Monday, October 25, 2010

Get into the "Spirit" of things with me....


With Halloween less than a week away, I thought I would get into the "spirit" of things and challenge you to a little haunted house quiz. I found this quiz, "Name these 10 Halloween Movie Houses" over on Hooked on Houses- one of my favorite blogs. See if you can beat my highly impressive score of 20%. (I know I have set the bar really high!) By the way, just a quick note of local interest: one of these haunted homes was in Addison, Vermont!

Click here to take the quiz!

Enjoy!
-Jamie Wright, Realtor
(802)846-9530
Jamie@BurlingtonVermontHomes.com

Photo credit: Hooked on Houses

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Have You Surrendered Yet?!?!


I tried to hold out as long as I could...but I finally broke down last weekend and officially turned the heat on in the Wright household. It's been a rather cold October in Vermont, and many homeowners have been turning on the heat earlier than usual. I thought it might be helpful to post some energy-saving (read: money saving) tips, as I haven't met anyone who doesn't like to save a little green!

The following tips were provided by Vermont Gas:
1. Set thermostats between 65 and 70 degrees during the winter, and to 58 degrees when away from the house for more than a few hours. *Keep in mind that warmer temperatures are recommended for homes with ill or elderly people, and infants.*
2. Install a programmable setback thermostat that will automatically turn down the heat when you're sleeping or at work. Turning down your thermostat 7 to 12 degrees for eight hours a day, can save you up to 10 percent on your annual heating bills.
3. Change or clean your furnace filters once a month during the heating season.
4. Warm air rises, so use registers to direct airflow across the floor.
5. Close vents and doors in unused rooms and close dampers on unused fireplaces.
6. Be sure your hot water heater is set at a temperature recommended by the manufacturer.
7. On sunny days, open draperies and blinds to let the sun's warmth in. Close them at night to insulate against the cold air outside.
8. Place a sheet of aluminum foil between the radiator and the wall to reflect heat back into the room.

Of course, thinking longer term (and larger investment), there are other steps you can take to ensure your home is running at its optimal efficiency. To learn more about those, click here.

I hope you find this helpful and stay warm!
-Jamie Wright, Realtor
Jamie@BurlingtonVermontHomes.com
(802)846-9530