2014 Fall Real Estate & Home Improvement Section

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BLACK HILLS PIONEER | FALL REAL ESTATE & HOME IMPROVEMENT

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Beat the Wrath of Winter

W

intertime brings with it holiday gatherings, beautiful snowflakes and adventure-filled sledding expeditions.

But if your house could talk, it would tell you that winter is also accompanied by biting winds, damaging ice and dropping temperatures that correlate with increasing heating bills. The fall is the perfect time to listen to your house and p­ repare for those chilly conditions.

Doing so can help you save time and money in costly repairs come springtime. There are certain pain points of your home – drafty windows and outdated f­ urnaces come to mind – that may need immediate overhauls. Other improvements require only a bit of sweat equity to fully ready your home for the wrath of winter.

Replace Your Windows

An inefficient window can lead to more than an uncomfortable draft once winter arrives.

It can also welcome damaging frost or condensation on the inside of the window, which can lead to rotting wood frames.

Replacing a window is a fairly straightforward process, but you may want to ­consult a licensed professional to ensure warranty-protected installation.

Find a company dedicated to carrying the latest, most efficient models for your home.

Service Your Furnace

Gas and electric furnace systems are projected to efficiently operate for about 10 to 15 years and require annual service checks for optimal operation. Do you know how old your furnace unit is? Check the sticker with your model number for the date of manufacture and installation. If you’re around the 10- to 15-year mark, it may be time to consider an upgrade.

A lower heating bill is one of the immediate benefits of having your unit replaced or repaired. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that residential energy costs have been rising across the board for several years. With this trend likely to continue, now may be the time to dramatically improve your family’s ­bottom line in terms of heating and cooling expenses.

Other Tips

You can complete plenty of other basic tasks to winterize your home: • Add a fresh coat of exterior sealer to your home to minimize the impact of snow or ice.

• Check your roof for any leaks or damaged shingles – or have a professional do it for you.

• Power wash your siding and decking to prevent the growth of mold and m ­ ildew that grow on dirt and grime.

© FOTOLIA

Strategies for proper autumn pruning As the leaves fall off the trees and greenery thins out for the season, exposing branches and undergrowth along the way, homeowners may be tempted to prune their trees and shrubs. But while autumn pruning may seem like a good idea, many gardening

experts say it is often best for homeowners to wait until winter or early spring before pruning.

Although pruning does thin out branches and tame spent blooms, which can be eyesores, pruning also stimulates new growth.

Pruning in the autumn, when plants are naturally preparing to go dormant, can weaken the plants considerably.

This can compromise their chances of surviving into the next growing season.

Fall temperatures also can be deceiving. While it may be warm during the day when the sun is shining, temperatures can quickly

drop overnight. Pruning during the warmth of day, when the sap has risen in the plants, may deplete energy from the plant. When the mercury drops at night, the plant can suffer.

If you must spend time in the yard in the fall, tend to the leaves and debris that have already fallen to the ground rather than focusing energy on fall pruning. If you have been diligent during the spring and summer, your shrubs and other plants likely won’t need pruning at this time of year.

Wait until winter before taking out the shears. At this point, the woody parts of many plants are dormant and will not be harmed or primed to grow by the pruning.

Chances are you won’t prune too much as well, as chilly temperatures will keep you from spending too much time outdoors.

When it’s time to prune, consider these other pointers.

• Keep tools clean and in good working order. You risk injury if your tools are dull and in poor shape overall. Spend time

sharpening pruners and keep manual tools oiled and clean. Debris can lodge itself in clippers, making it more difficult to open and shut them. Wash and dry tools after use, especially when dealing with diseased plants. Otherwise you risk spreading disease to healthy plants.

• Cut back stems completely. It’s usually a good idea to prune branches back to the main stem. Leaving a portion sticking out can catch on people or animals and produce a gathering spot for bacteria and insects.

Take out thinner, smaller shoots first before moving on to any dead or dying branches.

• Prune dry branches. Do not prune when plants are wet. Pruning damp plants encourages the growth of microbes that can infiltrate the plant. This is not as significant a problem in the winter, when microbes have already been killed.

• Ask an expert. If you are unsure of how and when to prune particular plants, consult with an expert at a nursery or wherever you buy your plants.

FALL REAL ESTATE & HOME IMPROVEMENT | BLACK HILLS PIONEER Pg 3

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BLACK HILLS PIONEER | FALL REAL ESTATE & HOME IMPROVEMENT

Saturday, September 20, 2014 Home improvement projects range from small scale undertakings that can be tackled in a single weekend to large remodels that can take several months to complete. While no two projects are the same, every home improvement project demands that homeowners dip into their pockets and spend some money.

Much like the scale of projects varies greatly, so, too, do the financial commitments required of homeowners to make those projects a reality. But no matter the size of the project, homeowners can find ways to stretch their budgets without sacrificing the quality of their improvements.

How to stay within your home improvement budget

• Do your homework

Before you decide to make changes to your home, it’s best to first do some research into any potential projects you’re considering. Many homeowners have decided to dive into a project before they fully realize its scope and cost, and going in blind can bust a budget, turning what might have seemed like a relatively simple project into a money pit.

