Thoughts on Home Repair for Californians

The state of California is graced with many different climate regions, and home owners throughout the state therefore have many different home repair and renovation issues to confront in any given year.  While some home owners need to deal with the ravages of searing heat and the relentless rays of the sun shining down on them with infernal intensity, other home owners in California have to handle conditions of severe cold (during at least part of the year) and constant precipitation in all its wonderful forms, liquid or frozen and everything in between.  The needs of a home may vary in certain ways depending on the climate of your particular part of the Golden State, though at the same time there are certain home repair projects that it is a good idea to execute no matter what kind of home you have or where it’s situated.  Let’s take a look at some of those projects then…

 

Home renovation work in general has taken on new meaning and new forms in light of modern technology, and in recent years we have witnessed the rise of the “smart home,” and achieving this status for your home is a pretty good idea no matter how you look at it.  There is no exact definition for what a smart home is, but the basic idea is automation and efficiency—the former making the latter possible.  In this context, a very worthwhile home improvement project would be to go ahead and have a home automation system installed within your house, which will give you more control over all the appliances in your home, including remotely via your smart phone or any PC with a connection to the web.  Automation systems have the effect of generally reducing wasteful consumption of resources, from water to gas and electricity off the power grid—all of which cost money, and which we have a duty not to use irresponsibly and wastefully.  You can make further progress in the direction of household efficiency by replacing outdated and inefficient appliances and systems inside or outside your home, a broad task that will give you plenty to busy yourself with.  Whether it’s an old HVAC unit (which, in addition to being inefficient might also be costing you more on home insurance) you need to replace or several of the appliances in your kitchen, you should look for alternatives with a good Energy Star rating when you go out shopping for replacements.

 

California is known for being a place where green ideas find wide acceptance, and so home owners in the state should consider looking into the various Energy Star standards for having your home qualify as an overall efficient place—an issue which goes far beyond replacing one or two appliances.  There is much to be done in the average home in terms of repair and renovation work to achieve a comprehensive Energy Star rating for your property, yet it is certainly worth it as not only are there tax incentives to do so but you’ll also have the benefit of a clearer conscience.