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Many houses are not energy efficient, which causes homeowners to pay much higher utility bills than they should. The roof is one of the most common problem areas. If your heating and electricity bills are too high, or if your roof is damaged and needs to be replaced, installing a new roof made from more energy-efficient materials can help you significantly lower your utility bills year-round.

How Does the Roof Affect Energy Bills?
Insufficient insulation and damaged or missing shingles can lead to high winter heating bills. In the summer, a roof thats unable to reflect heat can cause the attic and upper floor of a house to heat up, which means air conditioners will have to work harder to cool the house.

Replacing your roof with one thats better at reflecting heat and installing plenty of insulation can substantially lower your utility bills. Roofing materials that carry the ENERGY STAR label are energy efficient.

Which Roofing Material Should You Choose?
Asphalt is the most commonly used roofing material because shingles are inexpensive and easy to install and maintain. They are also available in a variety of colors and designs. On the other hand, asphalt shingles can be damaged by wind, storms, and algae and are less energy efficient than some other materials.

Metal roofing is energy efficient because it can reflect heat away from the house. Metal panels and shingles are relatively inexpensive and easy to install.

Tile roofing is best suited to warm, dry regions since it reflects sunlight and absorbs moisture. Slate roofing is dense, energy efficient and long lasting. Tiles made of slate, clay and concrete are often pre-treated to reflect heat. Non-treated tiles can be covered with a reflective coating after installation.

Shake shingles can improve energy efficiency by increasing air circulation inside the house. Many homeowners choose them because of the attractive appearance of the wood as it ages. Shake shingles are durable enough to stand up to strong winds and storms without being damaged, but they require a lot of maintenance, especially in regions that get a lot of precipitation or that are very humid.

In a warm climate, a light-colored roof is a good choice because it can reflect more heat than a darker one. In a colder region, a dark-colored roof may be preferable because it can absorb some heat from the winter sun and reduce the burden on the furnace.

Is It Time to Replace Your Roof?
If your roof is damaged or worn out, its most likely not energy efficient, and youre probably spending more than youd like on monthly utility bills. Replacing your roof with a new, more energy-efficient one may be expensive up front, but it can allow you to enjoy years of consistently lower heating and cooling bills. Have your roof inspected by a professional. Ask for advice on whether to replace it and, if so, which type of material to choose.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Creating the right look in your home can bring a huge sense of accomplishment, but we all know that home decor can get pricey quickly. Thankfully, a little paint and some creativity can be just the thing you need. Grab a paintbrush and get to work on these pieces in your home you never knew you could paint.

Old Appliances

Stainless steel paint can give even dated appliances a huge refresh for a small investment. If your fridge is in great working condition, but its aesthetic is stuck in a bygone age, a little elbow grease and a paintbrush may be just what you need to get your kitchen looking fresh and modern.

Countertops

If your kitchen needs an update, but youre not ready to invest in a renovation, you will be astounded at the transformation that can come from painting dated laminate countertops. Find a tutorial online and gather your supplies, or opt for the easier route by purchasing a countertop refinishing kit. Kits come with the primer, paint and the tools necessary for the look, as well as polyurethane to cover and protect your hard work against wear and tear. Use a sponge and various shades of paint to create a granite look, or create swirls of white and gray shades to mimic marble.

Flooring

Lend your hardwood some extra sophistication by using a black or navy paint to add a border on the perimeter of your floor. For a modern farmhouse feel, opt instead for a cream or white. Want to refresh an outdoor area rug? Simply paint it! A new design will lend a pop of color to your outdoor seating, and since outdoor area rugs are rarely known for their soft texture, theres no reason to be concerned about the mildly rough feel of the dried paint.

You know how much of an impact a simple coat of paint can have on your walls, and now its time to apply the same concept to unexpected pieces and witness a transformation in your home.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

We all define luxury real estate in different ways, but if theres one constant expectation that affluent homeowners have, its that your residence should cater to your lifestyle. Whether youre a young professional looking for a house where you can start a family or a retiree purchasing an expansive property where generations can come together, there are specific characteristics that youll need to consider in order to find the perfect dwelling. Here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind when searching for a property that meets your lifestyle.

Consider Your Passions
Whatever it is that youre passionate about, your home should be a gateway to pursuing this activity. If its cooking and entertaining, you need a professional-grade kitchen with lots of space for hosting. Or perhaps youre a wellness enthusiast who likes to take good care of yourself, in which case you need a state-of-the-art fitness and wellness area. There are endless features to be found in luxury homes these days, but its necessary to identify the ones that are most important to you.

Location, Location, and yes, Location
Okay, this one will come as no surprise, but its significance cannot be overstated when it comes to lifestyle. Do you want to be downtown where youll be close to all the fine dining and high-end shopping or are you more likely to seek open spaces with hiking and biking trails? Our immediate environment has a profound effect on our lives and the location of your home will play a major role in how you spend your time.

