just about any other location in homes with no basement including the roof.

Central AC vs Split Air Conditioning systems

Central AC vs Split Air Conditioning systems have much different foot prints and cost models. Room air conditioners are usually found in one room. They sit in the window and will only cool the room they are in. Also adjacent rooms if they are small and the doors are left open. Most people will locate them in the bedroom so that they can get a good nights sleep. These systems are noisy and the fans are loud, so they are something you should get used to.

Split AC Systems

Split air conditioning systems are usually for larger homes and may have an AC unit for each end of the home or for different floors. There will be multiple forced air furnaces as well to blow the cooled air throughout the section of the home that they are to cool. Separate thermostats are provided. For example the sleeping area can be kept cooler than the rest of the home to enable better sleeping conditions. As a result various circumstances or design of the home will require different configurations of AC units.

Therefore the following are some of the characteristics as well as pros and cons for each:

Central AC

• most rooms are at the same temperature
• open and close vents to control specific room temperature and cost
• 2nd floor rooms will be hotter
• Basement will be cold
• costs are high to cool entire home

Room AC

• only rooms were AC is will be cool
• usually in rooms for sleeping
• cost is lower
• must endure hot rooms in parts of the house
• Must endure the noise of the AC fan in the room

Split AC

• Multiple units outside the home
• Larger home means more cost
• Can control temperature in different parts of the home
• May need to close off sections of the house if not in use

Older homes or homes that are heated with electric baseboard heaters. As a result do not have any way of forcing air throughout the home will typically go for in room AC. Homes that are heated with forced air gas or oil furnaces can take advantage of central or split AC systems. Certainly all air conditioning is expensive to run, using a lot of electricity. Hence any time you can shut the system off or increase the temperature will reduce the amount of electricity you are using. Most importantly you can control your electrical bill this way.

Are you on time of day electrical billing with a so called smart meter? Program your AC so that it runs mostly at night. Electricity is at a lower rate compared to the daytime cost of electricity at that time. Most importantly, evening rates can sometimes be as much as 50% less than peak rates for electrical use.

Sending a message by text messaging is very efficient and costs the least of most types of communication when you consider that pretty much everyone cannot stand not looking at the message they have just received. Sending mass text messaging is even more efficient for companies to their customers. They have a dedicated audience who has signed up to receive these messages. The reason is usually because they are expecting a deal of some sort. It might be a discount on items purchased. It may be a sale on a particular product. Or it may be a one time sale store and company wide. Whatever the reason this is an excellent way to send this information to your customers and clients or even your friends or relatives.

It is much easier to use than email messaging. Since it gets in the hands of your customers immediately whether they are carrying a smart phone or just a regular cell phone. They can view the message and take action on it immediately. The cost to send the message can be very inexpensive as well and as low as three cents a message in some cases. Most companies that offer mass text messaging using software have some really great packages. They can be it very easy to get started sending messages to your customers.

Mass Text Messaging Software – A couple of things to be aware of.

Most software companies should offer this service with the guarantee that they will not resell your list of numbers. This is information you went to great trouble to collect. As well you may even have promised your customers that their phone numbers would not be passed along to other companies.

They do not want to receive nagging messages from companies they have never heard of. At the same time you as the customer of mass text messaging software do not want to be bothered by offers of free phone numbers either. These are just active phone numbers and not qualified customers that would be interested in your products.

Start up fees should also be zero or at least kept to a minimum. In addition it should also not require a contract either. Why sign a contract for something that you are testing and really do not know the market success that you will receive?

An Example of Mass Text Messaging marketing

Izod clothing store advertises that they will provide a $5 discount to customers who sign up for their text messaging sales alerts. Customers get $5 off their in store purchase on the spot when they sign up in the store. All they have to do is send a text message to an IZOD number. They receive a text message back in return with an authorization code.

From that point forward Izod sends monthly messages to the customer advising them of sales etc. These are taking place in their store that the customer may be interested in. In addition they usually offer a further discount to the customer. For example to entice them to go to the store on specific days.

This is a pretty good example of mass text messaging software being used to collect qualified customers. In addition to send messages to those qualified customers on a regular basis with valuable information for the customer.

For more information on text messaging today, click here.

Reduce Energy Consumption – Consumers are trying to reduce energy consumption more and more everyday. As prices for oil rise, there is a direct impact on all of our pocket books. It is much more motivating these days to reduce your consumption. Put some of that money right back in our wallets. How can we do that ? Well we believe the answer is to systematically look at everything that we do these days. Evaluate how we can reduce the amount of energy we use and thus save money that can be used for other things.

The major areas were we all use energy includes our cars, our homes and where we work. We will discuss each of these in a little more detail. We want to give our readers some ideas about how they can go about reducing their energy consumption and save money as well. When you put money back in your wallet it is a really good feeling. It can be used for other things. We read recently that 76% of Americans are living from paycheck to paycheck. Which is a very risky thing when you think about it. Any money that can be saved on your monthly costs can go to meet other cash requirements.

