sustainable house ideas

In 2024, So Much More for Using Less Energy

Happy New Year! In the future, passive housing will need to be part of, if not all the housing we live in, more and more of it. As we look towards 2024, I would like to celebrate the growth in know-how for building houses that are energy independent, or nearly so. Maine is doing it.

Baby, it’s cold outside! What to do inside

Here are four things to do to make sure you and your house survive a frigid winter night. Close and lock all your windows. They seal better that way. Close draperies on cold and windy nights to reduce the feel of drafts that invite you to raise your thermostat temperature. If you have insulated drapes

By |2020-01-26T18:25:44-05:00January 22nd, 2020|Categories: Problems and repair, sustainable house ideas|Tags: , , , , , |

Energy efficiency for tenants

Tenants, here are things you can do to increase the heating efficiency of your apartment. You can save money on your home heating. Yes, I know that you are stuck with the system your landlord chose, but you can make it work better. Windows, the quick fix: Open and close, then lock all your windows. Locking

By |2020-09-07T11:29:31-04:00December 12th, 2018|Categories: sustainable house ideas, Problems and repair|

Dining Room

Some of our clients specifically request to see only properties with a dining room. Why? So they can host Thanksgiving dinner. Does that sound like you? When you think about Thanksgiving Day, does an image come to mind as your mental picture of Thanksgiving? Does that image take place in a dining room? Is it

By |2018-11-16T11:33:24-05:00November 21st, 2018|Categories: sustainable house ideas, buying process|

No Bees, No Food

Is it time to go outside to enjoy the flowers and the trees and the birds and the bees? Did you enjoy fresh fruit, berries or nuts? If you do, thank a honey bee. Before you buy new plants and put them in the ground, there are things you can do to help the bees.

By |2018-04-08T15:51:07-04:00April 25th, 2018|Categories: sustainable house ideas|

Why is it built this way?

I’m curious about houses. Wherever I go, I wonder why they are built the way they are. I can’t turn off my inner house-nerd, even when I go on vacation. You can call this post: “House nerd on vacation.” Roofs Almost as soon as I arrived in Key West, I noticed that all the roofs

Energy efficiency from Mass Save

Mass Save is not just about wall insulation. Mass Save also has 0% interest loan programs to improve other aspects of your house’s carbon footprint. These are the rebates, in 2018.  Not only are you able to borrow for insulation, but you can also borrow for these improvements. High Efficiency Heating Systems Central Air Conditioning/ Air

$3000 towards knob and tube removal

Some electrical repair can’t wait. Knob and tube wiring is one of those problems. This wiring, from 80-100 years ago, has not aged gracefully. It is considered a fire hazard by most insurance companies. Our clients are often told that they cannot get insurance, or they can only get insurance if they promise to remove

National Nest Box Week

Here is an idea that should cross the pond. February is the time to think about creating nesting places for local birds. In England, National Nest Box Week is and organization that encourages people to create nesting places for local birds. Their habitats are being threatened by building, and landscaping that eliminates the places where

By |2021-11-01T17:17:09-04:00January 11th, 2017|Categories: sustainable house ideas|Tags: , , |