Know What Gaps Are Most Common in Home Insurance? Find Out Here!

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

As a homeowner it’s important to do everything that we can to protect ourselves and our home. One thing that we do for protection is have homeowner’s insurance. But what if the worst happens and you find out that your insurance won’t pay? What then? In order to help you avoid that situation we found this article with the most common gaps in homeowner’s insurance. We hope it helps!

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From the article:

Make sure your policy provides enough coverage to protect your home and belongings.

You may already know that homeowners insurance doesn???t cover flood damage or sewage backup (see Insurance Coverage for Summer Storm Damage). But what about things your policy covers, but might not cover sufficiently?

Replacing your home. In the event of a disaster that leads to a total loss, your policy pays up to the dwelling limit. If that???s less than the cost to rebuild your home, you have to make up the difference. Your insurer estimates the cost to rebuild, but to make sure its estimate is accurate, use an online calculator, available at sites such as www.hmfacts.com ($7) and www.accucoverage.com ($8). To get full replacement coverage for partial losses, most insurers require you to have a policy with a dwelling limit of 80% or more of the insurer-estimated cost to rebuild, notes Bill Wilson, associate vice-president of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America.

Your policy should include an inflation guard clause keyed to regional costs that adjusts your coverage every year. Also, make sure your policy has extended replacement cost — ideally, for 20% to 25% above the dwelling limit; you can add it as an endorsement for about $50. If you have to rebuild your home to bring it up to current code, you???ll need ordinance and law coverage. You should be able to bump up your coverage to 25% of the dwelling limit for about $50 a year.

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Read the entire article here: http://www.kiplinger.com/printstory.php?pid=12814

Looking to Remote Control Your Home? Checkout These Ideas!

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

With so many advances in technology it’s no wonder that that technology has found it’s way into our homes. In order to help you discover what’s available for your home we found this article with five different ways to remote control your home. We hope it helps you better control your home!

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From the article:

You could call it the march of progress. First, technology allowed you to preset your VCR, and later it let you program your TiVo. Now you can watch videos on demand on your phone or tablet. Next up: devices and apps that let you set and reset your home???s systems and appliances, no matter where you are. Some can even learn your habits. Take a look.

Lock Up Without a Key

Copying a key and handing it to anyone who needs to get into your house isn???t wise. August Smart Lock (www.august.com; $250) is an innovative alternative: It???s a deadbolt that unlocks via a smartphone app. The Bluetooth-enabled Smart Lock replaces the latch on the inside of your door; the outside hardware remains the same. Using your iPhone or Android phone???s contacts, you send a ???virtual key??? that allows the recipient to unlock the door wirelessly.

Bonus: Smart Lock, which runs on four AA batteries, works with a real key if the juice runs out.

Communicate With Major Home Appliances
Competition is heating up (and cooling down) for ranges and refrigerators that can be controlled from your smartphone. For example, GE Brillion double wall ovens ($3,100 to $3,800) and freestanding ranges ($1,600 to $2,100) let you turn on the oven and control the temperature with a mobile app for Apple or Android when you???re out. You can monitor the self-cleaning progress of LG Electronics??? Smart ThinQ range ($1,400) from your phone. Samsung has a high-end, smart refrigerator ($3,600), which comes with an 8-inch Wi-Fi-enabled LCD that connects wirelessly to a home network.

Our take: You may want to hold off until you have even more choices and prices come down.

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Read the entire article here: http://www.kiplinger.com/printslideshow.php?pid=12852

Need a Home Office? Get Ideas Here!

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

If you are in need of a home office but not sure how to design it then you’ve come to the right place. We found this article that we hope will help you design a home office that will meet all of your needs!

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From the article:

Home offices are becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity with more people telecommuting or running their own businesses from their homes. It is estimated that one in five Americans work from home. And with the fluctuating cost of gas and increased traffic causing longer commutes, that number is likely to grow even more every year.

Work space is no longer relegated just to the kitchen table or a corner of the guest bedroom; it has been promoted to a room of its own in the home. If you are looking to create a home office, or revamp an existing one, keep the following points in mind:

Separate Your Space
Although you are physically working in the house, it is important to set up your home office so that the lines between your home life and your work life do not get blurred. By creating a barrier, you will be less tempted to take a television break in the middle of your work day or work on spreadsheets when you are supposed to be ???home from the office.???

Design Your Office to Match Your Work Style
When choosing the furniture and layout of your office, make sure if fits the way you choose to work. For example, if you believe in ???a place for everything and everything in its place,??? be sure to allot enough space for adequate storage and file cabinets. If you work on several different projects, set up separate, smaller work stations dedicated to each task.

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Looking for more ideas for a home office? Then checkout this article about home office design that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?genericContentID=237652

Know That Baby Boomers Aren’t Moving Out Of Their Homes? Learn Why Here!