Reduce Energy Consumption – Car Energy Reduction

Almost everyone has a car these days and they have become so complex that the average person cannot begin to understand them, let alone work on them. The computer in the car looks after everything and runs the car as efficiently as possible given what it has to work with. And that is the point that we would like to make in this post.

Using the right kind of gasoline, making sure your tires are properly inflated and driving in a manner that conserves energy vs. driving erratically can save a great deal of gasoline and allow your car to deliver better mileage per gallon of gasoline. Jack rabbits starts and stops, driving well over the speed limit and driving with under inflated tires all takes a great deal of gasoline.

Try driving carefully for one gas tank full vs. the way you normally drive and see what the difference is. You probably will be able to go a lot further than when you drive normally.

Also consider taking the bus, car pooling or just walking or taking your bike. These all can save you a great deal of money as well and conserve energy at the same time.

Reduce Energy Consumption – Home Energy Reduction

We have discussed many different ways or reducing energy in your home on this blog. Improve your insulation, caulk windows and doors, make sure your insulation is at the proper level and turn down your thermostat in the winter and up in the summer to reduce energy consumption.

If you have not already upgraded to high efficiency furnace and water heater, it may be time to do so. There may also be subsidies and assistance to consumers in your area that will help pay for these upgrades. Old furnaces are only at 67% efficiency while new ones are at 95% or better!

Close blinds in the summer time to reduce the amount of sunshine heating up your home. Open blinds and take advantage of the sun in the winter to help heat your home.

Reduce Energy Consumption – Office Energy Reduction

We included this topic in the post because we can all do something to reduce the energy consumption at work as well as our travel to work. Car pooling to get to work, taking the bus to work all helps you in your own personal pocket book.

Improving energy use at work can also help with company budgets and not only make the company more profitable, but in doing so, make sure you have a job for a longer period of time in today’s market place. Cost of energy use must be paid for which means more product must be sold. Anything you can do to reduce costs in this area will mean less pressure on other areas and make life easier for all.

Real estate sales management involves many different aspects beyond the obvious of selling a home, setting it up for sale and managing open houses etc. for example some clients have to move right away and they leave the home vacant, which in some ways is a good thing since there is typically less clutter. The agent may request that the owner do a couple of things to improve the home. The objective is to enhance the opportunity of selling this house for the price they are looking for. At the same time they must also ensure that the home is looked after if vacant. It must all insurance requirements to keep the insurance valid.

A home should also looked lived in or at least taken care of even when it is vacant. Sometimes a real estate agent must also look after this activity themselves. Or subcontract these services if they want to get the house sold. This is just part of the job on the way to a successful sales career.

These steps include the following:

• Making sure that the house is clean and neat
• Possibly staging the home with rented furniture to make it look presentable
• Arranging or causing to be arranged by the owner for someone to maintain the home while it is vacant

We will discuss each of these in a little more detail. Note that the person selling the home i.e. the owner will have to decide how much of this they decide to do. How much they will look after vs. how much they will ask the real estate agent to do on their behalf. Some agents will automatically include this effort and even furniture rental in their fee. While others will suggest that the owner pick up these extra costs.

Making sure that the house is clean and neat:

The last thing that buyers want to see is a messy home. Which they not only will have to clean if they buy it. But it also indicates a general attitude of not taking care of the home. Your agent will push you to clean up this situation. They may even arrange for cleaners at your cost to come in and clean up after you. The same applies to the outside curb appeal. Nice landscaping, a newly cut lawn and healthy plants indicate that the current owner cares about his or her home.

Possibly staging the home with rented furniture to make it look presentable:

if you have moved and the house is empty it is much harder for a prospective buyer to visualize what the home looks like with furniture in it. Some agents will place furniture and some pictures in the home to help buyers with this issue. They may already have furniture of their own they use for this purpose or they will rent them for you at your cost.  Real estate management may include this kind of staging to help sell a home.

Arranging or causing to be arranged by the owner for someone to maintain the home while it is vacant:

this item is particularly important for people who have been transferred and have had to move before the home is sold. In order to maintain your insurance on your home, there will be specific things that must be done. For example many will ask that the water be shut off and the house checked once a week. Checks more often may be required if the outside temperature is below freezing. Real estate agents want to ensure there are no delays in selling a home due to damage cause by water leaks and other problems that occur from time to time.

Real estate property management can encompass more than just these items, however we decided to focus on those associated with selling a home.

For more property management posts, click here.

So many people do not attend to car maintenance basics and then really get a nasty surprise when their car breaks down or they get a huge bill for work that must be done on their cars. Keep up with the maintenance on your car. If you do not your car is going to have more wear and tear on all of the components making everything more costly. We decided to list the basic things that should be monitored or kept up to date. Then we will discuss some of these in more detail. Why take the risk and face a towing charge, inconvenience? Maybe even lost wages because you did not maintain your car?

