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What to Know When Installing New Heating & Cooling Systems & Repairing Services

August 16, 2019August 16, 2019Bruzzese Home ImprovementsHome Improvement Tips, Energy Efficiencyenergy efficient, home improvement, home maintenance, hvacLeave a comment

One of the most important decisions you’ll have to make for your home is choosing the right HVAC system. Aside from making your home life smooth and comfortable, the right system also reduces the chances of having to deal with constant breakdowns and repairs. If you take the time to choose the HVAC system that really suits your budget and your lifestyle, you may be lucky enough to have it for life.

While personal preferences are typically considered, it’s worth noting that you should prioritize energy-saving features for your new HVAC unit. Although an energy-efficient unit may cost more to install, savings on energy bills will soon become apparent. Here are some other factors that you should consider when you’re planning to get a new HVAC system:

Inspecting Your Old HVAC System

Before you have a new HVAC system installed, you should first consider having your old unit inspected or repaired. Professional technicians like those from Winchester HVAC repair will be able to tell you whether your current unit can still be repaired or you’re better off installing a brand new one.

Additionally, a technician can also give you qualified advice about the most appropriate HVAC system for your current vent set-up and ducting. Your needs and preferences will be carefully considered when they make recommendations.

Getting Quotes and Project Details

It’s recommended to get quotes from two to three contractors to ensure that you’ll be able to go over your best HVAC options. Also, don’t accept a quote from a contractor if they haven’t gone to your home and inspected your set-up. The questions you should consider asking are:

What are the payment terms?
What is the estimated yearly cost of your recommended HVAC unit? What are the maintenance measures that I must take note of?
How long is your estimated timeframe for this project?
What do other customers say about your recommended unit?
What HVAC system does your company specialize in?

Choosing the Right HVAC Size

When it comes to HVAC systems, bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. A system that is too big will be idle most of the time, resulting in unpleasant levels of humidity in the house. On the other hand, a system that’s too small will always be overcompensating just to reach the optimal temperatures. In this case, you’d end up with an unreasonably large energy bill.

Choosing Filter Types and Thermostat Options

Filters come in two types: disposable and permanent. Most HVAC units are compatible with either of these filters. When choosing which one is better suited for you, ask yourself if you’re willing to spend time, effort, and money in cleaning them or if you’d prefer to replace them every two months.

Thermostat options also come in two variants: programmable devices and ones that you manually set yourself. There are many advantages to using programmable devices but it may not be compatible with your HVAC system. Ask your technician about all your possible options so you can take care of your unit the right way.

Scheduling Maintenance

To prolong your HVAC’s lifespan, maintenance plans should always be kept in mind. Hence, it’s worth noting if maintenance plans and warranties are included in the contractor’s price quote. Although it may initially cost more, the fees will end up being cheaper over time compared to an installation project that doesn’t have it.

Generally, technicians will visit your home twice a year to evaluate your HVAC system and see if anything should be fixed. For best results, ask your technician about the recommended maintenance schedule for your particular unit.

Preparing Your Home for HVAC Installation or Repair

When you’ve finally decided on a contractor and everything has been agreed upon, it’s time to get your home ready for the work that has to be done. Make sure that the technicians have enough space to do everything they have to do. They should be able to easily carry their equipment from their vehicle to your home and back.

Once your new HVAC system has been fully installed, you should take note of the following:

How often should my HVAC system be checked and assessed by a professional?
How should the air ducts be cleaned? How often should I clean them?

Almost half of a home’s energy bill is associated with HVAC systems. Hence, carefully choosing your heaters and air conditioners can help you save a huge amount of money in the long run.

3 Financial Reasons to Get a House with a Mother-in-Law Apartment

August 16, 2019August 9, 2019Bruzzese Home ImprovementsHome Improvement Tips, Tips to sell your homeaddition, apartment, home additionLeave a comment

If you are married, it is quite understandable that you value and cherish your family. This is to be expected and admired. It also contributes to a more lasting and fulfilling relationship. At the same time, there will come some practical considerations that you will need to take into account as the years go by. One of those will be how to take care of your mother-in-law. She might be alone and in need of some family to be close by, while still retaining much of her independence. At the same time, you might not want her living entirely on her own. With that in mind, here are three financial reasons why you will want to consider getting a house that has a mother-in-law apartment attached to it.