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

Did you know that most baby boomers are choosing not to move out of their homes? In order to help you understand why we found this article from CNN. We hope you find it as informative as we did!

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From the article:

Instead of flocking to sunny beach havens or downsizing to a condo in the city during their retirement years, a majority of Baby Boomers say they’re just going to stay put in their old home.

In a survey of 4,000 Baby Boomer households conducted by the non-profit Demand Institute, 63% of Boomers plan to stay in their current home once they retire.

Much of that has to do with the recession. The financial crisis put an end to years of rapid wealth accumulation, causing the typical Boomer household’s net worth to fall to $143,000 in 2013 from just over $200,000 in 2007, according to Federal Reserve data.

Not only that, but this generation is also carrying a lot more mortgage debt. The survey found that the median outstanding mortgage balance for 50- to 69-year-olds was $118,000 in 2013, up from $48,743 in 1992.

“Boomers’ nest eggs have shrunk dramatically in recent years,” said Jeremy Burbank, vice president at The Demand Institute, the non-profit think tank run by the Conference Board and Nielsen. “Financially, this generation is not necessarily ready for retirement, and half of their assets are tied up in their homes.”

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Read the entire article here: http://money.cnn.com/2014/10/30/real_estate/baby-boomers-homes/index.html

Designing a Home? Consider These Modern Ideas!

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

Designing a new home is a lot of work. Knowing what elements to include and what to leave on the drawing board is hard. In order to help you out we found this article that we hope will help you design your new home!

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From the article:

In a recent survey, many builders said that spray foam insulation has a greater impact on energy efficiency than other energy upgrades, and indicated they were willing to pay more for this alternative.

The survey by the Home Innovation Research Lab, however, indicated a trend away from its use with builders stating that they are using fiberglass as the most cost-effective, easy-to-install insulation material for most homes.

Home designs that promote increased energy efficiency can be incorporated into renovations of any size. In addition to replacing older windows and adding insulation, many homeowners may decide to upgrade their heating or cooling systems.

High-efficiency heating and air-conditioning systems can pay for themselves, said architect William J. Martin, a spokesman for the New Jersey Society of Architects.

“The additional cost of a well-designed system is usually recovered within five to 10 years,” he added.

Single-level living
While some older homeowners may retire to Florida for several months, others may be inclined to reinvent existing space or add a room to their primary residence to facilitate lifestyle changes.

“Architects have reported increased interest in first-floor master bedrooms for older residents who want to remain in their homes,” said Martin. “Single-level living situations are part of a plan for aging in place.”

Having an extra room on the first floor is not just for seniors. Space can be maximized when rooms serve more than one purpose, switching, for example, from an office during the day to a playroom at night.

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Building a home? Then checkout this article about mistakes to avoid when building that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.northjersey.com/towns/we-re-updating-the-way-we-live-1.1124710

Have a Clogged Dryer Vent? It Could Cause a Fire in Your Home!

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

As a homeowner it’s important to do everything possible to protect our home from disaster. In order to help you out we found this article about how a clogged dryer vent can cause a house fire. We hope it helps you protect your home and your family!

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From the article:

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 15,000 fires are sparked every year by clothes dryers. Lint and other debris can build up in your dryer vent, reducing air flow to the dryer, backing up dryer exhaust gases, creating a fire hazard.

“Clothes dryers are an appliance that make our lives easier but we often take them for granted. We shouldn’t,” said Angie’s List founder, Angie Hicks. “We need to maintain them and most importantly have their vents cleaned.”

Glen Mayfield, a dryer vent technician, said the first sign that you might have a clog is when your dryer stops drying your clothes in one cycle. “The dryer is designed to exhaust the heat and the moisture while it’s drying. If that heat and moisture cannot get out of the dryer, then the dryer just sits there and keeps working itself but it can’t accomplish the drying. that means the dryer works harder and heat builds up and that is what can lead to a dryer vent fire.” Mayfield said it’s a bigger problem in new homes, where the dryer is placed in the center of the home rather than up against an outside wall. “As a result, the vent can run quite a long distance. We see 15, 20, 25 foot vents all the time. The longer the vent, the harder it is for the dryer to get the lint out. Those homes with longer vents are more susceptible to fire.”

Here are some of the signs that it’s time to clean your vent:

Clothing does not dry completely after a normal drying cycle.

Drying time for clothing takes longer than 35 to 40 minutes in duration.

A musty odor is noticed in the clothing following the drying cycle.

Clothing seems unusually hot to the touch after a complete drying cycle.

The dryer vent hood flap does not properly open as it is designed to do during the operation of the dryer.

Debris is noticed within the outside dryer vent opening.

Excessive heat is noticed within the room in which the dryer is being operated.

