Realtor Magazine just published a story on cost vs. value in a sale for 5 different home improvement projects. Interesting in some ways but hard to apply. These are averages from input by realtors from 80 cities across the USA. Markets are different in each area. What the basic inventory is, make a difference. For example, in Seattle we have a mix of homes from the teens through the nineties and a smattering of townhouses built in the last 15 years. And just 20 miles away you can find communities that were second growth forest until the 1980's and other areas that were developed in the 60's and 70's.
A kitchen remodel in a 1927 Tudor is a whole lot different that a redo of a 1980's northwest contemporary. But anyway, here is the table comparing the 5 projects, their costs and value.

Project	Cost	Resale Value	Recouped
Entry Door	$1,218	$1,243	102.1%
Garage Door	$1,291	$1,083	83.9%
New Siding	$13,382	$10,707	80.0%
Kitchen Remodel	$21,685	$15,790	72.8%
Deck Addition	$10,973	$7,986	72.8%

Before you rush out and do something, do some more reading, go to a few open houses and above all, talk to your favorite Realtor®. You might even want to take him to lunch and pick his brain. If you are going to sell, you want to do the things that make the most sense for your home, in your market, under current conditions. And the best way to insure that is to get the opinion of someone working in the trenches every day.

If your Realtor® is still in the business after the last three years, then he knows what he is doing.

The realtor magazine article: Cost vs. Value.

On Saturday, November 6th from 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM you can go to the Sunset Hill Community Club (3003 NW 66^th Street) and pick up information to begin your self-guided walking tour of the Ballard RainWise street project.

Ballard has taken the lead in Seattle to prevent pollutants from entering our waterways. How so? One of the biggest causes of waterway pollution is run-off from roofs and driveways. This water is normally diverted to the storm drains in the street or in some cases to the city sewer system itself. In the latter case, this puts a burden on the sewer treatment plants. In the former, pollutants that could be filtered on the property are wisked away to streams, rivers lakes and out to Puget Sound.

Here is what this free tour offers:

· Learn from experts at each tour site how and why Ballard is leading with green.

· Discover how easy it is to receive a RainWise rebate and create a beautiful yard.

· See neighborhood rain gardens and cisterns that have already received a rebate.

· Visit planting strips transformed into roadside rain gardens.

· Explore porous concrete and how it works in green alleys.

Be a part of cleaning up this valuable resource of ours. At the same time, you might discover a way to install a water retention site on your property and enjoy the rebate to help defray expenses.

I recently received this information from Kristine Messick, and it was so well presented I asked to share it word for word.

 

Energy Efficiency Tax Credit

Now is the time to improve the energy features of your house.  During 2009/2010, you can recoup your investment by:

Lower your energy bills               Increase homes value

Save up to $1,500 on tax bill       Improve the environment

Call Crow's Nest Home Inspections to schedule an Energy audit and find out what improvements will make the largest impact on reducing your energy bills now.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allows tax credits for energy efficiency improvements. Homeowners may claim up to 30% of costs of all equipment purchased during the aggregate two-year period of 2009 and 2010, up to $1,500 total.

Tax credits for installations made in 2006 and 2007 are still limited to the previous law's $500. Any purchase made in 2008 is not eligible for this tax credit.  

Eligible Improvements  
Owners of existing homes receive a tax credit worth 30% of the cost of upgrading the efficiency of their home. The following improvements are eligible for the tax credit:

Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, in 2009 & 2010 (for existing homes only) for:

Windows and Doors                           HVAC

Insulation                                            Water Heaters (non-solar)

Roofs (Metal and Asphalt)                   Biomass Stoves

 

Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, with no upper limit through 2016 (for existing homes & new construction) for:

Geothermal Heat Pumps                    Small Wind Energy Systems

Solar Panels                                       Fuel Cells

Solar Water Heaters

Performance and quality standards for tax credit eligibility vary by technology. See the Energy Star web site  for detailed information on qualifying products, http://www.energystar.gov, under Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency.

What is a Tax Credit?
There is an important difference between a tax credit and a tax deduction. A tax credit is subtracted directly from the total tax liability. On the other hand, a tax deduction is subtracted from income before total tax liability is computed. This means that a credit is much more advantageous to the taxpayer than a deduction.

Provided by:
Kristine Messick
Inspector/Energy Auditor
Crow's Nest Home Inspections, LLC
Structural Pest Inspector Lic. No. 67622
ASHI Member No. 242969
Cell (206) 310-2613 or (360) 628-9010
Schedule (206) 354-3092
www.crowsnestinspect.com

You can make an important contribution to reduce the amount of storm water and pollutants coming from your property by incorporating rain gardens into your yard.

 

   A rain garden acts like a native forest by collecting, absorbing, and filtering storm water runoff from roof tops, driveways, patios, and other areas that don't allow water to soak in. Rain gardens are simply shallow depressions that:

·         Can be shaped and sized to fit your yard.

·         Are constructed with soil mixes that allow water to soak in rapidly and support healthy plant growth.

·         Can be landscaped with a variety of plants to fit the surroundings.

 

Here's a detailed handbook prepared by WSU on how to beautify your yard, conserve water, and help protect our streams and estuaries from pollution.

 

 

Many times a Realtor will recommend that you do major landscaping to improve the value of your home when you sell. Going to all that expense and work is fine if you haven't bothered to get it done while you've lived in the house. Landscaping can add 15% to the value of your home.

But, just in case you are not planning to sell in the near future, why not do some landscaping for yourself? If you are not a gardener by tradition,  start small. Most projects take two years to establish, and five years to mature. During that time you learn what plants work well in your yard and which ones are too big or too much work to maintain.

 

There are some good examples in an online article on msn today.

Do something nice to your yard, and you'll be doing something nice for yourself.

Happy Earth Day.  There are many small things you can do around our home to save a few dollars and live a little more lightly.

1) Install a programmable thermostat.  A programmable thermostat prevents the furnace or heating system from running when it is not needed.  You can program the thermostat for a lower temperature while you are away from home or cuddled under your blankets at night.  Prices start at around $50.00 and are an easy do-it-yourself project.

2) Drink tap water.  Go ahead grab one of those stainless steel water bottles and fill it up.  Our tap water in the Seattle region is just fine.

3) Use eco-friendly paint.  Traditional paint options contain VOC's, volatile organic compounds, that release harmful pollutants into the air.  The options in low VOC paints are now numerous and most major paint retailers now offer them.

4) Clean the lint screen in your dryer.  The lint collects in the filter and prevents air flow in the drying process, forcing your dryer to work harder.  Clean out the lint trap and let the air flow.  It is also a safety issue, as it can be a fire hazard.

5) Fix your leaky tap.  A small drip from your leaky tap can waste 3 gallons of water a day!

A few small (and easy) changes can make a difference.