Avoid Long Term Care Costs

As people age, long term care costs can quickly grow almost out of control. In many cases, this is an unnecessary expense. If you are able to take care of your mother-in-law, there is no reason to not have her nearby. Even the expense associated with assisted living can drain the finances of even the most well-off of families. Do not let this happen to you. Having your mother-in-law in her own apartment attached to your own home makes financial sense. You will not have the added expense of long term care to worry about.

Rent The Space

You may not have someone living in the mother in law apartment. This is a great opportunity to rent the space. You can rent it to a working professional or as a short term rental. When you visit a furniture store, you’ll want to make sure that you have all the essentials as you would have at a hotel stay. Make it comfortable, decorate it. Having this supplemental income can help you pay your mortgage. The great part if you’ve paid your mortgage is it becomes residual income.

Equity

When you have a house with an unfinished basement your appraisal is going to be much different than if it has a finished mother in law apartment with a separate entrance. Having two kitchens, more bedrooms and bathrooms is going to make your equity and re-sale value skyrocket. It is worth renovation pricing to significantly increase the value of your home.

These three reasons alone highlight the usefulness of a mother-in-law apartment. If you are in the process of looking for a home and you see the need to take care of her looming on the horizon, this is a great option to consider. In the long run, it can also make a great amount of financial sense. That alone should cause you to give the idea some serious thought.

4 Simple Ways to Modernize Your Kitchen to Improve Home Value

August 9, 2019September 20, 2019Bruzzese Home ImprovementsKitchen Remodeling, kitchen renovationskitchen remodeling, kitchensLeave a comment

Investing in home upgrades and renovation projects that can increase the market value of a home is a great way for homeowners to protect their investment. The need for a practical, comfortable and efficient space often means that the kitchen is often the best room in the home to modernize. Relatively simple additions and upgrades can often make a profound difference on the value of a home.

Tile and Hardwood Floors

Replacing floors that have begun to show signs of aging and wear is a great way to add a more modern feel to the kitchen. Flooring materials like cheap tile or linoleum could be negatively impacting the value of a home, especially with flooring materials that may have become visibly damaged. Stylish tile floors and quality hardwood flooring are both options that may provide a superior return of investment in the days ahead.

Butcher-Block or Concrete Countertops

New countertops can make for a more dramatic kitchen environment. Counters that provide superior durability help to ensure that purchase and installation costs are able to provide a superior value. Having to deal with upkeep, maintenance or being forced to replace new surfaces prematurely are all issues that homeowners would do well to avoid. Butcher-block and concrete are ideal material choices due to the superior ruggedness and durability they are able to offer.

New Cabinetry

Along with counters and flooring installations, cabinets are often the dominant design feature of the space. Replacing the existing cabinets or even swapping out the pulls, accents and hardware is an important part of any kitchen renovation or modernization project. Outdated cabinets can be more than just unfashionable, they may actually be harming property values.

Replacing the Kitchen Sink

The typical for the kitchen sink to see more frequent use than any other kitchen fixture or appliance. Dealing with a clogged sink, broken faucet or any other issue that may require professional plumbing repair services can be a golden opportunity to further upgrade and modernize the environment. A sleek new sink can make for a welcome addition to any kitchen.

Homeowners who fail to look after their property could see market values plummeting as a result. Basic maintenance and upkeep is not always enough to ensure that residential properties are able to maintain a greater percentage of their value over time. Modernizing the kitchen with a few simple upgrades or installations is often well worth the time, effort and expense involved.

4 Ways to Show Your Personality through Unique Landscaping

August 3, 2019August 3, 2019Bruzzese Home Improvementslawn and gardenhome improvement, landscaping, lawnLeave a comment

While many homeowners utilize the inside of their home to show off their personality, they’re missing out on a whole blank canvass outside of the home. Your yard is just waiting to be transformed in such a way that reflects what kind of a person you are. Stray away from cookie-cutter landscaping and instead opt for these four ways to showcase your personality through unique landscaping.