Large amounts of lint accumulate in the lint trap for the dryer during operation.

A visible sign of lint and debris is noticed around the lint filter for the dryer.

Excessive odor is noticed from dryer sheets that are used during the drying cycle.

Hicks recommends you leave dryer vent cleaning to the professionals. “They have the proper tools and additionally they know whether your dryer vent meets code and they can fix it if it doesn’t.”

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Looking for more information on dryer fires? Then checkout this article about dryer fires that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.abcactionnews.com/money/angies-list/thousands-of-fires-are-sparked-each-year-by-clogged-dryer-vents

Have a Home Office? Learn How to Design it Here!

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

Having a home office is a necessity for some people. Having it designed in the most efficient way is important. In order to help you out we found this article that will help you design the ideal home office. We hope it helps!

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From the article:

Jo Heinz is president of Dallas interior architecture and design firm Staffelbach. Entrepreneur.com asked Heinz for advice on designing a home office for maximum efficiency. Here’s what she had to say:

How does designing an effective home office differ from designing a commercial office? And what considerations do you need to keep in mind even before you get started?
Working from home is exciting because it offers an opportunity for real comfort and efficiency, but if the office is too casual, or isn’t effectively separated from the home environment, peak productivity may be lost.

While comfort is essential in any office, an office that is too casual may seriously impede the ability to get things done. You have to find a way to separate yourself from the rest of the goings-on in the home and to convey a sense of “off limits” to all other normal and natural home sounds and interruptions.

A distinction has to be made regarding the physical boundaries of this working space. The most effective way to do that is with the design of the space itself.

Ask yourself these questions before you begin:

What will you be doing in the space?

What type of work needs to be done?

Will external clients be visiting the space?

Will colleagues visit for collaborative work?

What type of materials will be referenced and/or stored?

What type of equipment is required?

When will I be doing the bulk of my work?

Will I be making conference calls?

Will I be video conferencing?

The answers to these questions will begin to develop the program for your home office.

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Looking for more home office ideas? Then checkout this article about home office ideas that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/202566

Do You Know What Devalues Your Home? Find Out Here!

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

As a homeowner it’s important to do everything you can to increase the value of your home. The last thing that you want to do is devalue your home. In order to determine the top ten ways that a home devalues we found this article for you. We hope it helps!

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From the article:

A lot of things factor into how much your home is worth, such as the location, the square footage, the school district and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Although several of those parameters aren’t easily changed, some are under a homeowner’s control.

As an astute homeowner, your job is to consider both what you can do to improve your home’s value, as well as what you may (inadvertently or otherwise) be doing to decrease it. Completing renovations and repairs might pay off to varying extents. In other cases, you may just have to put up with some of the things you don’t love about your home, but letting a house slip into disrepair is a surefire way to decrease its value. Whatever path you choose, it’s crucial to be aware of how you’re affecting your home’s bottom line and to understand what can be done to raise it back up.

One of the main things to remember while trying to boost your house’s value is that people have a wide variety of tastes. Those tastes may vary greatly both geographically and demographically. A house with the flexibility to suit a big slice of the population pie will be more in demand than one highly customized to any one particular lifestyle. The more people who find a house attractive when it hits the market, the better off you’ll be.

School District Details
If the schools in your area aren’t healthy and flourishing, that could be driving down the value of your home. It’s very common for homebuyers to want to move to places with top-notch schools. People with children will usually be especially cognizant of the quality of the schools in the areas they’re targeting their search. Other buyers, aware of the impact schools can have on property value, may make it a consideration as well.

There’s not an awful lot you can do to improve a school’s reputation, but studies have found that schools with involved parents often perform better. And good schools — along with concerned parents — often coincide with wealthier neighborhoods, so it’s a complicated playing field.

An Abused Bathroom
The bathroom is another room where you may want to pay some attention, but again, be sure to tread carefully. While you want to make sure you enjoy the fruits of your labor — especially if you aren’t planning on moving anytime soon — you want to ensure that lots of other people will like it, too.

Bathroom renovations and additions can help increase your home’s value, but going overboard with items like gaudy faucets, garish wallpaper and ill-chosen paint can be an easy trap to fall into. Sticking to mainstream and tasteful features will serve you better. If you do plan on moving, but not for several years, understand when that time rolls around, you might want to check out the current bathroom styles to see if yours is still in style or if it needs an updated look. If wallpaper was the route you took, you should probably expect it to take away some of the value from your home, unless you already intend on taking it down yourself and repainting in preparation for the market.

New flooring can also be a good move, especially if there’s been any damage, but carpet should generally be avoided, as should vinyl flooring. (This is true for the kitchen as well.) And while linoleum is making a comeback, it’s best to avoid it; many people still cringe when they think of it and the glue that holds it down. Some good options would be hardwood floors or various types of tile.

