Posts Tagged ‘North Georgia Group’

Keeping Cool at the Pool too!

Keep Cool and Save on Energy Costs in Your New Home.  These tips were provided by The North Georgia Group. In many new homes, the easiest solution is to turn down the thermostat and crank up the air conditioning, but try these energy-saving tips for the summer to help stay cool and save money especially on hot days like Atlanta is experiencing.

1. Turn Up the Thermostat  When using central air conditioning, you may not need to keep your home as cool as you think you do, particularly if you’re using ceiling fans to circulate the air. A programmable thermostat is an easy way to help you regulate temperature around your daily schedule.
2. Use Ceiling Fans  Keeping the cool air circulating will prevent your air conditioner from needing to work so hard. Make sure your fans are rotating counterclockwise in the summer for them to work most efficiently. Even better than ceiling fans is a whole house fan, a fan installed in the attic which draws in cool air and blows out all of the hot air that rises.
3. Open the Windows at Night  Once the outdoor temperature dips below 80 degrees and the sun is low or down, open your windows and turn off the air conditioning. Keep the windows open until temperatures rise again the next morning.
4. Avoid the Oven  Your oven and stove use a lot of energy and can also heat up your home. Enjoy the warm weather and eat cold foods like sandwiches, salads and fruit. If you have to use heat, the microwave is the most energy-efficient appliance.
5. Air Dry Your Clothes  Stretch a clothes line and hang your clothes to air dry instead of using your dryer. If you don’t have a lot of outdoor space, you can set up an indoor clothes drying rack.
6. Use Window Film  Solar control window film prevents excess heat from entering through your windows and glass doors. It’s an inexpensive way to save a lot of energy costs during the hot summer months, particularly if you don’t already have energy-efficient windows.
7. Replace Air Filters  The filters on your air conditioner need to be replaced about once a month. With new filters your home will cool down quicker and your air conditioner won’t work as hard.
8. Shade Your Home  Trees, patio covers and awnings prevent a lot of summer heat from entering your home in the first place. Planting some new trees or shrubs can be a great long-term energy-saving investment

Visit Peachtree Residential’s website to see our current neighborhoods we are building in and lower your bills with a new home with many energy saving features.

Homesite #40 at The Hampshires in Milton

Home prices are on the rise. Year over year home prices across the nation rose 9.1 percent. Spring is the perfect time to sell your current home.  Make sure the outside looks it’s best and it has great curb appeal.  Start your new home search and visit the Peachtree Residential website to view all the new home neighborhoods and start designing your dream home!

Curb appeal is important if you want to sell your home quickly and buy a new Peachtree Residential home. In fact, improving your home’s curb appeal is one of the best ways you can help your home stand apart from the competition in your neighborhood or surround area.  The North Georgia Group newsletter provided some great tips for your homes curb appeal.

1. Take a photo. The best way to look at your home through the eyes of a potential buyer is to take pictures of it. Take one from directly across the street and others from angles on both sides of the home. Honestly compare your pictures with those of comparable pictures online. Make a list of what could be improved.

2. Pressure wash. Wash the front of the home along with the garage doors, driveway, and sidewalk. You may find that pressure washing eliminates the need for new paint. Or you may find that painting the trim will be all the touch-ups you need. Nothing says, “I care about my property,” more than cleanliness. And pressure washing works wonders. You can rent a pressure washer from a big-box home improvement store.

3. Wash the windows. Sparkling clean windows invite visitors to look inside your house and they offer those already inside the home a view of your beautiful landscaping.

4. Make the front door shine. Give it a fresh coat of paint to make it look truly inviting. In addition, polish or replace all metal pieces, such as a door knocker or kick plate. New house numbers are another easy way to make your porch look polished. Think about adding blooming flowers for spring and summer, and a wreath on the front door to add a welcoming look. Finally, if the front porch lighting looks dated, upgrade to a new fixture.

5. Clean your gutters. Gutters that are overflowing with leaves and debris not only look dirty, but they also pose a problem for drainage. And drainage problems can hurt trim and windowsills, as well as harm a home’s foundation.

6. Trim branches. Many homeowners become accustomed to overgrown shrubs and ornamental trees. But overgrown vegetation effectively hides your home from view. It never hurts to remove too-big plants and replace them with trendy bedding options.

7. Plant some annuals. Impatiens, petunias, begonias, and vinca thrive in summertime. Add these plants to flower beds, pots and hanging baskets. Blooming foliage is a welcoming natural addition to any entryway.

8. Add mulch. Even if your flower beds have mulch, add more and don’t be stingy. New, thick mulch makes a so-so planted area look like a professionally maintained one. For an even more clean look, add some edging material.