Peihouses's Blog

New Year’s resolutions for your home

peihouses — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:48:14 +0000

Well, it’s that time of year again. Many of us start off the New Year making resolutions for ourselves. This year, let’s try something different. Let’s make some resolutions for our home.

Here are a few to get you started:

Take a look at your mortgage: This year, you should visit a mortgage broker or your banker and take a look at your mortgage. If it’s up for renewal soon, you can discuss whether or not you may qualify for a better rate or think about moving your mortgage to a different lender if it’s worth your while. It’s a good idea to be prepared and arm yourself with knowledge about the interest rates and the various offers out there. If you’d like some names of mortgage brokers or banks, you can Contact Us.

Make any necessary repairs on your home: This is important for several reasons. The repairs you make can very well save you some money on heating or maintenance costs in your home. They can also increase your pride in ownership. If everything is in working order in and around your home, it not only looks better, it decreases any anxiety you may have had worrying about the problem. If you are planning to sell your home, these repairs will need to be done before you list, so you may as well get it done now and save yourself the time and effort later. Also, if you need some advice on selling your home or if you’re looking for a qualified agent, you can Contact Us - and we’ll be happy to meet with you!

Make your home energy efficient: There are so many things you can do to increase the energy efficiency of your home. These range from small things like turning off lights when not in use to purchasing energy efficient appliances. We love to help people learn more about saving money on their heating and electric bill. We’ve even blogged about it here, here, here, and here!

Review your insurance coverage: There have been some changes in insurance policies over the past while so we encourage people to get in touch with your insurance agent to review your policy. You should pay special attention to insurance surrounding your oil tank as we as real estate agents find it hard to stay up to date on all the details involved. If you are selling your home in the near future, this is very important. You may need to replace your oil tank before you sell your home.

These are only a few suggested resolutions. We’re sure you have many more, so we invite you to post them here and we can share them with everyone!

We wish everyone a fabulous 2012 and look forward to serving you and your friends/family in whatever way we can.

Carol and Steve

September 2011 Market Trends Report

peihouses — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:11:15 +0000

Islanders by Choice Alliance Gala

peihouses — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:57:15 +0000

250 Cameron Road, New Haven

peihouses — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:28:59 +0000

250 Cameron Road, New Haven

For more info, visit our WEBSITE

14 Jake Drive, Cornwall – Video Tour

peihouses — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:11:09 +0000

14 Jake Drive, Cornwall

peihouses — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:56:54 +0000

14 Jake Drive, Cornwall

For more info, visit our WEBSITE

Energy Conservation: Bedrooms/Home office

peihouses — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:30:20 +0000

Bedrooms/home office areas often have small appliances that are used infrequently. These include televisions, computers, printers, re-chargers, shredders, clock radios, and so on.

You can change what kind of light bulbs you use in these rooms.

Heavier drapes are a good option to minimize drafts on windows.

Rather than using an air conditioner, you can opt for a ceiling fan.

Hardwood floors are more eco-friendly since some synthetic material carpets have off-gases that can have an impact on your home’s air quality. Natural fiber carpet is better than synthetic material carpet.

Power bars are useful as you can turn them off when the appliances are not in use. This reduces phantom loads, or the energy used by appliances simply by being plugged in.

An LCD television uses less energy than plasma.

A notebook or laptop computer uses less energy than a desktop.

When purchasing or replacing office equipment, make sure you purchase ENERGY STAR rated equipment.

Energy Conservation: Washroom

peihouses — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:29:28 +0000

You can make small changes to your washroom and they can add up to savings in both water and energy. You can literally flush money down the drain by taking long showers and flushing your toilet frequently.

Early model toilets can use up to 16L to flush. This is an unnecessary waste of water. Today’s water-efficient models use 6L of water to flush. If you are purchasing a toilet you should be able to find the tank size printed on the toilet, behind the seat or in the toilet bowl.

Low flush showerheads can save approximately 50% of water used while showering without sacrificing water pressure.

Turn down the temperature on your water heater

Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth

Use towels more than once before putting in to the laundry

Energy Conservation: Kitchen

peihouses — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:29:00 +0000

All appliances sold these days should have an Ener Guide rating that comes clearly posted. If they are ENERGY STAR rated, they will also have a sticker.

If you use the microwave to cook instead of the oven, cooking times will be less. This will also lower your energy use.

Only open the refrigerator or freezer if you know what you are looking for.

Warm the oven for only as long as necessary to get it to the temperature you need.

When rinsing dishes, fill the sink with water and rinse that way instead of letting the water run.

Only run the dishwasher when it’s full

Install low flow faucets to reduce water consumption.

Use energy efficient light bulbs.

Energy Conservation: Building Envelope

peihouses — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:48:48 +0000

The “envelope” of your home refers to the external walls, attic insulation, windows and doors. If any part of your envelope has been breached, the energy efficiency of your home may suffer.
Attic hatches should be sealed with removable sealant and insulated to minimize heat loss, and restrict air movement.
Double –paned windows or windows with storm windows will increase your energy efficiency and reduce drafts in your home.
Doors should be weather-stripped as well. Make sure the door is fitting snugly. If not, weather-stripping should be fixed or added.
Insulate basement walls
Insulate crawl spaces
Blow in insulation where possible, such as in the attic
Upgrade door and windows, especially if they are older and you notice a lot of drafts
If you are doing renovations or additions, consider window placement. You should minimize the northern facing windows and increase the size of the southerly facing windows.

For more information on PEI’s programs, visit the Office of Energy Efficiency.