SPECIAL SECTION HOME IMPROVEMENT
their heating, air-conditioning, home security, and
lighting systems from their phones. They want
to use their brains for other things, not for
remembering whether they adjusted the
heat or closed the garage door.
*Cross-generational: A new roof.
It’s the ultimate curb appeal enhancer
and buyers pay a premium for one
already in place. So if the first thing
prospects notice even before exiting
their cars looks like something out
of the movie “Twister,” you’ve got
a problem.
*Millennials: All-new appliances.
Realtors will tell you that major kitchen
(and bath) upgrades aren’t generally worth
their high costs, in terms of return on investment,
since prospective buyers’ tastes can clash with yours.
However, Millennials love, love, love all-new stainless steel appliances. So much so that
what RealtyTimes.com called “an astonishing majority of 75 percent” of respondents in
a recent survey chose to spend their hypothetical home buying budgets on them.
DO-IT-YOURSELF LANDSCAPING THAT DOESN’T LOOK IT
If you’ve ever attempted to transform your backyard into a beautifully designed
paradise, then you have probably planted, trimmed and dug your way into a few minor
frustrations along the way. While good landscaping can vary by degrees including
budget, skills and climate, there are a few easy things you can do in order to be proud of
your landscaping without paying an expert.
The following tips will guide you on the right path to do-it-yourself landscaping:
*Always layer your planting beds. Layering in three rows, begin with your
tallest plants in the back row, next tallest in the middle and your shortest plants in
the front. And don’t just plant one bed—put another elsewhere in your yard to help
provide a sense of harmony.
*Calm your yard with water features. Providing focal points in your
landscaping work is a must, and one great way is to incorporate water features such as
ponds and simple waterfalls. They both look appealing and add an attractive element to
your yard—the calming sounds of moving water.
*Utilize retaining walls. If you are planning on protecting
the fragile landscaping work around your home, it’s
imperative to construct a strong retaining wall.
Erosion-prone areas in your yard will benefit
greatly by incorporating segmental retaining
walls constructed from concrete masonry.
Using concrete masonry not only provides the
best value for the investment, it also delivers
superior design flexibility and aesthetic
appeal to any landscape idea.
*When planting flowers, go with
annuals. To have a continuous sense of color
throughout your yard, plant annual flowers
alongside your favorite perennials. Research and
lay out creative flower combinations that make use
of both kinds of flowers for year-round beauty.
*Think year-round. One of the biggest mistakes
one can make is only providing one or two seasons’ worth
of eye-catching landscaping. Plan for having plentiful trees and shrubs during the
LIGHTEN UP
Have you been wondering if there’s a
way you can cut your energy bills while
helping to contribute to a greener
environment? Though Pennsylvania
may not immediately spring to mind as
a sunny locale, solar power is readily
available and already being used in
hundreds of area homes successfully.
Think of it like this: If there were a river
flowing by your house and you only had
a five-gallon bucket to collect the water,
you would only be able to use five
gallons. But if you had 20 five-gallon
buckets, you could have all the water
you needed. Solar energy functions in
a similar way. If you live in an area that
does not get a lot of sun, by adding more
solar panels you can collect more sun.
According to lead designer Ian Smith
of Energy Independent Solutions, the
Pittsburgh area is able to produce about
80% of the solar power that Miami,
Florida, does! There are also attractive
options for installing the panels, such
as all-black panels and solar shingle
products that blend the panels in with
your roof. Solar awnings can be installed
on a pergola or carport. And with flat
roofs, the panels are generally not
visible at all. There are also ground-
mounted systems that are separate
from your home.
Smith adds that the initial cost for an
average-size home of 2,000 sq. ft. might
range from about $15,000 to $25,000,
which is recouped over a few years.
Some areas may also offer incentives or
tax benefits for switching to solar.
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PINE-RICHLAND
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SPRING 2019
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