Last but not least, don’t forget to give some thought to the toilet. People can be pretty picky about toilets. As in the kitchen, they aren’t looking for reminders of past owners.

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Looking for ways to increase the value of your home? Then checkout this article about increase value of home that could be of interest to you.
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Discover all the ways here: http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/repair/top-5-devalue-house.htm

Want to Live in a House Forever? Learn These Design Secrets!

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

Moving can be such a big hassle. Building a home can be a big hassle. If you want to live in a house forever it’s important to design a home that can adjust through all life phases. In order to help you out we found this article with seven different design secrets. We hope it helps!

From the article:

The words dream house may conjure up fantasy amenities and custom trims. But smart homeowners also imagine a home they can live in forever — with a young family, through busy midlife, and with many of the common physical limitations that getting older can bring, from arthritis to needing a wheelchair.

Universal design (UD) is the design of products and environments that are usable by most people, regardless of their level of ability or disability, and at little or no extra cost. From entryways to kitchens and bathrooms to bedrooms, they often increase the value of a home. UD brings together the principles of accessible design (meeting standards for handicapped access, using “adaptable” design, meaning “normal”-looking design that can be revised later for disabled use), ergonomic design (allowing people and things to interact most effectively and safely), and green design (environmentally friendly spaces). UD is sometimes also called “lifespan design.”

These seven principles, set out by the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University, a national resource and technical assistance center, help inform useful design for all ages and stages of life:

1. Design that’s equally appealing to all users
What it means
Wherever possible, universal design creates spaces that can be used by everyone equally and that are appealing to all. UD doesn’t stigmatize any one group of users — like those obvious wheelchair ramps tacked onto the fronts of older homes, for example.

What it looks like

At least one three-foot-wide, gently sloping, no-step entry — meaning no porch step or tall threshold — allows someone with a stroller, wheelchair, or walker to easily enter, without screaming “handicap entrance” to the mobile.

A lever-handled front door (as opposed to a round knob) can be a relief for sore or weak hands or anyone carrying packages, a baby, or a cane.

Mirrors placed where they can be seen from sitting and standing positions, such as a full-length or tilting mirror, mean you don’t have to crane to see yourself.

Having no changes in floor levels throughout the main level of the house increases safety and accessibility and helps eliminate tripping. That means a just-walking toddler or an older adult who shuffles or has balance trouble can maneuver around as smoothly as someone using an assistive device, like crutches or a walker. And healthy people are less likely to trip and spill what they’re carrying.

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Read about all the secrets here: http://www.caring.com/articles/7-design-secrets-for-a-house-you-can-live-in-forever

Looking to Promote Family Unity? Home Design Can Help!

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

Having a family that functions as a unit is important. It’s important to do everything we can to in order to bring our family together. In order to help you out we found this article that discusses how the design of your home can actually promote family unity. We hope it helps you and your family!

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From the article:

Gina Tentzeras and her husband, Chris, sit beside each other on the couch, facing twin TV sets on the credenza, their young son between them playing a puzzle game on his iPad. They???ve outfitted this family space in their Fort Lauderdale, Florida, home for a togetherness they enjoy passionately: video games.

???It???s very much a bonding thing for us,??? she said.

They both have demanding jobs, but for one hour at least three times a week, she describes it as ???a high priority.??? She already envisions Demetri joining them, describing how their toddler plays the games on his iPad ???with a shocking amount of skill and efficiency for a 3-year-old.???

Most of the way across the continent in Bountiful, Utah, Tonya and Jeff Olsen enjoy family time in the 1960 rambler they renovated with such closeness in mind. He???s watching TV while she reads a few feet away. Zach, 15, and Aiden, 13, are there, as well, playing on their phones.

Families are congregating where members can hang out as a group even if they???re not pursuing the same activities. This casual turn in family life is reflected by the latest trend in home design: an airy, open floor plan with the kitchen, dining and living spaces flowing into each other.

While homebuilders and decorators report more families forego a formal dining room, that choice is not coming at the expense of togetherness.

The National Association of Home Builders survey last year found most prospective homebuyers considered table space to eat together in the kitchen ???must have??? (36 percent) or ???desirable??? (49 percent), said Stephen Melman, head of the association???s economic and housing policy group. ???So 85 percent were saying they do want to eat together in a way.???

Melman believes the open-air designs of today may be even more family-friendly than older designs, creating ???a lighter home where everybody is together and not separated off to individual rooms.???

???I think families tend to want to be together, certainly at home after a long day of work or school,??? agreed Matthew Mead, nationally recognized home stylist, writer, photographer, lifestyle expert and magazine publisher.

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Looking for some family game night ideas? Then checkout this article about family game night ideas that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://national.deseretnews.com/article/2123/how-home-design-can-foster-family-unity.html