Adequate Accommodations
If youre planning to start a family in the near future or enjoy having house guests, then it might be wise to purchase a home with an extra bedroom or two. For those who regularly host friends and relatives, you may even want to have an in-law suite or separate guest house.

Productive Environment
You also want your residence to be a place that fosters productivity. That could mean having a home office where you can escape from distractions or simply an open layout with lots of natural light that makes you feel energized. Everyone has different habits and rituals, so take the time to pinpoint what makes you productive and prioritize those features.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Buying a home in a sellers market can be difficult, but it doesnt have to be impossible.

A sellers market occurs when there is a low inventory of homes for sale and a large number of buyers creating high demand. It can lead to competitive bidding and high prices.

A real estate agent can help you determine if youre in a sellers market so you can adapt your home-buying strategy. A market absorption rate calculator can help by calculating how many months it would take to sell all the remaining homes, or inventory, for sale in a given area. A low number means youre in a sellers market.

Here are four ways to be a successful buyer in a sellers market:

Be Ready to Bid High
Whatever your budget is, be prepared to go in with an offer for the listing price. It can prevent other bidders from coming in and can help you avoid competing with multiple buyers.

If that tactic doesnt work, be prepared to increase your offer to your best offer, but not your final offer. Add an escalation clause of 2-3 percent more than the highest bid, but only if youre able to pay the most for the property.

Another tactic is to work a bidding war into your budget by only looking at houses listed for up to 90 percent of your maximum budget. This will give you extra money if a bidding war starts.

Dont Counter
There are no counter offers in a sellers market.

Put your best offer on the table early. Sellers could see a dozen offers at once, and theyre unlikely to counter with buyers if they have a lot of high offers to choose from.

Show Them the Money
Show a seller how serious you are by offering more cash than normal in earnest money ” a deposit made to the seller to show a buyers good faith in a transaction. If a high earnest money deposit in your area is $20,000, then increase it by $10,000.

Offer Non-Price Factors
Some sellers will accept your price if you provide some non-price considerations that can speed up the transaction, also called contingencies.

These include waiving the financing contingency, limiting the home inspection to three to five days or eliminating the home inspection completely, giving sellers extra time to move out.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Whether weve decided to go to grad school, have moved to a different country or state for a job, or have simply left our family home for the first thing we could afford, us millennials are usually not living somewhere we expect to stay forever. And while this might sound exciting, the truth is, that lingering sense of instability often causes us to basically live out of a suitcase (something to do with always being prepared to jump ship).

Living in small, shared spaces make us feel like were not allowed to unpack. Yet, unpacking and making yourself at home is of the utmost importance. This room, which is at the moment legitimately yours, is the only space youve got to recharge and refocus. At the end of the day, your 20s are a time of high stress levels thanks to anxiety-ridden life decisions. It is imperative to put your best foot forward every day.

In my personal experience, I have cozy dorm rooms to thank for helping me feel like I was ready to take on the world. Now that Ive graduated and live off-campus, Ive found that moving from one residence hall to the next helped me develop transferable skills that I am now using to set up my new closet room. These are some of the things Im glad I learned beforehand:

Consider the space: The biggest mistake most college students made was leaving the furniture arrangement as they found it. Dont trip over the same stone in your post-grad life. Setting up your bed horizontally and against the wall will automatically free up usable space in your room. In what could only be described as a wide hallway, I managed to fit a futon, a desk and chair, a bed, and a dresser without obstructing the walk-in closet, the bedroom or the bathroom doors. Most likely, there is really only one way to fit everything. You just have to keep going until you find it.

Decorate but dont suffocate: To make a small space a home, follow two cardinal rules when decorating. First, dont accessorize to the point of feeling overwhelmed (you dont want your own bedroom to make you feel stressed). Second, add items that you have an emotional connection with”pictures of family and friends, posters of shows you like, scents that transport you, twinkly lights, etc. If it makes you want to curl up in your bed and stare at it, put it up.

Prioritize comfort: Sure, when youre living in a temporary space its hard to invest in maximum comfort furniture. But that doesnt mean you have to sleep on a rigid mattress. Instead of splurging on memory foam, get an egg crate. Buy basic silverware and dinnerware, but invest in a couple of special mugs. Pick and choose which things you use the most and allow yourself to enjoy them.

Avoid clutter: This last one hurts, but you might need to put the wallet away when temptation knocks on your door. Sometimes we see furniture or dcor that we think would look fabulous in our ideal home, we forget we dont live in said home, we buy them anyways, and are left with an extra yellow armchair that doesnt fit anywhere. Be mindful of what actually belongs in your current space and what is meant to continue dwelling in dreams.

Your temporary home can be broken in like new shoes, and they will help you walk the walk youre on at the moment. By the time you move out, youll realize that a little extra spending and organizing really went a long way in keeping you saneand maybe even happy. So give it a try, go and really unpack in your little millennial hutch!

Published with permission from RISMedia.