Car Maintenance Basics

Here is our lost of basic car maintenance activities. Everyone should pay attention to themselves or make sure that their mechanic is looking at:

Fluid Levels: All fluid levels which includes oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, power steering fluid, transmission and windshield washer fluid.

Check Your Belts: All belts that are on your engine, such as the fan belt if your car has one and the main water pump and power steering belts.

Check your Tires: Monitor your tires for tire pressure and uneven wear on one side or the other. Rotate your tires according to the manufactures instructions

Verify your Brakes: Monitor your brakes and have them checked to make sure there is enough brake pad on then. Also check to make sure that the calipers have not seized or are leaking brake fluid. If you hear a squealing sound every time you touch the brakes, have them checked immediately, the brake pad could be fully worn down and you are braking with metal on metal.

Muffler Systems:

If your muffler is sounding louder than normal, it may be time to have it checked and / or changed. Either your muffler, pipes or catalytic converter is about to let go and you will need to have it changed soon.

Squeaky Doors : door hinges can dry out and even rust due to exposure to dust and salt. Lubricating these hinges will keep them quiet and prevent the hinges from wearing over time.

Check all of the Lights:

It only takes a minute or two to check all of the lights. Make sure they are all working properly. Check your driving lights, high beams, brake lights and turn signals. Make sure they are all working properly and it is safe to drive on the road.

Spare Tires: most people forget about the spare tire and the car jack until it is time to use them. Check that the tire pressure in the spare tire is at the proper level. With any luck you will never have to use your spare tire. However when you do you want it to be full of air and that the car jack is where it is supposed to be and works properly.

These are the main car maintenance basics to check for on a regular basis. Set up a schedule to review all of these items. A good time to have all of these items checked is when you are having the oil changed every 3000 miles or 6000 kilometers depending on where you live. With these basics in place, you will have less of a chance of your car breaking down and needing to be towed to the garage.

For more ways to save money along with car maintenance ideas, click here.

How to Refinish Hardwood Floors. Refinishing a hardwood floor can be pretty straightforward and simple if you know what you’re doing. The most important thing is to make sure that there is sufficient thickness of wood to begin with. There must be enough wood that will support sanding.

Most machines will take or remove one 16th of an inch of wood. This is to ensure that all gouges in the wood are no longer seen. Also that all previous finishes are removed. You must make sure that there’s enough thickness remaining in the wood to allow for one 16th of an inch to be removed. there must be enough to continue providing support to the floor.

Why Do Hardwood floors Get This Way

Floors that are getting thin are the result of many standings over the years. This is true for particularly older homes that have had hardwood floors installed from the beginning. They have had them sanded many times. If you happen to be the person who’s buying an older home with hardwood floors one of the things that you might want to look at is the thickness of the hardwood floor. Particularly if you are planning to re-sand or resurface these floors.

How to Refinish Hardwood Floors

Once you’ve decided to refinish your hardwood floor, always make sure that you sand in the direction of the grain. If you sand across the grain it will leave scratch marks all over your floor. This will basically ruin the floor. In order to get those scratch marks out of the floor you’ll have to remove more wood. Which makes it a lot bigger job for you to complete.

Sending the floor should be done with a belt sander that includes a vacuum. The vacuum will suck up all sawdust and small particles that could permeate the rest of the house making the cleanup job much bigger.We cannot emphasize this issue enough. If you want to avoid dust everywhere, use a vacuum that exhausts outside to remove over 90% of the dust from your home. There will still be some dust to deal with but nothing like there would be if you just allow it to float throughout your home. Also shut off the furnace fan to avoid any dust being sucked into the system and being redistributed through out the house.

Remove all Dust After Refinishing

Once you have finished sanding the next job is to use a tack cloth to wipe up all small particles of dust that could be on the floor. Also wipe the walls, doors and windows. Anywhere there could be fine particles of dust should be cleaned of all dust. The reason that this step must be taken is to avoid any dust remaining on the floor. Avoid it being held in place when you apply varathane or some other finish to the floor. These dust particles will really show up in the daytime light and ruin the look of your floor.

After each coat of varathane has completely dried, a light sanding with very fine sand paper is usually completed. This is to roughen up the floor a little bit and provide better adhesion. After this fine sanding, again use the tack cloth to pick up any particles that may remain. Add a final coat of finish. Then allow to thoroughly dry before placing furniture etc in the room.

Also follow the manufacturers steps outlined on the container for applying your finish, especially if you are applying more than one coat to the floor. Failure to follow the instructions could mean that you will need to re-sand the floor completely and start all over again.

Good luck with your hardwood floor refinishing job and let us know of any additional steps or comments that may be interesting to our readers.