Understanding just what a project entails and how much it’s likely to cost can give homeowners an idea of what they can afford and where they might be able to stretch their budgets. For example, if you want to replace your kitchen countertops but can’t afford engineered quartz countertops, you might be able to find a less expensive alternative, such as tile, that you like just as much. But it’s best to research such alternatives before you decide to replace your existing countertops. If you can’t find a less expensive alternative, you might want to postpone the project until you can grow your budget. But

Homeowners willing and able to pitch in on their home projects can save themselves a substantial amount of money on labor costs.

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Saturday, September 20, 2014 starting the project without first grasping its true cost is a recipe for disaster, so do your homework before you find your toolbox and start working.

• Build unforeseen expenses into your budget

Another way to stay within your budget is to include budget-busting unforeseen expenses into the budget from the get-go.

Whether you’re doing the project yourself or paying a contractor, nearly every home improvement project will present some unforeseen, and costly, hurdles. For example, you might find mold inside the walls when you’re converting a basement, and it can cost a pretty penny to make that mold go away. If you go into the project expecting such hurdles, then the financial sting of addressing them won’t prove too great a burden. But if the mold catches you and your budget completely off guard, you might be forced to overextend that budget or make sacrifices elsewhere in order to complete the project. Build some contingency money, including permit and permit fees, into your home improvement project to safeguard against such unforeseen issues.

• Get to work

If you’re hiring a contractor, speak to him or her before signing a contract to see if there is anywhere you can pitch in to keep the labor costs low. You might be able to

FALL REAL ESTATE & HOME IMPROVEMENT | BLACK HILLS PIONEER Pg 5 pitch in during the demolition phase, saving the cost of paying your contractor’s workers to tear down walls or remove debris you can just as easily remove yourself. Another way to pitch in is to do the end-of-day cleanup yourself. Any role you play with regard to labor will likely need to be negotiated upfront, but you can save yourself a substantial amount of money on labor if you’re willing to get your hands dirty.

• Determine if piecemeal is the most affordable option

Sometimes it makes sense to tackle one project at a time, while other times you might want to combine projects to save on the cost of materials. For instance, if your ultimate goal is to install wood flooring throughout your home, determine if it makes more financial sense to install the flooring all at once rather than doing one or two rooms at a time.

You might save by buying all of your materials at once rather than buying a small amount of materials several times over the next several years.

Home improvement projects often go a long way toward making a home more enjoyable for its owners and inhabitants. And while such projects can be costly, homeowners who stay disciplined can still get their dream homes without busting their budgets.

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BLACK HILLS PIONEER | FALL REAL ESTATE & HOME IMPROVEMENT

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Prep the yard No matter the season, we remain committed to providing plumbing, heating and cooling solutions that keep you and your family comfortable year-round.

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As quickly as autumn weather arrives it seems to move aside for the blustery, cold days of winter. Winter can catch a person off guard and the seasons are now less predictable than ever before.

It’s never too early to begin preparing your yard and outdoor living spaces for winter. Homeowners may be sad to bid farewell to the furniture and accessories of the fair-weather season, but time is of the essence when prepping for impending ice and snow.

• Clean patio furniture. Give cushions and structures a thorough cleaning and allow to dry completely. Cleaning items before storing them for the winter saves time and energy next year when it’s time once again to set up the yard for recreation. If anything is damaged beyond repair, discard it and look for replacements during end-of-season sales when savings can be had.

• Move things indoors. The more items you can store in a safe and secure location the better. Load the garage, basement or storage shed with outdoor gear. Leaving items exposes them to the elements, and such exposure can cause rust, wear and damage. Flower pots and lawn ornaments also can blow around in winter wind or collapse under the weight of the snow, so collect these items and store them for the winter.

Take out patio umbrellas and put them in the shed. If something is too large to move indoors, such as a barbecue or a pool filter, cover it with a durable tarp and secure it with rope.

• Cover delicate trees. Depending on where you live, certain fruit trees, including fig trees, may need to be covered for the winter. Covering protects them from subfreezing temperatures and helps ensure they will rebound in the spring. Tropical plants should be moved indoors where they can thrive in a heated home. Do not rip out chrysanthemum plants. Contrary to popular belief, these are not annuals. They will rebloom year after year if allowed to do so.

• Remove water collectors. Bring in or cover anything that may accumulate water, such as bird baths or kids’ toys. Water expands when frozen, and that means water trapped in any ceramic, glass or even plastic vessel can expand and cause the container to crack.

• Clean up leaves and debris. Piles of leaves not only can suffocate a lawn and cause discoloration, but also can be attractive homes for rodents and insects looking for a warm place to spend their winters. Keep your yard neat and clean to discourage wildlife from taking up residence near your home.

• Cover vegetable and flower beds. Invest in some burlap to lay down over planting beds. This helps to keep the ground from freezing over and minimize weeds for next season.

• Plant spring bulbs now. Now is a good time to plan where you want to put spring bulbs. Once you have mapped things out, get the bulbs in the ground. Bulbs are relatively inexpensive and will provide that first punch of color when winter finally skips town.

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Saturday, September 20, 2014

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BLACK HILLS PIONEER | FALL REAL ESTATE & HOME IMPROVEMENT

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