Raise your Home's IQ

Houses, like People, can be Smarter at Any Age.

New homebuyers have the opportunity to select "smart" options for their homes to go along with the Energy-Star rated appliances, LED light fixtures, and high-efficiency HVAC. When homeowners undertake a renovation, they will make similar choices for their upgrades.

Don't wait for a major renovation to add energy efficiency to a residence's attributes. Today is the first day of Fall. Thoughts of "Winter is coming" revive memories of the years I used a hair dryer to tighten the plastic film that "double-insulated" the windows in my 1928-built home. Hardware stores still sell that low-tech option. Here are some other IQ-building tips:

• Replace the incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs. They cost more, but the Dept. of Energy tells us they use 75% less energy and last 25 times as long.
• Look into a water heater timer. HomeQuicks' short article offers up thinking points.
• Replace old thermostats with programmable ones. EnergyStar estimates that active use of programming times saves the average homeowner $180/yr.
• Get to know how sunshine through windows throughout the day heats a room and use blinds to get some free "solar heat" when you want it and keep it outdoors when you don't. There are a variety of remotely-operated blinds available, as you will quickly discover with an internet search.
• Let your home use wi-fi to add safety features, offer energy-saving, and respond to your requests. PC Magazine's review of the best smart home devices for 2019 may provide the motivation you are looking for to step into the smart home world.

Here's a saying for people AND houses: "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." ―John Wooden