The sun is finally shining.
After weeks of grey and cloudy days that have sometimes produced rain, sometimes produced sleet, sometimes produced snow, the sun shine is a welcome change. So much so that you do not mind the squinting required as your eyes adjust to this bright light coming through your windshield when you drive to the grocery store.
As you adjust to the sun that is more than welcome on this cold winter day, you notice that the new slate roofs in your neighborhood are already exposed. While other neighboring roofs are heavy with the remaining snow from the winter storms last week, the slick surface of the newer slate roofs in the neighborhood have quickly shed their white blanket of snow.
Without the weight of the snow and the continual melting and refreezing of the ice the gutters and downspouts will not become jammed or grow long and dangerous icicles. The snow briefly provided an extra layer of warmth, but when it slid from the slate roofs in the neighborhood in helped those home owners avoid a number of other problems. Being a home owner is a balancing act. It is paying attention to the improvements that need to be made on a home and balancing the budget that you have to make the necessary improvements. Whether it is a decision to consider one of the slate roofs that are available or the decision to upgrade to vinyl siding, however, most home improvements can add to the value of your home.

• Heat loss that can reach the 38% mark can occur through old, inefficient windows.
• Owners who still have drafty single-pane windows can experience heat loss that is closer to 50%.
• Making an investment in new windows, however, can lower energy bills. In fact, depending on where a home in located, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that many home owners can save up to $501 a year by replacing old single-pane windows with new Energy Star approved models.
• Efficiency is the key to most successful home improvement decisions. Double hung windows, for example, can cost more money up front, but if they improve the efficiency of your home they are often worth the investment.






• In normal circumstances, a home’s roof should be inspected once or twice a year.
• Making the decision to install professional vinyl windows when you upgrade to vinyl siding can reduce the future maintenance of your home.
• Property and home maintenance can be expensive. Fir instance, the average homeowner will spend between 1% and 4% of a home?s value every year on maintenance and repairs. These costs, of course, tend to increase as the house ages. For a $200,000 home, this percentage means at least $2,000 in repairs annually.
• Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost versus Value Report indicated that the average cost of vinyl window replacement is $11,319. Wood window replacement, on the other hand, comes in slightly higher at $12,229.
• Owners who value their property fix problems as soon as they happen instead of putting these necessary repairs and improvements off for another time.
• Very few home owners can fix all of the maintenance issues that occur at a home. Instead, it is often wise to work with a licensed contractor.
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• Most siding installation is rated for winds up to 110 mph. If wind does rip siding off, manufacturers indicate vinyl siding is easier to re-install than other types.
• Every typical family spends about a third of its annual heating and cooling budget on air that leaks into or out of the house through unintended gaps and cracks. This means that as much as $350 a year literally goes out the window. Making the necessary upgrades to a home can eliminate this waste.
• Nearly 36% of new single-family homes completed in the U.S. last year were built with vinyl siding as the principal type of exterior wall material. Another 23% used brick, 17% used stucco, and 13% used fiber cement.
• Typically, a standard 2200-to-2600 square foot roof will cost DIY homeowners $1000 to $4000 to fully replace. Professionals will charge $2000 to $8500. Roofers charge for their work using what are known as ?squares.? The average roof has between 22 and 26 squares, 10 feet by 10 feet in size, to be replaced.
• Survey your property and see what improvements you need to make.