Stone Pavers

One beautiful method is to utilize natural stone pavers. These can be used to create trails that run through your garden. Or they can add an elegant border around your driveway, existing pathways, or around the garden. There are many different shades and colors of pavers. Choosing those which best fit the rest of the landscape and your home’s exterior is ideal.

Fountains

There’s a lot of creativity that can be put into fountains. You can make it as eccentric or as sophisticated as you want. They can double as an irrigation system for the rest of your yard or just be a central focal point. One aspect to consider is the size. Fountains can be as large or as small as you need. That makes them a great choice for homes that have a lot of space and homes that don’t have a lot of space. You can place them in the yard itself or in the garden. From there, you can add additional sculptures and other elements to further make the fountain unique to you.

The Garden

One of the best landscaping features that you can add to your home is a garden. Whether it’s just a flower garden or one that also grows herbs, the aesthetic it brings to the yard is incredible. However, you should also take your activity level into account. If you know you’re not the kind to regularly weed and mulch your garden, then you might want to opt for plants that don’t require a lot of care. The best gardens are those that are weeded regularly and kept fresh and pruned.

Lawn Decorations

For those who feel bold, one certain way to make your landscape unique to your personality is to include lawn decorations. You should be wary of having too many and making your lawn look cluttered. However, a few garden gnomes can look cute.

These four methods can transform the blank canvas of your lawn. Have fun and be creative.

THE BENEFITS OF INSTALLING DOUBLE GLAZING IN YOUR HOME

July 25, 2019July 25, 2019Bruzzese Home Improvementshome improvement, Energy Efficiencyenergy efficient, home improvement, window replacement, windowsLeave a comment

If you have double glazing in your home, you’ll have no doubt already recognized and experienced many benefits. However, homeowners with single glazing might not yet realize just how beneficial new double glazing may be for a number of reasons. Single glazing windows require regular treatment and maintenance, and during Winter, homes can become incredibly cold and often subject to damp and condensation. This in itself can lead to more serious issues and as a result, costly, unnecessary repairs.

Kenneth Hislop, of Window Advice Centre in Scotland – specialists in double glazing in Glasgow, Scotland – says that “the actual benefits of double glazing can save you a lot of money over time, on your energy bills and on general maintenance, like treating timber window frames”.

If you currently have single glazed windows, or your existing windows are due for replacement, consider the benefits of double glazing when deciding to buy new windows.

Style & Appearance

Double glazing is widely available in many different styles and finishes. Of course, standard white UPVC double glazed windows are still a popular choice, but you will find yourself choosing from a huge selection of colours, materials and finishes. This means that your home will enjoy a new aesthetic and look the part once your new windows are installed. Styles might include; reversible windows, sash windows, tilt and turn windows and more.

Security & Safety

It’s important to feel safe in your own home and UPVC windows with double glazing can increase security to give you the peace of mind that windows are difficult to damage and penetrate. Single glazing does not offer much in terms of security. Thin panes and timber frames can often be easily broken. Double glazed windows – with two windowpanes and strong, durable UPVC frames – offer safety features that are not provided by other window styles.

Saving Money

Double glazed windows can certainly save you a lot of money over time. Timber frames with single glazed panes require regular maintenance, including painting and treating. In addition to this, they don’t offer much to your home in terms of insulation, if anything at all. Double glazing, on the other hand, is a very energy efficient solution. With increased insulation and noise reduction properties, double-glazed windows will save you money on your household energy bills simply because your home will retain more heat.

Double Glazing For Your Home

When choosing new windows for your property, it’s important that they look good and last, in addition to keeping your home safe and warm. There are, of course, alternative options you can choose from – such as triple glazed windowpanes – and various styles too, such as reversible windows and sash windows. However, double glazing proves itself time and time again to be the most popular choice for homeowners choosing new windows in the UK.

If you’re ready to replace the windows of your home, make sure you consider the benefits of double glazing before making your choice, as the benefits are priceless.

4 Crucial Renovations to Perform When Moving into an Old Home

July 13, 2019July 13, 2019Bruzzese Home ImprovementsHome Improvement Tips, home improvementhome improvement, renovationsLeave a comment

The unique charms of the homes of yesteryear are appealing to many people. Whether it’s the high ceilings, intricate woodwork, or other attentions to detail that are signs on times-gone-by, there are just some things that you can only find in older homes. Unfortunately, they are old and may require a little extra maintenance to keep them in good condition.

If you are moving into an older home, a specialized home inspection is a great way to find out the condition of the home. Here are four things that you could zone in on that could be potential crucial renovations that would save the integrity of your home.

Roof

The roof is your home’s main protection against the wrath of Mother Nature’s fury. It should last somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 years, with a little regular maintenance. A certified inspector would be looking at all aspects of the roof, making sure that there aren’t any signs of age, damage, or undue wear. Replacing a failing roof would be a crucial renovation, saving your home from water damage.

Pest Inspection

Mice, termites, and other critters can sometimes find their way into homes. And, the longer a home has been standing, the better the chances are that there could be a present infestation or damage from one in the past. A pest inspector would be able to steer you towards a rodent or termite treatment plan or any other remediation that would eliminate any current pest issues. If there is any damage caused by past infestations that would need to be addressed as well.

Electrical

You’d want a certified electrical contractor to thoroughly inspect the home’s entire electrical system. It’s worth the small investment of paying for an inspection. Replacing an old, outdated electrical system could save your home from a fire.

Plumbing

A lack of adequate plumbing can shut down a house quickly. An experienced plumbing contractor would be able to give you the best advice on the condition of your entire plumbing system. Faulty plumbing can cause serious water damage, sometimes to irreplaceable parts of an older home.

There are actually a lot of different aspects of an older home that you would want to pay attention to. These are only four of the most crucial things that you should look at first. It’s all about maintaining the beauty of the home that you fell in love with in the first place.

How to Protect Your Bathroom from Dangerous Mold

June 26, 2019June 12, 2019Bruzzese Home ImprovementsHome Maintenancehome maintenanceLeave a comment

In addition to being an unsightly problem, mold can also be very harmful. Inhaling mold spores will increase your risk of countless health complications ranging from asthma to sinus infections. Those are just a few of the reasons why you need to come up with a comprehensive plan for keeping mold and mildew out of your bathroom.

Open the Window

One of the easiest ways to ensure that your bathroom remains mold-free is to open a window whenever you take a shower or bath. Opening the window will allow all of the moist air to escape, and mold won’t be able to grow if there isn’t any moisture. After your baths and showers, you should make sure that the window remains open for at least a few minutes. You can also open the door and turn on a floor fan to create a breeze.

Install or Upgrade Your Vent Fan

In most states, you must install a bathroom vent fan if the bathroom doesn’t have a working window. If you already have a vent fan and the bathroom still seems humid, then you might want to upgrade the unit. Vent fans are relatively easy to install, and you probably won’t need anything more than a few basic tools as long as there is already a vent duct.

Take Care of Leaks Right Away

Even a slow leak can do an incredible amount of damage in a short period of time, and you must take care of broken faucets and pipes right away. As a general rule, all of your shower heads, fixtures, and pipes need to be inspected once every few weeks. If you notice any signs of moisture damage, then you will need to hire a contractor who offers basic plumbing services. While you should be able to handle clogs and other minor issues on your own, leaks must be taken care of by a licensed plumber.

Regularly Disinfect All Surfaces

Another important step in this process is thoroughly cleaning your bathroom as often as possible. Instead of using over-the-counter cleaning products, you might want to make your own disinfectant with a little bit of white vinegar and some warm water. Vinegar quickly kills most germs, and it completely non-toxic. You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the cleaning solution to give your bathroom a pleasant smell.

If you notice larger patches of mold in your bathroom, then you need to call a mold remediation company right away. Mold spores can circulate through your home in the blink of an eye, and ongoing exposure is going to impact your family’s health and well-being.

Guest post by:

Anica Oaks

Freelance writer and web enthusiast
Read some of my published work on my Google+ page.

Home Improvement Projects that offer the biggest bang for your buck

June 19, 2019June 6, 2019Bruzzese Home Improvementshome improvement, infographichome improvement, infographicLeave a comment

If you’re like nearly every other homeowner on the planet, you probably have something about your house that you want to fix or change. You might want to do something big like an addition or you might just want to update a room with a fresh coat of paint and new window coverings.

Whatever the project, you need to make sure that you aren’t investing in a lemon—that you’re not planning on completing something and then going to lose your shirt. And you also want to make sure that you can recoup and maybe even add on to the value that you put into the house. Luckily, the experts have put some thought into what home improvement projects are likely to translate into an increase in future sale value. So what are those projects and how do you sort through what you should invest before you even pick up a hammer? This graphic explains it.

Adjusting To Disaster: A Claim Filing Checklist

June 14, 2019February 23, 2022Bruzzese Home Improvementsinfographicinfographic, insuranceLeave a comment

Homeowners insurance is something everyone needs to have but no one wants to use. As it turns out, insurance companies feel the same way. Homeowners who file too many claims in the eyes of their insurers can find themselves slapped with much higher premiums for being “high-risk.” Unfair as it may seem to homeowners, the regulatory climate surrounding the insurance industry in most states makes it necessary for them to use caution before filing a claim. Anyone unlucky enough to need the services they pay their homeowners insurance provider for more than once a decade may be “rewarded” with exorbitant premiums or the outright cancellation of their coverage.

That’s why it’s essential for homeowners to protect themselves by knowing how to file an insurance claim judiciously. There are times when filing a claim for damages is the right choice, and other situations in which it can become more trouble than it’s worth. The price of using your homeowners insurance may be higher than the costs of the damages, in the long run.

Before filing a claim for any reason, take a moment to consider the advice in the accompanying checklist — it provides important do’s and don’ts to consider.

Adjusting to Disaster: A Claim Filing Checklist from Expert Public Adjusters

4 Home Improvements that May Require HOA Approval

June 13, 2019June 13, 2019Bruzzese Home ImprovementsHome Improvement Tips, home improvementhome improvementLeave a comment

When it comes to owning a home, one of the most exciting things you can do is take on a home improvement project. Turning your home from what it currently is into what you’ve always wanted it to be is extremely rewarding. While you should be able to enjoy the right to improve your own home, if you’re subject to a homeowner’s association, you may need to get approval. HOA’s are there to protect your property values and set guidelines for everyone in the neighborhood to abide by. However, they can make your life challenging when it comes to a home improvement project. Here are four home improvement projects that may require HOA approval.

Adding On

If you’re planning on adding on space to your home, you should most likely count on having to obtain HOA approval. Many HOA’s have rules about how many square feet each house can be. If you are below or above that range, then you will most likely have to obtain permission from the HOA. In some cases, you simply cannot go above the max square footage number. This could prevent you from being able to add on to the house.

Roofing Replacement

When you’re thinking about getting a new type of roofing on your home, you may need to obtain for this. If you’re just going back with what type of roofing you had before, this may not be an HOA approval issue. However, if you’re changing to a new color or a type of roof that doesn’t match the rest of the neighborhood, you might have to get approval. Good roofers will be able to provide you with the information and assistance that you need to get an HOA approval.

Adding a Pool

Another common home improvement that is often subject to HOA approval is adding a pool. Some HOA’s look favorably upon pools in the back yard, while others frown on it. Check the HOA bylaws and go through the steps to gain approval before breaking ground.

Adding Solar Panels

Saving money on your electric bill with solar is becoming a popular investment for homeowners. However, don’t count on being able to put the panels on the roof without running it by the HOA first.

Overall, it might seem like having an HOA is a pain when you want to improve your home. But when you step back and look at the big picture, they are there for your protection. If you play by the rules, the improvement project will ultimately go a lot smoother.

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